Longtime downtown staple to open doors to public again this weekend for city film festival
THE MAJESTIC THEATRE, 710 First St.
Photos by Keri Luiz/Staff
Mothers took small children to The State Theatre — now The Majestic — on Saturday afternoons to see Flash Gordon cartoons and a kid-friendly feature. Teenagers graduated to evening shows, hanging out with their friends upstairs in the loge — seats that were worth the extra 15 cents because they provided the perfect vantage for pitching ice cubes onto unsuspecting kids in the cheap seats downstairs.
And for young couples, the darkened maroon-and-gold theater was a preferred necking spot — that is, for as long as they could avoid detection by the usher, who seemed to take diabolical pleasure in shining a flashlight in their faces with a triumphant “Gotcha!”
“It was the place where everybody went,” said Bonnie Silveria, who along with another native Benician, Ruth Workman, recalled the theater as a highlight of a mid-20th century Benicia childhood.
“You’d go there and hang out. It cost 10 cents to get in when I was a kid.”
On Sunday, those long-ago days will be evoked when The Majestic Theatre, 710 First St., opens its doors to the public once again, serving as the venue for the final day of the second annual Benicia Film Festival.
The festival begins Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. with a gala at another iconic Benicia building, the Commanding Officer’s Quarters in the Arsenal. It continues on Saturday, Sept. 5 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Benicia High School, and concludes Sunday, Sept. 6 from noon to 5 p.m. at The Majestic.
* * *
THE MAJESTIC WAS BUILT IN 1917 during the silent film era, according to a 2005 report sponsored by the California Resources Agency. It was converted to “talking pictures” in 1932; its first sound feature was “The Jazz Singer.”
In 1940, Elias Jeha purchased the theater and remodeled the façade. Apparently he renamed it The State because of its proximity to the old Capitol. The theater was and remains one of the only examples of Art Deco in Benicia.
One of four classic single-screen movie theaters designed by Bay Area architect James W. Plachek in the 1920s, according to cinematreasures.org, the Majestic is the only one still standing. Renamed the Majestic by a later owner, the theater closed as a public cinema in the 1970s — a victim of video rentals, its current owner, Richard Reichert, said. Today it is rented periodically for private events.
Benicia had a second movie theater during wartime, The Victory, but it closed in the 1950s.
During The Majestic’s heyday, shows changed two or three times a week, Silveria remembered. Doors opened about noon on Saturdays, and kids stayed till 5 o’clock. Mothers knew where their children were, and even in the days before cellphones had no trouble tracking them down: All it took was a call to the movie theater. The projectionist would slip a note onto the projector, and up on the screen would pop a message: “Bonnie, come to the lobby,” or “Ruth, you have a phone call.”
Benicia didn’t yet have direct-dial telephones, Silveria recalled, so even the operators who connected the town’s phone calls had a role in the theater’s life. The telephone office was in the building that now houses Sandoval’s, where the operators were lined up at a long switchboard — just steps from the theater and within easy sight of its marquee.
“You’d pick up the phone and they would say ‘Number please?’” Silveria recalled. “And we’d say, ‘Do you know what’s playing at the show?’ And if they didn’t know they’d say, ‘I don’t know what it is, but I’ll go out and look, you just wait.’ They’d go check, and sometimes they’d come back on the line and say, ‘Your mother wouldn’t want you to go to that one.’”
Film is fragile, and it used to break periodically. When that happened, “You’d stomp on the floor to wake up the projectionist so he could fix the film,” Workman remembered. “Everybody did it. It was kind of the highlight. I thought they did that everywhere.”
She continued: “I remember when we saw ‘On the Beach.’ There was a whole row of girls, including my cousin from Fresno. The film broke in a dramatic part, and everyone was stomping the floor so hard the seats were shaking. My cousin thought it was an earthquake and she got up and ran out of the theater!”
On holidays the theater hosted special midnight shows. Owner James Lemos — who served as Benicia’s mayor for 35 years — would also periodically show films from Portugal, a big hit with Benicia’s large Portuguese community. “I remember lines down to the corner and around the block when the Portuguese films played,” Workman said.
The theater had a snack bar in the lobby where kids spent their allowance on candy and popcorn. “For an extra dime, you could get real butter on your popcorn,” Silveria said. “They kept it in a ceramic teapot sitting on top of the hotdog bun warmer.” That extra 10 cents bought popcorn so lathered in butter it had to be sold in a special tinfoil bag so it wouldn’t leak.
Before the days of vigilant health inspectors, the theater also had a house cat whose job was to prevent rodent infestations. “You’d be sitting there and you’d feel this furry tail brush by,” Workman said. “You were hoping it wasn’t a rat.” When a ringworm infestation hit town, the theater cat became Enemy No. 1 of city mothers, who admonished their children not to touch it.
