Imperial Theatre

The Margarita Theatre dates back to 1906 in the Humboldt Times as a vaudeville house. On July 9, 1914, the first movie advertised at the Margarita was “Joan of Arc”, seen by an audience of over 800.

On August 20, 1914, the theatre was taken over by Bert Pettengill and renamed the Imperial Theatre, commencing with the film, Mary Pickford in “Tess of the Storm Country”. “There will be two performances each evening and the price of admission will be 10 and 20 cents. Downstairs 20 cents, loges 20 cents, balcony 10 cents”.

The Imperial Theatre closed in March 1917 and the Humboldt Times purchased the building to use as their plant. In June all of the equipment was put up for sale, including 685 theatre chairs of various types. In July the Times Publishing reported the walls and foundation of the Imperial Theatre would remain while the rest of the building would be changed.

On November 9, 1931, the third story of the Times building was gutted by a $200,000 fire. The building was rebuilt and the Times occupied it until moving to their new location in December 1968.

Remembered in the Humboldt Times as the Margarita Theatre rather than the Imperial Theatre, it was situated next to the Bank of Eureka (built 1911), now the Clarke Historical Museum. According to Sanborn Maps, it had a balcony and was located off today’s Opera Alley where the museum annex is located.

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