Fortuna Theater
1241 Main Street,
Fortuna,
CA
95540
1241 Main Street,
Fortuna,
CA
95540
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Cinema West, Redwood Theatres Inc.
Architects: William Bernard David
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: New Fortuna Theater
Nearby Theaters
The New Fortuna Theatre was built for Redwood Theatres in 1938.
Recently restored, the theater reopened in November, 2000. The main theater features original wall sconces and chandeliers, which have all been completely restored. It also has a 46 foot screen and newly installed stadium seating. The other two theaters are located in the reconstructed balcony. The Fortuna Theater is adding a 3-screen addition that will bring the complex to a total of 6 screens.
As part of the restoration, over 500 feet of new neon tubing was installed on the tower. It was lit for the public for the first time in over 35 years, in October 2000. Operated by Cinema West, it was closed on December 20, 2023 following an earthquake which set off the sprinkler system.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
I was in that place in the 90s and there is not room for six auditoriums. They would have been better off restoring it as a single screener or at the most twin it. But that’s “The more screens you have the better” mentality of many theatre owners today.
During the Fortuna Theater’s renovation, the cleanup crew ran across a reel of film dating back to 1937. It showed the old location of the Fortuna Theater and also contained footage of the new theater building which was still under construction. This film had been commissioned by the local merchants and was filmed by the Alexander Film Company. It was produced by the Blache' Screen Service in San Francisco as part of their “Buy at Home” series which promoted local small town commerce. CinemaWest graciously made the 22-minute film available in digital format. The Fortuna Downtown Merchants web site is here, where you can read more about this film and also view it.
Nice to see that they still have their vertical sign.
Never been but looks like old fashion style my kind of theater lets band together and buy it.
Wonderful restoration of this old theatre… However, that ugly, huge clock behind the candy counter needs to go.
A July 4, 2010 photo can be seen here.
Circa 1935 photo added of the original Fortuna Theatre courtesy of Terry Koenig. “When A Man’s A Man” starring George O'Brien on the marquee.
The theater is no longer listed on Cinema West’s website and appears to be closed.
Their website indicates the closure is temporary. Damage was done by an earthquake which caused sprinklers to activate and flood the interior.closure
The closing of the Fortuna Theatre following the earthquake of December 20, 2023 was supposed to be temporary, but due to the fact that the house was performing poorly for some time before the earthquake, Cinema West has been reluctant to make the necessary costly repairs to get it reopened. In an article in Lost Coast Outpost last August, Cinema West’s owner David Corkill said that he would “entertain an offer” if someone wanted to buy the house, though it has not been placed on the market. I’ve found no more recent information indicating any plans by Cinema West to either sell or reopen the Fortuna.