Burbank Theaters

Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I have been away from Burbank since 1973. I don't remember the 'California' theater where was it? I do remember the Magnolia Theater, the Victory Drive in, the Scobies Drive in restaurant (later Arthurs) the windmill shaped Van de Camps bakery on Victory and Alameda. I lived near the Pickwick Drive in. I remember as a kid, sneaking into the old western bar at Main and Alameda Sts. before it was demolished. The interior was flat black and there was a coffin on a table...we were scared shitless. This location later became an Orange Julius stand and a grocery store, Marvin's Market where I worked as a box boy while in high school. I heard that 'ol Marvin flew the coop to Mexico with all the money order money. Thanks for the work you are doing to bring us all a smile.
Sincerely,
Thomas Rockriver
Chapel Hill, NC.

Another movie theatre memory:

I got up all my courage and asked Barbara McGill (Baillie) to the movies, this was in the 6th or 7th grade. She said yes. My dad drove us. I tried
not to be too embarrassed about that. I'm pretty sure we went to the California, and we might have seen "Please Don't Eat The Daisies". My memory of the place and the film is hazy, mainly because I was so panicked the entire time just to be sitting next to you in a dark theatre, Barbara, that I don't remember much of anything else. You were very pretty, you wore a pretty dress, and I was pretty nervous.

Kenny Davis and I went to the California to see PT109, the story about JFK.
Kenny was a lot less distracting.
Paul Marshall Solomon

First Date:

I remember it well Paul. I know that we were at Stevenson Elementary, 5th or 6th grade. I wore a dress that my mom made for me. We sat in the dark
theater and held sweaty hands watching "Please Don't Eat the Daisies". I was terrified, but also very excited, I thought that you were very cute. I think that you kissed me on my cheek at the end of the date but I could be misremembering. You were my perfect first crush, it is one of my fondest memories of childhood. Thanks Paul.
Barbara Baillie (McGill)

Who remembers the trampolines at the California Theater? They were outside, next to the entrance. They were installed at ground level, supposedly for increased safely since you couldn't "fall" off of them. I think there were maybe 9-12 trampolines. I know they closed after a brief run.

David Crandall

I thought I was the trampoline "King" because I could do a flip, my buddies were in awe - Next day everyone was flipping.
Dave White

I worked the Pickwick Drive-In (snack bar & ticket office) for a couple of years during college (NVJC). I was working there in the summer of '68, the summer that 'Woodstock' played there. As I remember, Woodstock played most of the summer and so, by the end of the summer I could 'sing along' to the whole movie. As I remember the drive-in was packed every week-end all summer long.

I remember going to the California theater (or was it the Magnolia...don't remember) and watching 'West Side Story'. During, 'There's a Place for Us' (I think the main character was dying here.... anyway it was a very quiet and serious moment) my Milk Duds spilled, and rolled loudly down the slanted floor to the front of the theater. My friends and I thought we would die laughing.
Esther Bube (Brunswick)

Ha ha! Great stories. The Magnolia Theater was two blocks from where I lived on Evergreen Street (my ma, 86, still lives there), and as a kid, 35 cents got you two movies. It was probably up to 50 cents (fitty cents) by high school.

Kathy Poole stuffed me into the trunk of her very large car (was it a Chevy Impala? Red leather seats? Convertible? Was that Donnera's car?) to sneak into the Pickwick drive-in. I thought I was going to die. I started kicking out the backseat in total panic; she shrieked with laughter. Kathy and I are still buds, I loves you Kathy Poole Buckles (don't ask me why). She and I used to smoke cigarettes out on the tennis courts during lunch (don't tell).

Alicia Ruiz Gifford

My most "shocking" experience at the California Theater was in the girls' bathroom. A "big" girl informed me that I would have to take showers in gym class in front of everyone at Luther next year! Was I the only one who didn't know this? Does anyone remember those staring eyes of Miss Flatley and Miss Rutledge making sure you got wet? And the towels stunk, too !
Janet Leser

In junior high my mom would drop us off at front of the California and we would head right out the back door to party at Verdugo Park.She got wise and was waiting at back door one time.I still dont know how she caught on. The trampolines were great but didn't last long. Anyone remember the old miniture golf course on Magnolia.Great job on all this Dave,its a kick remembering the good ol days.I dont think there was any better place or time to grow up than Beautiful Downtown Burbank.
Larry Linder

I used to go across the street to Thrifty Drug Store and get five candy bars for a quarter and hide them before going into the movie. Newberry’s was on Magnolia about four blocks from the California.
Karen Trip Turner

This is so much fun revisiting our days growing up in Burbank. Reading about the trampolines by the California Theater reminded me of one Saturday that I went there with Melinda Youngs. She was a natural on the things and could do flips and "airplanes". Some reporter was there and filmed her doing tricks and she was on that night's eleven o'clock news! That was fun. Thanks for the memories,
Lorrie (Ayers) Lee

