American Theatre
Loring Avenue and Bay Street,
Crockett,
CA
94525
Loring Avenue and Bay Street,
Crockett,
CA
94525
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A series of items in Moving Picture World between March and June 1919 documents the American Theatre opening as the Loring Theatre that June. Built and operated by Manuel Mederios, it was located on the Northeast corner of Bay Street and Loring Avenue, and supposedly had 650 seats. In 1924, it was purchased by A. Pezzuto, who, according to Moving Picture World (September 8,1923), had recently built a concrete theatre in Valona, an unincorporated community adjoining Crockett. This was most likely the Columbia Theatre, listed on Cinema Treasures as the Lanai. These theatres changed hands at least once as a package before winding up with T & D Jr. Enterprises around 1936. The June 18,1938 issue of The Film Daily mentioned that the Loring was closed for renovations. While it doesn’t say in the article, it reopened as the American Theatre, confirmed by the local telephone directories. – The American Theatre closed around 1950. The building is long demolished.
The photo on the overview page is of the Davis Brothers General Merchandise Store, a vintage picture (thanks Contra Costa Historical Society) can be viewed here. The American (then known as the Loring) Theatre was on the opposite side of Loring Avenue and a few doors to the west.
The vintage photo uploaded to the photo page and incorrectly identified as the New Orpheum is actually the American, you can see its former name on the marquee. As Joe Vogel mentioned in his comment, the New Orpheum was open by 1915, the American was built in 1919.
Polk’s 1914-1915 Richmond-Contra Costa County directory lists a New Orpheum Theatre in Crockett. That might be an early name for the American, but it could also be an early name for another theater, one which was called the Loring in the 1920s and at least into the late 1930s.
The Loring was in the 800 block of Loring Avenue, on a site that is now part of Rithel Park. If the Loring was not mentioned in 1941, it’s possible that something bad happened to it and the American was its replacement.
If the red brick building showing in Street View was the American Theatre, the building itself must be quite old. I’d guess late 19th or early 20th century. It might have been built for some other use and converted into a theater at any time prior to 1941.
As far as I’ve been able to determine, the only theaters operating in Crockett in the late 1930s were the Loring and the Columbia. That’s why I think the American might have opened only after the Loring closed.