1936 ad 4
The Gateway Theatre was a 1,159 seat theater on San Pablo Avenue in North Oakland. Since the 1970s, it has been home to the Star Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
It was originally built as the Golden State Theater and opened on February 13, 1926. 4 The architect was Marc T. Jorgensen, and it featured a large pipe organ built and installed by F. W. Smith & Son of Alameda.
It became the Gateway in 1936. Noted theater architect A.A. Cantin updated the facade in 1938. 1 It closed as a theater in 1954.
On May 1, 1937, it hosted the Midnite Variety Show. The show was sponsored by the East Bay Council of the National Negro Congress, and supporters included Slim Jenkins' Club, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and Mrs. C.L. Dellums. 3
Links and References
show program, 1937 3
- Gateway Theatre on Cinema Treasures
- Theatres of Oakland Jack Tillmany and Jennifer Dowling
- program for Midnite Variety Show Online Archive of California
- New Theater to Open Tonight on San Pablo Oakland Tribune February 13, 1926
