The Arcata Theatre Lounge is a

historic History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

structure located in the city of

Arcata Arcata (; Wiyot: ''Goudi’ni''; Yurok: ''Oket'oh'') is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, Arcata's population was 18,857. Arcata was first ...

in Humboldt County,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

History

George Mann, 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 Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic champion ( 1928, 1932, 1936) in women's singles, a ten-time World champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European champi ...

and

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James'', ' ...

. The theatre was a success and was soon offering up to six films a week along with added attractions,

cartoons A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Betty Boop, news, and sports. In 1948 the theater was expanded an additional 30 feet to the east to allow for greater seating capacity. The length of the auditorium was increased by a third to accommodate a total of 900 seats. The original proscenium and screen were removed and replaced by a new, cinemascope screen that was larger. Acoustical plaster resurfaced the entire ceiling and a significant portion of the walls, thereby covering the Art Deco border designs and mural. New lighting fixtures, carpeting, seats with air cushions, as well as heating were installed to provide greater comfort. 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. Lara and Brian Cox, bought the Arcata Theater in May 2004. All permanent theater-style seating was removed and replaced with platforms that allowed for mixed-used of the space, including comedy shows, concerts, and other entertainment in addition to the regular theater operations. A bar was installed at the back of the auditorium. It reopened as the Arcata Theatre Lounge in April 2009. In August 2016 it was again listed for sale for $1,850,000 and in August 2019 sold to Timothy Overturf for $1,135,000. A number of businesses occupied the two small storefronts in the Arcata Theatre Building. What is now Smugs Pizza was first the Varsity Sweet Shop in 1938. In 1945 it became a watch repair business that was replaced by a jewelry store in 1948, the Clarke Employment Agency in 1954, and around 1979 became Our Gangs Ice Cream Shop. What is now Terry's Bluegrass Barbershop was in 1939 a beauty parlor. In 1945 it became a realtors office, then in 1955 a public accountant office. In 1963 Stan's Barbershop occupied the space. Terry's Bluegrass Barbershop continued to occupy the space as a barber until April 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak forced the business to shut its doors permanently.

Current operations

Since reopening as a mixed-use venue, the Arcata Theatre Lounge has become the focal point for entertainment in the small community of Arcata. Since 2010 the bar has a full liquor license. Current occupancy guidelines allow up to 618 attendees depending on the configuration. Alongside movie showings, the venue has seen diverse music acts including

Riff Raff Riff Raff, Riffraff, or Riff-Raff, a term for the common people but with negative connotations, may refer to: In music * Riff Raff (rapper), from Texas * Riff Raff (band), a UK progressive rock band * Riff Raff, a band formed by Billy Bragg * ...

Odesza Odesza (; stylized as ODESZA) is an American electronic music duo originating from Bellingham, Washington. It consists of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, known individually as Catacombkid and BeachesBeaches. They formed in 2012, shortly bef ...

, Troyboi, and

GRiZ Grant Richard Kwiecinski (born May 31, 1990), also known by his stage name GRiZ, is an American DJ, songwriter, and electronic music producer from Southfield Michigan. He is known for playing the saxophone along with producing funk, electro-soul, ...

. As of January 2020, Monica Muñoz is acting as General Manager.

Architecture

The chosen design was a combination of

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

and

Art Moderne Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...

. Inside details were in the Art Deco style, including

cumulus Cumulus clouds are clouds which have flat bases and are often described as "puffy", "cotton-like" or "fluffy" in appearance. Their name derives from the Latin ''cumulo-'', meaning ''heap'' or ''pile''. Cumulus clouds are low-level clouds, gener ...

clouds painted on the ceiling and murals of swimming

mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes ass ...

s painted on the walls. Images of sea life covered many surfaces. “Best advertising for the town is George Mann’s new sign on the G Street Theater which emblazons to the world at large that south bound tourists are now entering Arcata”. (Arcata Union, Jan. 28, 1938) The auditorium of the theater was originally decorated in a simplified Art Deco tradition with geometric light fixtures, and a wondrous mural design of mermaids surfacing from the sea as legendary Selkies who had transformed themselves into voluptuous human form. The cumulus clouds and fanciful sea garden depicted life above and below the ocean. Geometric border designs edged the ceiling on two sides from front to back as well as around the back and center walls. The center wall featured a row of 10 circular windows where one could peek into the auditorium from the lobby. During the early 2000s eight circular windows that had been protected with paper and covered over with plaster during the 1948 remodel were uncovered. In 2020 the rear wall of the theatre was covered by a mural depicting Diana the Huntress, a figure used frequently in Art Deco. Diana the Huntress is also etched into the historic circular windows in the theatre lobby.

References

External links

Arcata Theatre HistoryAcata Theatre Home Page
Arcata, California Cinemas and movie theaters in California Theatres in California Streamline Moderne architecture in California Buildings and structures in Arcata, California Event venues established in 1938 1938 establishments in California {{HumboldtCountyCA-geo-stub

History

Current operations

Architecture

See also

References

External links