| The Palo Alto History Project |
| The Varsity Theatre 456 University Avenue |
| The Varsity Theatre Becomes a Big Book Chain There was great controversy when Charles "Chop" Keenan took the Old Varsity Theatre and turned it into a Borders. Many lovers of old movie houses were shocked to see a chain as emblematic as Borders taking up permanent residence at 436 University. Still, given the incredible costs of retrofitting the building to make it earthquake proof and given the slim chances that a second revival house could survive on University Avenue, even the preservation of the Varsity's couryard and marquee have to be counted as victories. The Varsity Theatre opened in 1927 and inspired a half-century of memories as a one-screen first-run theatre and later revivial house. Buddy Rich, Van Morrison, jazz duo Tuck and Patti, and Count Basie all played there. The theatre operated until July of 1994. That year a "Save the Varsity Committee" was formed in an attempt to find a group willing to put up the $6-8 million dollars to save the theatre. At the first City Council meeting devoted to the subject, there were so many speakers ready to speak for saving the Varsity that the meeting was essentially fillibustered. Many speakers aimed to have the city purchase the building to become a Perfoming Arts center, but neither the city nor a benefactor (such as David Packard who stepped forward to save The Stanford down the street) appeared on The Varsity's behalf. While the committee lost the war, it was instrumental in winning the battle of saving the outward Mission Revival style courtyard and the Varsity marquee. Keenan did basically start anew inside the theatre, converting the theater into a 23,000-square-foot, two-story bookstore and espresso cafe. Here are two points of view on the historical significance of the Varsity/Borders experience: "It was further evidence of a disturbing trend that is stripping Palo Alto of its uniqueness and turning it into 'Anytown, USA,' punctuated with anonymous chain stores instead of the city's treasured small, independent businesses." "Despite their historic value, many of these buildings are not flashy enough to capture the public imagination or the attention of a wealthy philanthropist, or benefit from the financial muscle of a major university. Therefore, the buildings must often change use to remain financially viable; this is called adaptive reuse. We must allow this change and allow incentives to preserve or else the buildings will become obsolete and the high cost of renovation leads owners to neglect rather than preserve their buildings." -Matt Bowling |
| Palo Alto: Then & Now |
| The front of Borders with the saved marquee |
| Rennovation |
| During renovation |
| Varsity after it closed |
| Inside the remodelled Borders |
| The map below shows the University Avenue East area |
| The courtyard |
| In the early days |
| Gutting the theatre |
| 2007 |
| circa 1971 |
| The Varsity Theatre in 1971 showing Zabriskie Point and Blow Up along with the Sons of Champlin and Timber Creek in concert. A ticket window stands at center. |
| The Varsity marquee remains with the Borders name featured rather than any movies or shows. The ticket window is gone, but the courtyard has been preserved. Tables and shoe shiners are now part of the walk into the bookstore. |
| We went bin high school toi the Varsity and they would have midnihght shows. And we would get our at 2 or 3 in the morning and just walk around Palo Alto, totally safe --- who was going to bother you? You can sit up in the balcony and you could smoke in the theatres and we did. It was a great old movie palace. In the front of the courtyard you would buy your ticket and walk through this beautiful courtyard. Then we could inside and there was a nice carpeted lobby, like an old movie hall. They would show double features for $2.50 or so. We saw Harold & Maude there for the first time and we hated it. We saw Carnal Knowledge, the Last Picture Show. They sold "its-its," like cake and ice cream wrapped up. You had to sit in certain rows to smoke, but by the 1970s came around, you should would sit in the back. -Mal |
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