Fearful that her daughter would get infected at the theater Silveria’s mother gave her one of her father’s handkerchiefs to put on the back of the seat so her head wouldn’t touch the fabric. Young Bonnie was too embarrassed to use it — but when she got home her mother demanded to see the handkerchief, which was clearly unused.
“I got caught,” she remembered with a smile.
That didn’t limit her outings to the theater. In fact it was where, at age 16, she met her husband-to-be, Dennis. Their marriage is still going strong, 56 years later.
There’s no guarantee that romance still lingers in The Majestic Theatre’s air all these years later — but it wouldn’t hurt to check it out on Sunday, when the place once again opens its doors to the public.
SECOND ANNUAL BENICIA FILM FESTIVAL
Friday, Sept. 4 ~ Saturday, Sept. 5 ~ Sunday, Sept. 6
THE SECOND ANNUAL BENICIA FILM FESTIVAL will screen more than 30 films between Friday and Sunday. The films, by both domestic and international filmmakers, range in length from 2 to 95 minutes and reflect diverse genres. A ticket for admission to all three days is $65 per person ($35 for students). Tickets for the Friday night gala are $30 for one, $50 for a couple. One-day admission for Saturday or Sunday is $25 ($15 for students). Along with the films, tickets include hors d’oeuvres and a glass of wine.
For a complete schedule and more information see www.beniciafilmfestival.com.
The festival begins with a gala starting at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Commanding Officer’s Quarters in the Arsenal. Films will be shown continuously starting at 7 p.m. Filmmakers speaking are Brandon Davis (“Cosplayer”), Christabel Savalas (“Petty’s Misadventures”), Vinnie Langdon (“Zapper Woman”) and Christian Medina (“El Chiflon Waterfalls” and “Sunken Canyon”).
On Saturday, the festival shifts venues to Benicia High School’s Hayley Horn Auditorium, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with breaks from 12:30-2 p.m. and 5:30-7 p.m. At noon two filmmakers will speak: Ari Rosen (“Sound/Vision”) and Orlando Torres (“OTC Story”). At 3:40 p.m. Patrick Duncan (“Jes and Lora”) and Marie Ullrich (“The Alley Cat”) will speak.
On Sunday the Majestic Theatre in downtown Benicia hosts the festival from noon to 5 p.m. Three of the filmmakers will make a presentation at 1:10 p.m. — David Manley (“Ballet Dreams”); John Beck (“Wind, Water, Land”) and Billy Cruz (“Tunnel”). Seats at the Majestic will be graced by new seat covers recently made by local Girl Scouts.
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This defunct theater is utilized just a few times a year? What a shame in the midst of a vibrant little town. Seems like such a waste and so much potential. I’m curious as to why the owner doesn’t utilize it as an operating theater or sell it.
Cindy, apparently because of sentimental reasons, ir so I’m told. I’d love to run that place in a heartbeat if allowed…crowd funding would help too…
Why in the world does Benicia not enact a blight law and force either a cleanup or a sale of this unused eyesore? The Empress in Vallejo is a great use of a wonderful old venue, and it’s incomprehensible that a city that prides itself on its Main Street, as Benicia does, would continue to let this property rot in plain sight.
Because it is not a blight. It is a property owned by someone who chooses to keep it private.
Agreed. This is private property in a free country. If somebody doesn’t like how it looks or is used, they are free to contact the current owner and buy it. Everything is for sale, for the right price. Then the new owner can open the theater as-is the next day. If they want to renovate anything, for example update the windows, they will have to get a building permit. Wonder what it would take to comply with Benicia’s current sign ordnance. I can only imagine the conditions that the HPRC will place on any permits that are issued. I can’t imagine that anyone could make a profit renovating this building and running it as a theater. That is a real shame!
Steven are you sure that we need more regulations? Maybe we need less. Maybe we need to let private property owners freely choose what to do on their property.
Maybe their property doesn’t existing in the vacuum you want to believe it does.
The Herald doesn’t allow editing (or deletion, more’s the pity) of comments, so let’s try that again:
Maybe their property doesn’t exist in the vacuum you want to believe it does.
Steven –
Just exactly how much control do you feel should be exerted over private property owners and by whom?
Personally, I believe that illegal activity should not be allowed on private property. Also there should be clear and consistently enforced zoning laws applied to well defined areas by a town or city.
There are still vacant lots downtown. Do those exist in a vacuum? Maybe we should force the owner of a vacant lot to build an Art Deco style theater and operate it on a daily basis?
Benicia could follow the precedent set in Connecticut and seize The Majestic by imminent domain for the purpose of economic development. This use of imminent domain was upheld by the US Supreme Court. Would you support that seizure of private property for economic development? I certainly would not. I believe the Supreme Court blew that one!
