One of Berkeley’s most historic theaters might have shown its final film.
The 107-year-old California Theatre will not reopen its doors, Margot Gerber, a spokesperson for Landmark Theatres, which owns the venue, confirmed to Berkeleyside on Thursday.
"The landlord didn’t want to renew our lease, so we are vacating the theater," Gerber told the paper.
The neon marquee at the entrance of the vacant building is currently empty except for the words, "Visit the Shattuck," in reference to the Landmark-owned "Shattuck Cinemas" theater, located just a few blocks from the California. The Shattuck, along with Landmark’s other theatres in the East Bay, the Albany Twin and Piedmont, will remain open, the paper said.
The iconic theatre, known by locals as "the Cal," is situated at 2113 Kittredge St. off Shattuck Ave. in the heart of downtown Berkeley. The venue has been a staple in the community since it opened it 1914 when it debuted by showing the Italian silent film "Cabria."
The California’s future remains up in the air. Gerber told the paper she doesn’t know what the property’s owners have planned, though she did say "if an opportunity avails itself in the future, it’s always possible" that Landmark will end up with the lease again.
The 600-seat theater was the largest indoor auditorium in downtown Berkeley, SFGATE reported.
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