Not That Kind of Casino

Apparently “casino” really just means “gathering place” in Italian.  In any event, there is no gambling at the Catalina Casino, just an Art Deco masterpiece theater, the world’s largest circular ballroom, and a small museum.

For Sarah G.  And if you look close, I have Christmas lights on my toes, more of my own handiwork.

                                         
Stopping for a snack before we head over for the tour.  Gotta love a place with free fudge samples.
                                                                                                                                               

 

 

 
The building is the equivalent of twelve stories high and was completed at a cost of $2,000,000 . . . in the late 1920’s!  With a combination of high quality and good care, most of the building and its furnishings are still original.


The theater was the first in the world designed specifically for movies with sound and the acoustics are perfect.  It is still an active theater; the new Twilight movie was showing when we were there so we opted not to see it.


                              
The murals were done by the same guy that had just finished Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, and there are some neat lighting effects, including a field of stars in the ceiling above you when the room fades to deep blue just before the movie starts.  On weekends, moviegoers are treated to a free organ performance on a certain type of pipe organ, of which there are only four remaining in the world, and this is the only one still in use regularly.

Upstairs, the ballroom can accommodate as many as 6,000 dancers and hosted the cream of the crop of musicians of the Big Band and Swing eras.

   
The Casino still hosts numerous events, everything from film and music festivals to weddings to the island’s high school prom.  Despite the room’s enormous size, elaborate Tiffany chandeliers, and other fine embellishments, the most stunning thing up here may be the view.  

        
French doors surround the ballroom and lead out onto the gorgeous balcony where you are surrounded by brilliant views of Avalon, Descanso Bay and all the way across the water to the mainland.

                              
Parting shots.  How long has it been since I’ve shown you a great hibiscus flower?