Generations of movie-goers are mourning the loss of a cinematic and architectural treasure, which closed around Feb. 3, weeks before anticipated.
By Joanne Furio Feb. 12, 2023, 7:15 a.m.
When Berkeley’s United Artists theater opened its doors on Sept. 16, 1932, the Berkeley Daily Gazette described it as “the greatest theatrical event in the history of Berkeley.”
Klieg lights lit the sky as a red carpet welcomed Hollywood stars like Josephine Dunn, George Bancroft and Bing Crosby. Uniformed ushers and “usherettes” escorted the 1,800 attendees into velvet seats. Twice as many people filled the foyers and the lobby, which boasted 22-foot ceilings, murals and dazzling art deco chandeliers, hoping to secure tickets to the second show. Before the curtain rose for the feature presentation, Down to Earth, starring Will Rogers, Berkeley Mayor Thomas Caldecott thanked United Artists and its partner, Fox West Coast Theaters, for giving Berkeley “such a magnificent theater.”
In contrast, the closing of the theater — the last in downtown Berkeley and an art deco movie palace — took place with little fanfare and no advance warning around Feb. 3, about two weeks before Regal’s parent company, Cineworld, had planned to close 39 theaters around the country as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. The closure came so unexpectedly that showtimes continued to appear online a week later until the Google listing finally listed the theater as “Permanently Closed.”
“There was no mention of when they’d actually close. No explanation,” said developer Patrick Kennedy of Panoramic Interests, which owns the theater. Kennedy bought the property in August for $7 million and allowed the theater to remain rent free in an attempt to keep the theater open as long as possible.
He plans to tear down the theater to make way for a 17-story, 293-unit apartment complex, leaving most of its art deco facade — and some of its lobby — intact.