Times Theatre

Address: 2335 Macdonald Avenue, Richmond CA

Architect: Vincent G. Raney

Date Opened: Sepetember 11, 1942

Date Closed: November 8, 1951

Circuit: Robert L. Lippert

Number of Screens: 1

Number of Seats: 650

Current Status: Furniture store

The Times Theatre was Robert L. Lippert's third Richmond area theater (after the Grand and Studio) and opened on September 11, 1942 in a former Nash automobile dealer garage building at 2335 Macdonald Avenue, near the busy intersection of 23rd Street and Macdonald Avenue. Vincent G. Raney was the noted architect who designed the conversion.

The opening program at the Times was a first run double feature consisting of Universal's Jane Frazee musical "Sing Another Chorus" and Monogram's drama "Road to Happiness". Like Lippert's Studio the Times quickly switched to primarily second run programming after the opening.

Like Richmond's State, Studio and Rio theaters, the Times initial programming policy in 1942 was a new double feature every day. although unlike the further downtown houses it was not open all night. 

Newspaper ads from the Richmond Independent for the Times for various dates in 1944 and 1945. 

After the war ended and Richmond's population began to decrease the Times dropped it's daily change of program policy and lowered admission prices as did the Lippert operated Studio and Rio further downtown. As you can see from the ad on the left from June 20, 1947, even with an adult admission price of only fifty cents, dishes (one item per week) were offered to the ladies on normally busy anyway Friday nights. On Saturday there was a "Special Event for Mom and Dad" which most likely was a prize or cash drawing of a Bingo type game. At right an ad from December 2, 1949 promotes a policy change from second run product to mostly first run features.  

For whatever reason the first run policy didn't last long at the Times and it was soon back to second run and reissue product with multiple program changes weekly. The ads above are from the Richmond Independent in 1949 and 1951.

The Times gave the Uptown (just two blocks away) some serious competition for Saturday morning kids shows in the early 1950's. The Times at that time offered everything that the Uptown did (three features, seven cartoons and a newsreel) and added a serial chapter. For us young serial fans "Atom Man Vs. Superman" although cheaply made by producer Sam Katzman was as good as it gets in 1950.  The ads above are from August of that year.

Alas those triple feature/cartoons/serial chapter Saturday matinees didn't last long at the Times. First the extra feature was dropped and judging by the 1951 ad at right both the cartoons and serial chapter were also gone. It was back to just the regular double feature program. Unless there was something really good at the Times that meant to the Uptown, just a couple blocks away, for most of us bargain seeking kids. I didn't know it at the time but the Times was getting close to the end of it's life as a movie theater. 

Ads for some of the double feature programs that played the Times in 1951 during it's final few months of operation. 

The Times would become the third casualty (after the Liberty and the Studio) of Richmond's post war economy downturn and the ever increasing encroachment of a thing called television when it closed down permanently on Thursday November 8, 1951. The final double feature program included the then current "Sirocco" (1951) starring Humphrey Bogart and a Realart Pictures reissue of a 1941 Universal feature originally called "Paris Calling" but now re-titled "Paris Bombshell".

After extensive renovations Wiseman's Appliances moved into the structure that formerly housed the Times Theatre in late summer 1952. That structure still stands in 2018, currently occupied by a discount furniture store. Black & white photo and caption above is from the Richmond Independent. April 2018 color photo of the current occupant is from Google Maps.

I saw several movies at the Times, mostly at Saturday matinees, but sadly this nice little second run theater shuttered it's doors before I was to know it very well. 

So far I haven't found even a single photo of the Times. If anyone has a web link or a personal non copyrighted photo that I can use with a credit I would greatly appreciate it if you would leave a comment or e mail me. Quality of the photo or even if it's a closeup or not is not that important. In the Times's case a shot of the intersection of 23rd and MacDonald Ave. taken between September 1942 and November 1951 would be sufficient assuming that you can see the Times in the photo. Thanks!