Maybe we should listen to the current owner to understand what his concerns are with Benicia. Why won’t he operate the theater? Why won’t he sell? Maybe we could follow up with businesses that have left Benicia or decided against locating here. Perhaps we could interview business owners in surrounding towns and ask what it would take for them to move their businesses here. For some unknown reason we actually created an Economic Development Board in Benicia. Maybe they could perform those interviews. From what I’ve heard from business owners, it is too difficult to do business in Benicia. I’ve been hearing that consistently since 1993.
We don’t need more regulation, we need less. Get the government out of the way and our town will start to flourish again. Vote in a pro-business government and there will be opportunities abound!
eminent domain acquisition is by no means imminent.
Tom,
You make very valid points regarding the impact of regulations on potential improvements in a ‘hysterical’ district.
I have known a few who have tried to comply with such requirements, and they all have the same response: Never again!
“Private property” and “blight” aren’t mutually exclusive.
The property has had offers to buy. The owner simply says no. That is his privilege. Like it or not. Steve make an offer and see what the owner says. You will then have an answer. I agree it should be but to better use. So buy it.
“So buy it.” …I get a very solid feeling that it won’t matter what price is offered, the place will continue to sit as it stands…unless the saying ‘everyone has a price’ stands true, in which case, my earnest hope is that if someone can afford his price…what ever it may be…that person/business/entity will still have a sweet stack of cash in their bank from which they can pull for the purposes of cosmetic repair, neon replacement and paint. The interior is absolutely beautiful and the only thing really needed in there would be an upholstery job on the seats…performed by an antiques specialist.
I’ve only ever been inside this building once and if I ever get another opportunity to attend an event in that space again, (or perhaps perform there), I look forward to it.
In the meantime, I regard it as a time capsule.
Once Bob Livesay arrives, it’s time to check out. You kids have fun.
I post on all articles so I guess I will never see another post from you. Bye, Bye Stevie
The answer is simple. Just wait until it becomes a health and safety issue. Wait until it starts negatively impacting commercial property values in downtown. Private property rights only go so far.
Still being used.
That’s what she said.
OK Tom,
We’ll all wait until there is a more sane reasonable government in this village.
An administration which is not into hysterical, excessive nanny state regulations which economically preclude any realist chance this piece of private property can be restored and used by the community.
The wait may not be that long..
Duly noted.
Thomas –
What happens after the theater becomes a health issue, safety issue or impacts nearby real estate values? The city condemns it and? The city then renovates and operates the theater? The city sells the theater with some type of deeded restriction that the property must have an operating movie theater? The century old, unreinforced brick building is razed and the city sells a vacant lot?
Oh wait…I know what the city can do once it takes over The Majestic. We can do nothing with it for 20 years, then spend millions renovating it, do nothing with the renovated building for a couple more years, then rent it out at below market rates and essentially subsidize some hip, cool politically correct start up business such as Carter’s Biz Cafe!
Good idea. Don’t fear the hipsters. That should be Benicia’s new tourism slogan, “Benicia, where even Hipsters dare tread”. Property values will climb when the hipsters finally discover little old Benicia. Unfortunately, the socio/political and business environment in Benicia scares even the hip away. If it did not, the Majestic would probably be a totally different place.
I don’t think stringing a bunch of random conclusions together represent what I think. For there is rarely a question with only a single answer.
Tom; why even respond to this guy. He is very negative and clueless. Yes I did say that TP. Now you are free to come after me. But be careful Facebook tells a lot.
I’ll probably regret this, (arguing with the Internet)….but…
…why can’t we all just get along? No joke, guys, this sarcastic, bitter, back biting, “come after me”, schoolyard mentality is so childish.. Yes, the place is rarely used. No, it probably won’t be sold. and ultimately, it is what it is and *nothing* we say about it by trolling a comment field for an article which will most likely be archived later on anyway will affect *any* *actual* change.
Remember ‘Wheaton’s Law’
Sheeze….
Lewis this is mild. I have had problems with some on this comment section for a long time. Somne because of my own up front comments others based on name calling. So be it. Just watch the comments that come back at me. I will for sure fire back. must stand up to this crap.
To each his own…(runs off to eat a ham sandwich)
How was the sandwich Lewis?
Tom, Bob had a bunch of his comments deleted by the editor the other day. Enough said.
TP is clueless. he does not even know why they were deleted. I do. Balance Tom , not because of what I said but because of what the comments of someone else. . Must balance the issue out or no one even knows why anything was deleted. Sorry TP wrong again.
Uh huh.
that is all you can say.
Bob,
It is worth noting:
‘Mike” – suspended multiple times before being banned .
‘Hank’ – suspended multiple times, before he was banned
‘Hank’ – changed his name and reposted then banned.
Petr Bray – suspended multiple times.
DDL – placed on “moderation’ numerous times (usually for responding in kind to the above named people).
Yes! Simply because TP is clueless and can not stand to have someone up him. This is a comment that was deleted. but not directed at TP, but now it is. TP is a loser.
The Majecsic {State}{ is like fossil fuel. It will be around forever and ever. What a delight.