• Mezzanine Ceilng Mural •
• The Bullet in the Chandelier •
• Help FODM and Leave Your Own Mark on the Del Mar •

Reproduction of the Mezzanine Ceiling Mural Moves Into the Next Stage

Painted over more than 50 years ago, the original mural on the mezzanine of the Del Mar Theatre has been uncovered, and the original stencil pattern and hand painted medallion have been documented (see Projects for pictures and the design). Ceiling damage precludes restoration of the actual original mural, but the extensive documentation will be used to reproduce it.

The ceiling has now been repaired and is ready for the reproduction. Friends of the Del Mar is currently seeking bids from artists interested in the project, which will entail using the documentation to reproduce the stencil work (including gold leaf or techniques that resemble gold leaf) and two large hand-painted medallions directly onto the ceiling.

If you would like to help the Friends of the Del Mar continue this and its other Projects, please consider participating in one of our fundraisers or donating to Friends of the Del Mar.

The Bullet in the Chandelier

Friends of the Del Mar found something surprising while restoring one of the Del Mar Theatre's original chandeliers (see our Projects)--a .22-calliber bullets lodged in the fixture. Speculation about how the bullet got there was a favority topic of conversation at Friends of the Del Mar's October ribbon-cutting and Novmeber fashion show. Was there a shoot-out? Jilted lovers? A really bad movie?

The truth, at least according to an anonymous source, was less passion and more prank. According to this gentleman, not long after the theater opened (in 1936) a young band of hooligans (to which the gentleman did not belong) decided that it would be funny to release a bunch of pigeons into the air as a very special movie played on the screen. Angered by the prank, Barney Garnett, who then owned the Del Mar, got out his .22 and shot up at the pigeons as they flew around the auditorium, exterminating them.

The bullet may have been intended for a pigeon, but other mysteries remain ripe for speculation. What was this "special movie"? THE BIRDS would be an apt guess, except it was released more than twenty years later. With that wild shooting, are there more bullets lodged around the Del Mar's auditorium? What other stories does the building hold?

Help FODM and Leave Your Own Mark on the Del Mar

• Name and Favorite Movie Plaque
• Perpetual Plaque

As part of Friends of the Del Mar's campaign to raise $50,000 to complete our current projects, you can have your (or your mother's, or your father's, or your best friend's) name and favorite movie emblazoned on a golden badge and affixed to a seat in the Main Auditorium of the Del Mar Theatre, for a tax-deductible donation of just $100. Imagine purchasing one for your sweetheart, then taking him or her to a movie at the Del Mar for Valentine's Day and showing it off. For a donation of $250 to $2,500 (or more), you can have that name or the name of your business placed on one of four perpetual plaques hanging in the lobby of the Del Mar. For more information on our "Name and Favorite Movie" Plaque and Perpetual Plaque programs, visit our How To Help page. Donations of any amount are welcome.

Friends of the Del Mar is an all-volunteer, non-profit community organization dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the historic, city-owned Del Mar Theatre in downtown Santa Cruz, California. We invite you to take a moment to explore the history of the Del Mar Theatre, view historic and more recent photographs, and learn about the current restoration projects.