Cinema Treasures.Org — This is a potentially great site which archives information about all the “dead” or refurbished movie theaters around the country. There are a lot of photos but most of the theaters have none and the public usually has pics someplace that can be uploaded to the site. This is the kind of site the MPAA should be funding if they had any respect for their own history.

The Fox (California) (T & D) opened in November 1921. The original architect was A.W. Cornelius who also did the design of the California Theatre in Pitsburg, CA and the California Theatre in Richmond, CA. Though different, all three theatres had very similar Grecian facades.

The Salinas facade still exists, but was covered over in a remodel of the theatre in 1948. Newspaper photos clearly show the columns arched windows and statues being covered over by the “new” chevron design.

The auditorium was remodeled along the Skouras line at the same time.

A previous remodel of the theatre saw the original interior gutted and replaced with an art deco theme. That plaster work still exists beneath the walls on either side of the stage and are visible from behind in the areas where the original organ (2 manual 14 rank Gschoeff “Chef”) was installed.

Search the archive for your favorite childhood theater.