Historical Significance
The Mountain View Theatre building holds a
special place in the hearts of those who remember when this was
the city's premier entertainment venue. Built in 1926, the theatre
was the town's first and only 'Movie Palace."
Below is an accurate architectural rendering and
description of the theatre that appeared in the December 25, 1925
front page of the Mountain View Register Leader:
F.L Campen's New Theatre
The above illustration is from a faithful drawing
by Architect Cantin and shows exactly how FL Campen's beautiful
new theatre will look when completed. There will not be another
show house on the peninsula with a more beautiful facade, and
few, if any with a more commodious or more comfortable interior.
Some details of this building will be of interest
at this time: The interior covers an area 50 feet wide and 140 feet from
the entrance to the back of the stage, and 20 feet from floor to ceiling.
The front lobby will be 16 feet wide and 20 feet deep. On either side of
the lobby will be a store 17 feet wide and as deep as the lobby.
From the entrance to the theatre proper the floor
will slope down to the stage 96 feet. From the entrance a balcony will
extend backward over the stores and lobby below somewhat after the
manner of the high school auditorium.
The seating capacity will be 750. The stage will be
regular in every way and designed to stage any regular production. It
will be 26 feet deep, and 19 feet high. The biggest shows going can be
put on this stage. Just this week a change was made in the plans for the
stage and some already done is being taken out and the stage is being
made larger in all dimensions, especially in depth. It is being extended
back ten feet farther then originally planned.
The entire building is of concrete reinforced with
heavy steel. It is really Class A, and nearly perfectly fireproof
as a building can possibly be made. The people of Mountain View
are going to be mighty proud of this show house, and Mr. Campen
is to be congratulated that he waited until he was good and ready
to give his home town so good, and so beautiful a theatre.
~~~~~~~
As the above article states, Frederick L. Campen Jr. was the owner
of this theater building. (For its first decade, the theatre was
known as the Campen Theatre.) The theater was constructed by the
Minton Lumber Company, the architect was A.A. Cantin, who had
offices in San Francisco and lived on Grant Road in Mountain View.
AA Cantin was a prominent historic theatre architect in Northern
California.
The theater was remodeled in 1937. The 1937 remodel included new
carpets, drapes, seats, and "modernistic and handsome ceiling
painting and sidewall decorations." Also, a new marquee was added,
pictured below:
In 1941 the theater's name
was changed to the "Mt. View." In 1961 the theater was completely
modernized. In 1987 the theater stopped showing movies regularly.
It had a brief stint as live band venue in the late 1980s. Below
is a photo of how the theatre appeared from 1961 until around
1995:
In the early 1990s the theater was extensively
remodeled and turned into the short-lived western themed Rio Grande
Nightclub and Restaurant. The entire building was fitted with
an ornate western theme, and sadly, the 1960s marquee with its
glowing blue neon sign was removed and replaced with a neon cowboy.
The Rio Grande stayed open for less than a year. From 1999 until
2003, it was home to the Limelight Night Club. The Limelight ripped
out the Western decoration, and repainted the facade. The Limelight
closed earlier this year after the city restricted its age limit
to 21+ due to problems with underage drinking, as well as other
issues.
Many throughout Mountain View, including members
of MVPA, are hoping that somehow the building can be returned
to its original use as a theatre. The building is now for sale,
and its future a giant question mark.
The interior of the building still has the very
basic layout of a theater despite many years of changes and renovations.
However, all original architectural features have long since been
removed (likely in the 1961 remodel). The interior is virtually
a blank slate for anyone interested in creating a new theatre
within it walls. This leaves any future owner free from any obligation
to restore the interior, allowing for the flexibility to offer
a completely modern theatre going experience in a historic setting.
But because the theatre has been so greatly altered,
Carey & Company, the firm hired to evaluate Downtown's historic
structures for eligibility on the city's Historic Resource Inventory,
has recommended that the theatre be removed. If the city council
adopt this recommendation, the theatre may very well be lost completely.
MVPA believes that this building's unique history
and the potential to at least restore its facade to an earlier
appearance warrant its continued presence on the city's Historic
Resource Inventory, or at the least on a separate register of
potential landmarks if proper restoration is undertaken.
If anyone out there is interested in buying/leasing
this building and reopening it as a theatre, feel free to e-mail.
While MVPA is not associated with the current owners of the building,
we do have additional information and contacts that may be helpful.
See Also
Moving
Pictures in Downtown Mountain View
Cinema
Treasures - Mtn. View Theatre
Outside Sources:
"F.L Campen's New Theatre"; Mountain View
Register-Leader; December 25, 1925, page 1
Kinchen, Barbara; History of Mountain View's Theatres;
Written for Mtn. View Pioneer & Historical Association Newsletter,
January 1988