		Class of 1967
		J O H N B U R R O U G H S H I G H S C H O O L, B U R B A N K, C A

			Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I have been away from Burbank since 1973. I don't remember the 'California' theater where was it? I do remember the Magnolia Theater, the Victory Drive in, the Scobies Drive in restaurant (later Arthurs) the windmill shaped Van de Camps bakery on Victory and Alameda. I lived near the Pickwick Drive in. I remember as a kid, sneaking into the old western bar at Main and Alameda Sts. before it was demolished. The interior was flat black and there was a coffin on a table...we were scared shitless. This location later became an Orange Julius stand and a grocery store, Marvin's Market where I worked as a box boy while in high school. I heard that 'ol Marvin flew the coop to Mexico with all the money order money. Thanks for the work you are doing to bring us all a smile. Sincerely, Thomas Rockriver Chapel Hill, NC. Another movie theatre memory: I got up all my courage and asked Barbara McGill (Baillie) to the movies, this was in the 6th or 7th grade. She said yes. My dad drove us. I tried not to be too embarrassed about that. I'm pretty sure we went to the California, and we might have seen "Please Don't Eat The Daisies". My memory of the place and the film is hazy, mainly because I was so panicked the entire time just to be sitting next to you in a dark theatre, Barbara, that I don't remember much of anything else. You were very pretty, you wore a pretty dress, and I was pretty nervous. Kenny Davis and I went to the California to see PT109, the story about JFK. Kenny was a lot less distracting. Paul Marshall Solomon First Date: I remember it well Paul. I know that we were at Stevenson Elementary, 5th or 6th grade. I wore a dress that my mom made for me. We sat in the dark theater and held sweaty hands watching "Please Don't Eat the Daisies". I was terrified, but also very excited, I thought that you were very cute. I think that you kissed me on my cheek at the end of the date but I could be misremembering. You were my perfect first crush, it is one of my fondest memories of childhood. Thanks Paul. Barbara Baillie (McGill) Who remembers the trampolines at the California Theater? They were outside, next to the entrance. They were installed at ground level, supposedly for increased safely since you couldn't "fall" off of them. I think there were maybe 9-12 trampolines. I know they closed after a brief run. David Crandall I thought I was the trampoline "King" because I could do a flip, my buddies were in awe - Next day everyone was flipping. Dave White I worked the Pickwick Drive-In (snack bar & ticket office) for a couple of years during college (NVJC). I was working there in the summer of '68, the summer that 'Woodstock' played there. As I remember, Woodstock played most of the summer and so, by the end of the summer I could 'sing along' to the whole movie. As I remember the drive-in was packed every week-end all summer long. I remember going to the California theater (or was it the Magnolia...don't remember) and watching 'West Side Story'. During, 'There's a Place for Us' (I think the main character was dying here.... anyway it was a very quiet and serious moment) my Milk Duds spilled, and rolled loudly down the slanted floor to the front of the theater. My friends and I thought we would die laughing. Esther Bube (Brunswick) Ha ha! Great stories. The Magnolia Theater was two blocks from where I lived on Evergreen Street (my ma, 86, still lives there), and as a kid, 35 cents got you two movies. It was probably up to 50 cents (fitty cents) by high school. Kathy Poole stuffed me into the trunk of her very large car (was it a Chevy Impala? Red leather seats? Convertible? Was that Donnera's car?) to sneak into the Pickwick drive-in. I thought I was going to die. I started kicking out the backseat in total panic; she shrieked with laughter. Kathy and I are still buds, I loves you Kathy Poole Buckles (don't ask me why). She and I used to smoke cigarettes out on the tennis courts during lunch (don't tell). Alicia Ruiz Gifford My most "shocking" experience at the California Theater was in the girls' bathroom. A "big" girl informed me that I would have to take showers in gym class in front of everyone at Luther next year! Was I the only one who didn't know this? Does anyone remember those staring eyes of Miss Flatley and Miss Rutledge making sure you got wet? And the towels stunk, too ! Janet Leser In junior high my mom would drop us off at front of the California and we would head right out the back door to party at Verdugo Park.She got wise and was waiting at back door one time.I still dont know how she caught on. The trampolines were great but didn't last long. Anyone remember the old miniture golf course on Magnolia.Great job on all this Dave,its a kick remembering the good ol days.I dont think there was any better place or time to grow up than Beautiful Downtown Burbank. Larry Linder I used to go across the street to Thrifty Drug Store and get five candy bars for a quarter and hide them before going into the movie. Newberry’s was on Magnolia about four blocks from the California. Karen Trip Turner This is so much fun revisiting our days growing up in Burbank. Reading about the trampolines by the California Theater reminded me of one Saturday that I went there with Melinda Youngs. She was a natural on the things and could do flips and "airplanes". Some reporter was there and filmed her doing tricks and she was on that night's eleven o'clock news! That was fun. Thanks for the memories, Lorrie (Ayers) Lee