La Loma Theatre

La Loma Theatre was a military surplus Quonset Hut style building, which opened in La Loma district of Modesto on October 2, 1947. It is located at the corner of Yosemite Boulevard and La Loma Avenue. The Modesto Bee said the front of the building had a traditional entrance and lobby built onto it. An advertisement a few days before it opened said the theatre was ‘conceived, designed, financed and built by three local war veterans’.

In the early-1950’s La Loma Theatre shared ad space with the State Theatre, Esquir Theatre and Covell Theatre, sometimes playing day and date with them. The advertisements left the impression that all four theatres were part of one chain. Early in 1954 they started a weekend-only policy, showing mainly B pictures and second-runs.

After July 11, 1954, its advertisement disappeared from the Modesto Bee. On August 28, 1954, a large advertisement appeared in the Bee announcing that a minister was opening a revival auditorium at the theatre.

On August 18, 1966, photographs appeared in the Bee of La Loma Theatre being moved down the street from 1401 Yosemite Boulevard to its new home at 105 Kerr Avenue, which was about a block away. The photographs show just a plain Quonset hut with a Streamline Modern style façade and marquee. All of the seats had been removed and the new owner said the building would be used as a warehouse or for manufacturing. The demolition date of La Loma Theatre at its second location is unknown.

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