Cinema 1 Theatre (Rem.)
Salinas, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The old Cinema 1 Theatre in downtown Salinas no longer shows first-run movies. In fact, it no longer shows movies at all. The Art Deco theater originally opened as the El Rey on August 15, 1935, with Lady Tubbs playing on the screen. It became Cinema 1 during the 1980s.
The theater closed after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and sat vacant for decades. A new owner purchased the building in 2019 and began peeling away years of alterations. Restoration crews scraped through more than 30 layers of paint to uncover original 1935 decorative work hiding underneath.
UPDATE: The City of Salinas designated the El Rey as a historic building in 2024. Its facade and vertical sign have been restored, while work continues inside. Plans call for the former movie house to reopen as an event center for concerts, weddings, and community gatherings. 09-26
Crystal Theatre (Demolished)
Salinas, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The old Crystal Theatre stood dark along the first block of Main Street in downtown Salinas. No shows, no crowds, and a tired neon blade sign waiting for either a fresh set of tubes or a trip to the big theater in the sky. Time eventually did tell.
The Crystal earned a place in local movie history on January 16, 1930, when it showed Salinas its first all-talking feature, The Ramblin’ Kid. Parts of the Hoot Gibson western had been filmed at the 1929 California Rodeo, giving local audiences another reason to fill the seats.
UPDATE: The Crystal Theatre never received its hoped-for revival. The building was demolished during later downtown redevelopment, and its marquee and neon blade sign disappeared along with it. 09-26
Reel Joy Theatre (Gone)
King City, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The old Reel Joy Theatre in King City looked like it might simply be closed between shows. Its tower facade, blue marquee, and poster cases still gave Broadway Street the appearance of having a classic neighborhood movie house. Unfortunately, the movies had already ended long before this photo was taken.
The Reel Joy opened before 1922 and received a major facelift in 1938. After closing as a theater, its sloping auditorium floor was leveled and false ceilings were installed so the building could be used as a grocery store. Quite a change from popcorn and coming attractions.
UPDATE: The former Reel Joy Theatre has since been torn down. Its distinctive tower facade, blue marquee, and poster cases are all gone from Broadway Street. 09-26
Crest Theatre
Fresno, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The Crest Theatre in downtown Fresno is a colorful Art Deco delight. Its curved facade, detailed marquee, and 50-foot neon tower bring plenty of old movie-palace style to Broadway Plaza. When the neon is glowing, the Crest looks ready to put on a show before anyone even reaches the ticket booth.
The theater opened on July 7, 1949, as part of the Fox West Coast circuit. Future First Lady Nancy Davis was among the celebrities and dignitaries attending the grand opening. Inside, gold-leaf molding and dark blue walls added even more drama to the moviegoing experience.
The Crest also has an unexpected Hollywood connection. Before it was purchased by Gloria Leon in 1996, the building was owned by Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. It later spent several years being used as a church before returning to entertainment duty.
UPDATE: The Crest remains open under the Hull family, hosting classic films, concerts, private gatherings, and community events. Its elaborate neon tower survives and still lights up for scheduled events. 09-26
Sierra Theatre (Closed)
Delano, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The Sierra Theatre was still showing movies in downtown Delano when this photo was taken. Its tall vertical sign, stepped tower, and streamlined Art Moderne facade brought a little Hollywood style to the middle of this Central Valley farming town. With the doors open and the marquee intact, it still looked like a classic small-town movie house.
The theater was first designed in 1938 by noted movie palace architect S. Charles Lee, but construction delays and wartime restrictions kept the project from moving forward. Architect Vincent G. Raney later completed the final design, and the Sierra finally opened on August 6, 1946, with the Technicolor western Canyon Passage on the screen.
The nearly 900-seat theater was built for Frank Panero, a longtime regional exhibitor who had opened Delano’s first primitive movie house back in 1915. The Sierra became his modern downtown showplace and remained an independent movie stop for generations.
UPDATE: The Sierra Theatre closed in 2008 and now sits vacant. Its stepped facade and vertical sign structure remain in place, but the neon has gone dark and the building shows the effects of years without regular maintenance. 09-26
Nile Theatre
Bakersfield, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Traveling through downtown Bakersfield, check out the historic Nile Theatre and its streamlined Art Moderne facade. The building has been entertaining people along 19th Street in one form or another for more than a century, though its appearance and purpose have changed quite a bit along the way. 08-05
The story began in 1906 with the Bakersfield Opera House, a home for vaudeville, stage productions, and early motion pictures. It became the Nile Theatre in 1924, right in the middle of America’s King Tut-inspired Egyptian craze following the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Nile Theatre
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy John King
In 1937 and 1938, famed theater architect S. Charles Lee rebuilt the old opera house into the sleek theater seen today. Much of the earlier building was stripped back to its exterior walls, then given a modern facade and new auditorium. The Nile later became a twin-screen theater in 1976 before closing as a movie house in 1994.
After sitting empty for 12 years, the building reopened in July 2006 as the Nile Bar & Grill and later operated as a nightclub. At least the old theater found another way to keep people coming through the doors.
UPDATE: (Right) Here's a more recent shot of the former Nile Theatre in Bakersfield. Many thanks to John King for photo update. 09-10
UPDATE: The bar and grill era has ended, but the Nile is open again under the Fox Theater Foundation. Its restored marquee and neon now welcome crowds for concerts, comedy, dance nights, and occasional film events. 09-26
Cinema 1 Theatre (Rem.)
Crystal Theatre (Demolished)
Reel Joy Theatre (Gone)
Crest Theatre
Sierra Theatre (Closed)
Nile Theatre
Nile Theatre
