New Venue in Monterey
Golden State Theatre - Showplace of the Peninsula
When it opened on August 6, 1926, the Golden State Theatre was the last word in movie presentation, and it wasn’t a recorded word, as movies with sound were still over the horizon. Seating 1600 people, it was the largest theatre between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and could hold 25% of Monterey’s population. THIS was entertainment. THIS was living.
In 1952, an attempt at modernization was made at the Golden State. The entire interior was spray-painted two shades of gray to suppress the exotic adornments that had fallen out of favor. On the exterior, window eyebrows were removed to streamline the façade. In 1976 the balcony was split into two smaller theatres, creating awkward viewing angles for the next 28 years.
In This Section:
Conductor’s Message
Insights from the Conductor
Wine, Women & Song
In 1992, a group of volunteers began installation of a replacement for the pipe organ removed in the 1950s. Concurrently, a small group of volunteers reached an agreement with the theatre’s then-owners to uncover and restore the original colors in the auditorium, lobby and mezzanine. For the next 10 years they would work around the ongoing movie schedule, painting a few square feet at a time, and hoping against hope that it would not be in vain.
In October of 2004, the theater was purchased by a private owner, Warren Dewey. Restoration has proceeded rapidly since then. The upstairs theatres are gone; the auditorium’s ground floor has been re-floored and reseated; stenciled paintings have been restored; new projectors are in place; a new, larger movie screen has been installed and flown so the stage can be used for live performances; and the list goes on and on.
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