Where the Marriott Hotel stands today was the San Carlos Hotel, a Spanish-revival edifice which would remain the tallest building in Monterey until its razing in the early 1980s. But just one-and-a-half blocks away, San Francisco’s Reid Brothers architectural firm was creating a fantasy of its own, and a new anchor for the downtown.

Reid Brothers’ vision was that of a new movie theatre and performance center that would rival those in California’s largest cities. Consequently, a 15,000 square-foot building themed as a Moorish castle would rise on Alvarado Street, much to the amazement of locals and visitors alike.

When it opened on August 6, 1926, the Golden State Theatre was the last word in movie presentation, and it wasn’t a recorded word, as movies with sound were still over the horizon. Seating 1600 people, it was the largest theatre between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and could hold 25% of Monterey’s population. It featured modern miracles that were cutting-edge for 1926: hidden lighting that imitated a colorful sunset; an electric seat annunciator system that helped the uniformed ushers seat patrons quickly and efficiently; an emergency generator; an electric central vacuum; and an internal/external telephone system.

And the surroundings! Plush carpet led the way past dramatically oversized furniture in the Grand Lobby. Reaching the inner lobby, you were torn between visiting the elegant ladies’ lounge or men’s smoker, (passing the “crying windows” installed for the viewing convenience of those with small children,) or proceeding directly to the velvet portieres guarded by the ubiquitous ushers.

Perhaps it was a special evening, in which case a higher admission charge would allow you to proceed upstairs to the opulent mezzanine and on to the balcony where loge seating awaited. Here you could see and be seen, thrilling to the sound of the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ as the “sun” set directly over the proscenium arch and the castle courtyard in which you were seated reflected the rays of the dying orb. THIS was entertainment. THIS was living.

But time does march on. In 1934, the theatre was remodeled to exhibit a predominantly Spanish flavor, more in keeping with Monterey’s history, while the name was shortened to the State Theatre in 1935.

The biggest changes were yet to come. In 1952, an attempt at modernization was made at the Golden State. The entire interior was spray-painted two shades of gray to suppress the exotic adornments that had fallen out of favor. On the exterior, window eyebrows were removed to streamline the façade.

As movie going became less of an “event”, and television made its impact, theatres had to scramble to remain competitive. The Golden State was no exception, and in 1976 the balcony was split into two smaller theatres. Fortunately, this was done in a very sympathetic manner, although it made for awkward viewing angles for the next 28 years.

Things began to look up for the Golden State in 1992. At that time, a group of volunteers began installation of a replacement for the pipe organ removed in the 1950s. They discovered that not only were the pipe chambers ready to accept another generation of equipment, but that the original hydraulic organ console lift was still beneath the orchestra pit floor, and after major repairs it became functional.

Concurrently, a small group of volunteers reached an agreement with the theatre’s then-owners to uncover and restore the original colors in the auditorium, lobby and mezzanine. For the next 10 years they would work around the ongoing movie schedule, painting a few square feet at a time, and hoping against hope that it would not be in vain.

In October of 2004, volunteers and the community at large were thrilled to learn that a gentleman from southern California, Warren Dewey, had purchased the theatre from Regal Entertainment Group. His plan to restore the theatre to its 1926 glory, making it once again a true performing arts center, has proceeded more rapidly than anyone could have dreamed. The upstairs theatres are gone; the auditorium’s ground floor has been re-floored and reseated; stenciled paintings have been restored; new projectors are in place; a new, larger movie screen has been installed and flown so the stage can be used for live performances; and the list goes on and on.

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