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History
Birth
to Rebirth: The Balboa
Theatre
1924: Birth. The theater
opened and thrived as
it hosted nationally
known vaudeville acts
including the Sunkist
Beauties and Fachon
& Marco who performed
on opening night.
1930: Change of pace.
Modest renovation to
enhance the Spanish
Revival architecture
ushered in the next
phase of the renamed
El Teatro Balboa. For
ten years, the theater
showed Spanish-language
cinema and stage shows.
1942(?): Patriotism.
The theater gave itself
over to the U.S. Navy
in early days of World
War II. The office space
was converted to housing
to help accommodate
the swelling ranks of
the U.S. military. America
as a whole recovered
quickly from WWII, but
the Balboa struggled.
1959: Near Death. The
historic Balboa was
slated to be demolished
to make room for a parking
lot. It was saved by
Russo Enterprises who
operated the theater
as an action-movie venue.
1972 Saved. The City
of San Diego places
the building on the
local Register of Historical
Places.
1985: City Property.
The city acquired the
Balboa Theatre through
eminent domain and placed
it under the control
of the Centre City Development
Corporation (CCDC).
The CCDC was charged
with saving the Balboa
building but did not
have the funds to renovate.
The building sat. Protected
but neglected.
1986: Community Support.
A volunteer organization,
The Balboa Theatre Foundation,
was created to get a
renovation project funded
and started.
1992: Registered. The
Foundation successfully
lobbied to get the Balboa
on the National Register
of Historic Places and
fundraising began in
earnest.
2002: City Moves. After
numerous attempts from
1985 to begin privately-funded
renovation and operation,
the CCDC stepped up
to the plate in October
of 2002 and authorized
rehabilitation.
2003: Architects Chosen.
In August 2003, CCDC
hired Westlake Reed
Leskosky as the project
architect and the design
phase began.
2005: Work begins. In
April of 2005, hammer
was put to concrete
as selective demolition
and abatement-construction
officially began.
2005: Earthquakes? Here?
A major hurdle in the
restoration was a required
seismic retrofit. All
were concerned that
the difficulty of bringing
the building up to modern
seismic safety codes
might doom the project.
However, in July of
2005, the hurdle was
jumped and the building's
future was assured.
2006: Craftsman and
Artisans. In January
of 2006, renovation
and restoration began.
An extraordinary effort
to bring the theater
back to its opening
finery -- including
two waterfalls -- is
underway.
2008: Opening Night.
In the Winter of 2008,
the beautiful Balboa
Theatre once again opened
its doors to provide
San Diegans and visitors
with great performances.
The Balboa Theatre shines
again. In July 2008,
the Foundation presented
"Act II", allowing supporters
the opportunity to see
the restored Organ console
for the first time.
2009: "Act III". The
1929 Wonder Morton Organ
-- one of only four
such instruments remaining
in existence -- made
its debut performance
on September 27, 2009.
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The 4-manual, 23-rank
Wonder Morton Organ
made its debut performance
in the Balboa Theatre
on September 27, 2009.
Representing the apex
of the silent film era,
this instrument is one
of the five "Wonder"
models that the Morton
Organ Company built
for Loew's Theatre chain.
Through the year 1929
and into 1930, Loew’s
opened some of the country’s
largest and most ornate
movie palaces in the
New York area, calling
them “Wonder Theatres.”
Online resources of
the Garden State Theatre
Organ Society and other
groups offer details
about these landmark
theatres and what became
of their Wonder Morton
organs.
Loew’s Valencia on
Jamaica Avenue in Queens.
Its organ is playing
today at San Diego’s
Balboa Theatre; the
restored Valencia theatre
has served as a church
since 1977.
Loew’s Jersey Theatre.
Its original Wonder
Morton was moved to
Santa Barbara’s Arlington
Theatre where it regularly
plays for the public;
the Jersey Theatre on
Journal Square in Jersey
City now features the
restored Wonder Morton
that was moved from
Loew’s Paradise in the
Bronx.
Loew’s Paradise on
Grand Concourse in the
Bronx. Though losing
its Wonder Morton to
Jersey City (see
above), this theatre
was refurbished in 2005
as New York’s Paradise
Theater and is today
a concert venue and
venerable landmark.
Loew’s Kings on Brooklyn’s
Flatbush Avenue.
Its Wonder Morton is
now located in the private
concert venue of Paul
and Linda Van Der Molen
in Wheaton, Illinois.
The Kings Theatre has
been closed since 1977
and is scheduled to
re-open in 2014 after
renovation.
Loew’s 175th
on upper Broadway, New
York City. Home
to the only one of the
five Wonder Morton Organs
to remain in its original
location, in 1969 this
theatre became the Palace
Cathedral at United
Church, led by the famous
Reverend Ike.
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