It's a slice of Tri-Counties history, which is also one of the region's premiere performing arts venues. Santa Barbara's Granada Theater is celebrating its centennial, with a film series commemorating some hit movies made by some legendary local directors.
Back To The Future, The Fugitive, Forrest Gump, and Holes are among the featured films, with the directors and some of those involved in making the movies appearing at some of the screenings.
The Granada's story dates back to the 1920's.
"It was built in 1924. The builder was Charlie Urton, whose claim to fame was that he never knew how to build a high rise, " said Jill Seltzer, who is the Granada Theater’s Vice President of Advancement.
"His loving wife said he could do this, and that he should go get a how-to book," said Seltzer. And, that's how he came to understand the kinds of structural integrity the building would need to be eight floors high, right now the tallest building in Santa Barbara."
Less than a year after it was built, Santa Barbara was rocked by a massive magnitude 6.8 earthquake. The city suffered widespread damage, but the Granada came through the 1925 quake with flying colors.
"The day after the earthquake, when the Granada was undamaged, Charlie climbed to the top of the building to hang his sign, which said 'Built of Charles Urton,' and then he listed his phone number," said Seltzer. "The firemen came and told him to get down, be he told them the building wasn't going anywhere, and neither was he."
The Granada was a movie theater, but it was also a performing arts theater. Over the decades, some of the biggest names in show business walked through its doors.
The list includes Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Martha Graham, and Henry Fonda.
Seeing movies at the Granada is a treat. It was mostly used as a movie theater for decades. In fact, at one point the balconies were enclosed, turning it into a triplex theater. By the 1980’s, it was in poor condition.
But rather than tear it down, the community rallied, raising more than $50 million dollars to reopen the balcony, and renovate the theater from top to bottom. In 2008, the 1500 seat theater reopened.
It now hosts everything from Opera Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Symphony to touring Broadway shows.
Seltzer said the Granada wanted to celebrate its centennial in style. The result is the film series Santa Barbara Home Movies: Films By Artists and Performers Who Call Santa Barbara Home.
It features eight films by filmmakers Andy Davis and Robert Zemeckis.
"Well, it's interesting. It's called home movies," said Davis. "It started with Steal Big, Steal Little, a film shot in Santa Barbara. But, the reference to home movies is the fact that the two directors that are showing movies are both living in the Santa Barbara area...Bob Zemeckis and myself."
Davis noted that the first movie studios on the West Coast were the Flying A Studios, which were in Santa Barbara. Some of the earliest movies were made in Santa Barbara.
Davis has three films which are part of the Granada’s celebration.
Steal Little, Steal Big screened last month. In November, his hit movie “The Fugitive,” which starred Harrison Ford will be shown. And, next month, his acclaimed Western comedy-action adventure movie Holes will be screened.
Back To the Future is being screened at 7 Saturday night. Tickets for films in the series are $5 each.
The theater will host Who Framed Roger Rabbit August 24, Forrest Gump August 31, Holes September 28, The Fugitive November 23, and The Polar Express December 3.
You can find a complete movie schedule, and ticket information here.
Davis, Zemeckis, and cast and crew members from some of the films are appearing at some of the screenings.
