Arcata Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Arcata Theatre is an historic structure located in the city of Arcata
in Humboldt County
, California
.
, who controlled the theater businesses in the area, commissioned architect William B. David to design the theater in 1927. Original construction costs ranged between $40,000 to $60,000. Opening night in 1938 featured “Thin Ice
,” starring Sonja Henie
and Tyrone Power
. The theatre was a success and was soon offering up to six films a week along with added attractions, cartoons like Popeye
and Betty Boop
, news, and sports. In 1948 the theater was expanded and renovation and a new, cinemascope
screen replaced the older, smaller screen. Carpeting and air cushioned seats were added. In 1982 the theatre was sold to David Phillips but to operate as a movie house. The theater was sold in 2000 to Robert White. The present owners, Lara and Brian Cox of Arcata, bought the Arcata Theater in May 2004. It reopened as the Arcata Theatre Lounge in April 2009.
and Art Moderne. Inside details were in the Art Deco style, including cumulus
clouds painted on the ceiling and Murals of swimming mermaid
s painted on the walls. Images of sea life covered many surfaces.
Arcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
in Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
History
George MannGeorge Mann
George Mann CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer, who played for Cambridge University, Middlesex and England.-Life and career:...
, who controlled the theater businesses in the area, commissioned architect William B. David to design the theater in 1927. Original construction costs ranged between $40,000 to $60,000. Opening night in 1938 featured “Thin Ice
Thin Ice (1937 film)
Thin Ice is a United States comedy/romance film directed by Sidney Lanfield starring Tyrone Power and figure skater Sonja Henie.-Plot:...
,” starring Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion . Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater...
and Tyrone Power
Tyrone Power
Tyrone Edmund Power, Jr. , usually credited as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as Ty Power, was an American film and stage actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s to the 1950s, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads such as in The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand, The Black Swan,...
. The theatre was a success and was soon offering up to six films a week along with added attractions, cartoons like Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
and Betty Boop
Betty Boop
Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...
, news, and sports. In 1948 the theater was expanded and renovation and a new, cinemascope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
screen replaced the older, smaller screen. Carpeting and air cushioned seats were added. In 1982 the theatre was sold to David Phillips but to operate as a movie house. The theater was sold in 2000 to Robert White. The present owners, Lara and Brian Cox of Arcata, bought the Arcata Theater in May 2004. It reopened as the Arcata Theatre Lounge in April 2009.
Architecture
The chosen design was a combination of Art DecoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and Art Moderne. Inside details were in the Art Deco style, including cumulus
Cumulus cloud
Cumulus clouds are a type of cloud with noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges. Cumulus means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. They are often described as "puffy" or "cotton-like" in appearance. Cumulus clouds may appear alone, in lines, or in clusters...
clouds painted on the ceiling and Murals of swimming mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
s painted on the walls. Images of sea life covered many surfaces.