Parkway Theatre (Gone)
Oakland, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Check out the neon outside Oakland’s Parkway Theatre, where movie night came with a little more comfort than the usual theatre seat. During its Parkway Speakeasy days, patrons could settle into couches and lounge chairs with pizza and beer. Apparently, watching a movie didn’t have to mean leaving the living room behind entirely. 10-05
The Parkway originally opened on September 23, 1925, with I’ll Show You the Town. This neighborhood theatre welcomed generations of moviegoers before finding a different way to fill the house. Its later Speakeasy incarnation made the surroundings part of the attraction, giving audiences a place to stretch out while enjoying the show.
Dinner and a movie became one stop. Instead of grabbing a bite somewhere else and hurrying over before the previews ended, patrons could bring the evening together beneath the same roof. The couches gave the place an informal feel, while the neon outside supplied the proper old-theatre greeting.
Parkway Theatre
Oakland, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
UPDATE: The original Parkway closed in 2009, leaving the familiar building without its regular movie crowds. After years of vacancy, rehabilitation brought another use, and it now houses Ivy Hill Cannabis. The pizza, beer, and couch tradition found a separate home at the New Parkway, which opened elsewhere in Oakland in 2012. The old Parkway survives, although its everyday attractions have certainly changed. 10-26
Novato Theatre (Demolished)
Novato, CA Photo courtesy D. Randy Riggs
The neon outside the Novato Theatre offered a little encouragement even while the movie house remained closed. A glowing marquee can make a building look ready for another show, although getting this one back into operation required considerably more than changing the letters on the attraction board. 04-06
Opened in 1948, the theatre served downtown Novato until its closure in 1991. Unfortunately, the long intermission continued. The interior was gutted during work in 2016, and the old sign was removed. The theatre never achieved the comeback that supporters had pictured.
UPDATE: The former theatre site has moved toward a different future. New owners purchased it in 2024, and the city now lists a proposed three-story development with residential and commercial uses. Another old movie house whose next attraction appears to be something other than a film. 10-26
Del Mar Theatre
Santa Cruz, CA Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
There’s plenty to admire outside the Del Mar Theatre in downtown Santa Cruz. The tall sign and illuminated marquee give Pacific Avenue a proper movie-palace greeting. This is the sort of entrance that makes heading inside for a picture feel like an occasion. 02-07
The Del Mar opened in August 1936 with China Clipper. Its grand auditorium originally seated more than 1,500 people, giving Santa Cruz a substantial dose of Art Deco showmanship.
Del Mar Theatre
Santa Cruz, CA Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
The theatre closed in 1999, but community support helped keep its story from ending there. A restoration returned the old movie house to service in February 2002, bringing its decorative entrance and familiar neon back into the evening scenery.
UPDATE: The city-owned Del Mar remains open, operated by Landmark Theatres since 2015. Its three auditoriums continue showing films, and the building also accommodates community screenings and events. Fortunately, the coming attractions still have a place beneath this old marquee. 10-26
Varsity Theatre
Davis, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The neon outside the Varsity Theatre brings a little movie-house glow to downtown Davis. Built along the old Highway 40 route, this theatre gave passing motorists a reason to stop for an evening’s entertainment. 09-08
The present building opened on June 9, 1950, with The Eagle and the Hawk, although construction wasn’t quite finished. Apparently, the show had to go on. It closed as a regular cinema in 1990 and became a live performance venue.
UPDATE: The Varsity returned to movies on April 6, 2006, specializing in independent and art films. It remains open, keeping the old marquee associated with actual coming attractions. 10-26
Los Gatos Theatre
Los Gatos, CA Photo courtesy Scott Strickland
Check out the neon marquee at the Los Gatos Theatre, adding a little nighttime sparkle to the downtown shopping street. The illuminated entrance makes a fine reminder of the days when a neighborhood movie house was a regular stop for an evening out. 11-09
The theatre’s roots reach back to the Strand in the 1910s. Fires, earthquake damage, and several rebuilding projects changed the property over the years, but movies kept returning to this familiar downtown location.
Another major refurbishment brought the theatre back in 2014. Unfortunately, the pandemic interrupted its run again, leaving the building waiting for another opening night.
UPDATE: The Goetz family donated the theatre to the Town of Los Gatos in 2021. CineLux subsequently took over operations, and movies returned in late 2022. The theatre remains active today, giving that old entrance another generation of moviegoers to welcome. 10-26
Rheem Theatre
Moraga, CA Photo courtesy Scott Strickland
Check out the old Rheem Theatre in Moraga, where the prominent sign and mid-century styling put on a little show before the movie begins. Quite an entrance for a neighborhood movie house. 11-09
Built for Donald Rheem, the theatre opened in June 1957 as a large single-screen house. It was later divided into four screens, bringing more coming attractions beneath the same roof.
UPDATE: After closures and changes in operators, Cinema West purchased and renovated the Rheem in 2019. It remains open, with reclining seats and updated sound inside its familiar 1950s surroundings. Fortunately, this old theatre still has another show on the bill. 10-26
Del Mar Theatre
Del Mar Theatre
Varsity Theatre
Los Gatos Theatre
Rheem Theatre
