Azteca Theater (Fresno, California) facts for kids
The Azteca Theater (also called Teatro Azteca) is a special old movie theater in Fresno, California. It was built in 1948 by Gustavo Acosta. This theater was the very first place in the San Joaquin Valley to show movies in Spanish. It was important for the many Mexican-American families living in California's Central Valley. Because of its history, the Azteca Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
History of the Azteca Theater
The Azteca Theater was designed by a company from Fresno called Johnson & Moore. They also designed the Biola Theater. The Azteca Theater officially opened its doors on November 30, 1948.
In 1956, Gustavo Acosta rented the theater to Arturo Tirado. Mr. Tirado became very well known for bringing entertainment to the Hispanic community through the theater. He worked there until he retired in the 1980s. In 1961, Arturo Tirado was even the president of a group that represented 300 movie theaters in the United States. His father, Romualdo Tirado, was also famous in California theater.
During a time known as the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, many famous stars appeared at the Azteca Theater. These included Cantinflas, Pedro Infante, María Félix, and Antonio Aguilar.
Besides showing popular Mexican films, the theater also hosted live singers and stage shows. The Azteca Theater was also a meeting place for important events. For example, César Chávez held a rally there on March 24, 1966, before his march from Delano to Sacramento.
The Azteca Theater closed in the late 1980s. It partly reopened in 1999, hosting an art gallery and other events. In 2014, the theater was carefully restored to its original beauty.
Architecture and Design
The Azteca Theater is a two-story building made of brick. It was built in a style called Art Deco, which was popular in the mid-1900s.
Inside the lobby, there is a statue of Bruce Lee. This is a fun hint that the theater also showed kung-fu movies sometimes. The walls of the dressing room backstage are covered with signatures. These are from many of the artists who performed on the theater's stage over the years.
Some of the old wooden organ pipes from the theater are now on display. You can see them on the walls of the bar next door, which is called "A Love Letter to Fresno."
See also
In Spanish: Teatro Azteca para niños
- Azteca Theater (Houston, Texas)
- History of Mexican Americans
- Californios
