Derrick Cinema

The 1970 census had Sonora teetering close to 2,000 residents and located in a county in which 60% of the population spoke Spanish as their primary language. In 1977, an odd choice of businesses to start in a new-build facility would be a movie theater playing Hollywood blockbusters. And, yet, at the edge of town across from the 4-H Center, that’s exactly what happened.

The Derrick Theatre opened for business on March 24, 1978 with a fairly aggressive 7-day a week programming schedule starting with “Oh, God!” with George Burns and John Denver. And the theatre outperformed all expectations lasting five years closing “for the winter season” on November 21, 1983.

That reopening does not appear to have occurred and religious services were held in the building beginning the following Spring. The Lighthouse Community Church took full-time operation of the church. An unusual event for the theatre was when the City decided to move a downtown building and place it on the lot right next to the theatre.

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