Catalina Casino
Encyclopedia
The Catalina Casino is located in Avalon
on Catalina Island
off the coast of Los Angeles
. It is the most recognizable landmark in the City of Avalon. It contains a theatre, a ballroom, and a museum.
bought the controlling stake in Catalina Island, he used this cleared spot to build the dance hall which he named Sugarloaf Casino. It served as a ballroom and Avalon's first high-school. Its time as a casino was short, however, for it proved too small for Catalina's growing population. In 1928, the Casino was razed to make room for a newer Casino. Sugarloaf Rock was blasted away to enhance the Casino's ocean-view.
On May 29, 1929, the newer Casino finished construction under the direction of Mr. Wrigley and David M. Renton
at a cost of 2 million dollars. Its design, done by Sumner A. Spaulding and Walter Weber, is described as being Art Deco
and Mediterranean Revival, and was the first to be designed specifically for movies with sound. Steel structure of the old Sugarloaf Casino can still be found in Avalon's abandoned bird park. The bird park was conceived by Mrs. Wrigley, and, at the time, was one of the largest aviaries in the world. The bird-park now serves as a daycare for the local residents of Avalon.
In 1993 the theater was photographed by Hiroshi Sugimoto
for his series "Theaters." In September 2008, it played host to the first live full production of a musical on its stage: the Santa Catalina Island Company produced Grease!.
tall. It has a movie theatre and museum on the first level and a dance hall on the top level. To reach the top level, Wrigley built the Casino with two ramped walkways that extend from the circular core, with two small lobby spaces as well as bathrooms just below the dance floor. Wrigley took the idea to use ramps instead of stairs from his Chicago Cubs stadium
. The ramps allowed the large numbers of people using the ballroom to quickly move to and from their destinations. The building was decorated with sterling silver and gold leaf.
The Avalon Theatre, on the first level, shows first-run movies nightly. The theatre has one movie screen and a seating capacity
of 1154. The theatre is so well-insulated that patrons cannot hear the band playing or the 6,000+ dancers on the floor above, yet the acoustics are so good that a speaker on the theatre stage can speak in a normal voice without a microphone and be heard clearly by all in attendance. Additionally, the theatre still has its original 4-manual, 16 rank theatre pipe organ built by the Page Pipe Organ Company of Lima, Ohio. It played every Friday and Saturday evening. The circular domed ceiling has remarkable acoustics studied by experts. The theatre lobby is paneled with walnut wood.
The upper level houses the world's largest circular ballroom with a 180 feet (55 m) diameter dance floor. French doors encircle the room, and balcony views are spectacular. The dance floor has a capacity of over 6,000 dancers. The upstairs dance floor was briefly used by the local high school basketball team.
Avalon, California
Avalon, or Avalon Bay, is the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island of the California Channel Islands, and the southernmost city in Los Angeles County. Besides Avalon, the only other center of population on the island is the small unincorporated town of Two Harbors...
on Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island, California
Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...
off the coast of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. It is the most recognizable landmark in the City of Avalon. It contains a theatre, a ballroom, and a museum.
History
The Catalina Casino was built on the site formerly known as Sugarloaf Point. This site was cleared away to allow for the construction of the Hotel St. Catherine. However, this hotel was eventually built in Descanso Canyon instead. When chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr.William Wrigley Jr.
William Wrigley Jr. was a U.S. chewing gum industrialist. He was founder and eponym of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
bought the controlling stake in Catalina Island, he used this cleared spot to build the dance hall which he named Sugarloaf Casino. It served as a ballroom and Avalon's first high-school. Its time as a casino was short, however, for it proved too small for Catalina's growing population. In 1928, the Casino was razed to make room for a newer Casino. Sugarloaf Rock was blasted away to enhance the Casino's ocean-view.
On May 29, 1929, the newer Casino finished construction under the direction of Mr. Wrigley and David M. Renton
David Malcolm Renton
David Malcolm Renton , known as “DM”, was a builder and business executive in southern California. He is best known for his Craftsman style homes in Pasadena and for the construction of the Casino Ballroom and other homes on Catalina Island in the early 1900s...
at a cost of 2 million dollars. Its design, done by Sumner A. Spaulding and Walter Weber, is described as being Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and Mediterranean Revival, and was the first to be designed specifically for movies with sound. Steel structure of the old Sugarloaf Casino can still be found in Avalon's abandoned bird park. The bird park was conceived by Mrs. Wrigley, and, at the time, was one of the largest aviaries in the world. The bird-park now serves as a daycare for the local residents of Avalon.
In 1993 the theater was photographed by Hiroshi Sugimoto
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Hiroshi Sugimoto , born on February 23, 1948, is a Japanese photographer currently dividing his time between Tokyo, Japan and New York City, USA. His catalog is made up of a number of series, each having a distinct theme and similar attributes.-Life and works:Hiroshi Sugimoto was born and raised in...
for his series "Theaters." In September 2008, it played host to the first live full production of a musical on its stage: the Santa Catalina Island Company produced Grease!.
Structure
Surrounded by sea on three sides, the circular structure of the Catalina Casino is the equivalent of 12 storiesStorey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
tall. It has a movie theatre and museum on the first level and a dance hall on the top level. To reach the top level, Wrigley built the Casino with two ramped walkways that extend from the circular core, with two small lobby spaces as well as bathrooms just below the dance floor. Wrigley took the idea to use ramps instead of stairs from his Chicago Cubs stadium
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. The ramps allowed the large numbers of people using the ballroom to quickly move to and from their destinations. The building was decorated with sterling silver and gold leaf.
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 1154. The theatre is so well-insulated that patrons cannot hear the band playing or the 6,000+ dancers on the floor above, yet the acoustics are so good that a speaker on the theatre stage can speak in a normal voice without a microphone and be heard clearly by all in attendance. Additionally, the theatre still has its original 4-manual, 16 rank theatre pipe organ built by the Page Pipe Organ Company of Lima, Ohio. It played every Friday and Saturday evening. The circular domed ceiling has remarkable acoustics studied by experts. The theatre lobby is paneled with walnut wood.
The upper level houses the world's largest circular ballroom with a 180 feet (55 m) diameter dance floor. French doors encircle the room, and balcony views are spectacular. The dance floor has a capacity of over 6,000 dancers. The upstairs dance floor was briefly used by the local high school basketball team.