Building At Current Location
Photos provided by Morgan Hill Historical Society — Special thanks to Kathy Devine
The Early Days
The Granada was nothing more than a dream in 1944 when Jack and Lillian Hillman purchased an empty lot on Monterey Road in downtown Morgan Hill . For the Hillmans , building the theater was an eight-year labor of love . The result was an upscale theater in the ‘ Art Moderne ’ architectural style popular in that era . Along with the latest in movie screen and film projection equipment and a 700-seat auditorium , the theater also had a stage for live performances .
On its opening night in 1952 , the Granada was sold out , at 25 cents a ticket — and more than 200 people had to be turned away . For the Hillmans , the Granada was a dream come true . For the community it was not only a welcome venue for entertainment , but a source of pride , and it quickly took on a central role in the cultural life of Morgan Hill .
Among the Granada ’ s original staff was a young married couple , Ed and Irene Enderson . Ed was the projectionist and Irene , who was also a hair stylist , worked the concession area selling candy . The Endersons loved learning various aspects of the business as much as they loved the movies , and by 1961 , they were invited to run the Granada ’ s theater operations .
Current Location
According to Ed Enderson , “ I travelled with Mr . Hillman to Los Angeles where we purchased the projection equipment , and we used a San Francisco booking agency to rent films . People loved the early John Wayne westerns , comedies with Jerry Lewis , all the Elvis Presley rock and roll movies , and the dramatic films with big names like Kirk Douglas and Robert Redford .”
More Than A Movie House
Enderson and his wife leased and then owned the Granada for many years . During that time they not only showed movies , but also hosted magic shows , dances for teens , events for children , church services , and programs for the City of Morgan Hill as well as local non-profits .
On occasion , the Endersons came to work dressed in costumes to reflect the current movie ’ s theme or historical setting . At children ’ s events , they often included a surprise such as a bicycle giveaway . And they made it a tradition to enter a float in Morgan Hill ’ s 4th of July parade each year .
W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y
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