Yost Theater
The Yost Theater and adjoining hotel in downtown Santa Ana were designed by noted local architect Fred Eley in a commercial Classical Revival style. It was the Auditorium Theater when it opened in 1913 and soon thereafter became Clune’s Santa Ana Theate. It was renamed again in 1919 when Ed Yost purchased the building. The Yost Theater was known county-wide for its first run films and live productions. Louis and Phoebe Olivos bought the theater in 1952 and began showing Spanish language movies. El Cine Yost gave Mexican Americans a public place to gather during the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. The Olivos family was forced to sell the theater in 1985. It underwent renovation in 2007 and is currently used as a concert and event venue. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Santa Ana, Orange County
Photographer: John Bare