By TR Robertson
A recent tour of Vista’s Historic Avo Theatre, led by Mike Pacheco of the City of Vista Parks & Recreation Department, included a behind the scenes look at the backstage area as well as the upstairs locations most visitors to the Avo never get to see. This historic theatre is under study and discussion by both the Avo Committee and the Vista City Council, looking at as many options as possible on what to do with the theatre, what major changes are needed to bring it into the 21st century with designs, technology and equipment.
The Avo Theatre, located at 303 Main Street in Downtown Historic Vista, currently has a 385-seat auditorium, an elevated small stage, backstage dressing rooms with restrooms, an upstairs office and small storage area, a small lobby with a concession bar and men’s and women’s
restrooms just off of the lobby and a ticket booth close to the entrance to the theatre. There are small parking lots close to the theatre on the same side of the street as The Avo as well as limited street parking. There is also a lighted Avo sign and a billboard on the outside of the front of the building.
What most people don’t know is the history of The Avo Theatre. The theater was built in 1948 as a neighborhood movie house built on the site of a former avocado grove, hence the name “The Avo”. Some even say the lobby resembled an avocado. The original theatre was designed as a geodesic dome style single screen theater (Quonset hut style today) and designed by S. Charles Lee. Mr. Lee passed away in 1990. He was considered the most prolific and distinguished motion picture theater designer on the West Coast. The original theater had 800 seats and was over twice as big as it now is. The interior walls of the theater were once decorated in the ornate style resembling the Balboa Theater and the Spreckels Theater in downtown San Diego. One unique feature the theatre had was a “Crying Room” where parents could take children that were too noisy or crying and the parent could still see the movie. The Avo Movie Theater opened for business on December 11, 1948, showing the movie “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes”, starring Edward G. Robinson. The owner of The Avo was Mr. Aderahiam Shelhoup. Abe also owned a department store in Vista named Shelhoup’s that was built in 1940. This department store closed in 1996. Abe’s son, Kam Shelhoup, was a chief flight instructor at Pinnacle Aviation Academy at Palomar Airport in Carlsbad. The cost for a movie ticket when the theater opened was .25 cents and a bag of popcorn was .10 cents. Things have certainly changed. The Avo was the second movie theater opened in Vista. The first was The Vista Theater, once located roughly where The Wave is now located.
The pictures included show the various Avo areas and the backstage and upstairs areas.
Avo Committee Hears from Local Theatre Owners, Directors and Managers
What is the Future of the Historic Avo Theatre in Downtown Vista?
