The Yost Theater Project

"We need to see ourselves projected in other members of our species to, in turn, understand ourselves. Cinema, is that mirror. It is a bridge between the others and us."

The packed bus rumbled along the dusty roads of farmland and growing suburbs, as its passengers wiped the sweat from their brow on a sunny day. As they looked out to the fields, they waved to any workers who would wave back. Usually, they were the ones out in those farms, working tirelessly for hours on end. But today was different. Today, they were visiting el cine to enjoy themselves, even if just for a little bit, in their language.

While theaters primarily provide entertainment for their patrons, they doubly serve as a place of comfort. No place was this more true than the Yost Theater in Santa Ana, California. Amidst brutal segregation and racial violence, the theater did more than let Latino Americans sit in the front row, it played their films.

This site aims to recover the history of the Yost and give voice to the community and family who transformed it. We hope you will read, listen, and learn about this important piece of history.

If you were to pass by the Yost on any given night during the 1920s, you would have likely seen its bright marquee advertising the finest attractions of the day. Film premieres, vaudeville, and Broadway performances lit up the Yost's stage in its early days.

Before it became a landmark Mexican cinema, the Yost was already known as an excellent venue to the residents of Orange County. As one of the oldest operating theaters in the region, its classical architecture has dazzled millions of patrons since its construction in 1913.

The theater was managed by Ed Yost, the theater's namesake, until 1952 when a young usher at a neighboring theater was handed the reins. In a stroke of luck, the usher had come to own the theater at an incredible time: the beginning of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.

Listen below as Gay Olivos, a person whose family's life was intertwined with the theater, speaks about this period:

On a warm Friday night, a young Lewis Olivos and friends walked up to the Princess Theater. Their visit to the cinema was not the first, and would certainly not be the last. Lewis had become accustomed to visiting theaters almost every week, watching the latest and greatest Westerns playing in the 1920s and 30s.

Lewis and his friends spent what seemed like hours waiting in line for the ticket booth, debating the best films of the day. Finally, they got to the front of the line. Eagerly walking up to pay for their tickets, they were unfortunately met with an all too familiar frown from the cashier.

After heading inside with their tickets, they got the same look again and understood the situation. Begrudgingly, they walked up the stairs to the balcony like every time before. People like them, Mexicanos, weren't allowed to sit downstairs. Lewis was determined to change that.

Shortly before graduating high school, Lewis took his first step in the entertainment world. When he realized that the white ushers meant to supervise the minorities on the balcony weren't doing their job, he sprung into action.

Courageously, Lewis spoke to the manager of the theater and offered his services. The people in the balcony were often his friends, and he knew they'd rather listen to him than a stranger. The manager was convinced, and at just 17 years old, Lewis started working as an usher for the Princess Theater.

A little while later, Lewis would take another big step in the entertainment world. Recognizing that the Princess' attendance was dropping dangerously low, he approached the theater's owner Charles Walker with a proposal:

Screen Spanish-language films for a short trial period, and watch life be breathed back into the theaters.

Walker accepted the idea, and within 8 weeks, Lewis had restored the Princess' audience to a healthy number. A few months later, and he would be promoted to manager.

Watch below as his sons Lewis Jr. and Alfonso talk about his impact on the community:

Just when Lewis came to own the Princess theater, World War II broke out. Responding to the call of duty, he enlisted and took to the skies, entrusting his wife, Phoebe, with running the theater. He could not have chosen a more capable person.

In Lewis' absence, Phoebe bravely managed the theater and raised three young children all without being able to drive. Phoebe's tireless work as a mother and manager of the Princess ensured that the Olivos family name would be associated with excellence. As a family-friend, Alfredo Amezcua, would  later say :

"[They were] the pillar of the Hispanic community when it was not fashionable to be an outstanding Latino or Mexican American. The kids from families who lived around us always looked to the Olivos family as the model..."

When he returned home, Lewis was presented the opportunity of a lifetime: to own the famous Yost Theater. He had always dreamed of owning it, and in 1952, he did just that.

Lewis could now enrich his community. To create a space for Mexicans on the greatest stage in Orange County.

Of Lewis Sr.'s children and grandchildren, three have been exceptionally open to share their story and theater with the world. Lewis Jr., Alfonso, and Gay Olivos each had their own treasured memories with the Yost. We invite you to read, listen, and watch them tell their story.

Lewis Olivos Jr. was an artist in every sense of the word.

He was an award-winning actor, theater director, author, and filmmaker. His brother Alfonso recalled that a special place in the theater had been set aside for him to rehearse his plays and conduct acting classes for his group Teatro Los Actores de Santa Ana (Santa Ana Actors Theatre).

Over his life, he wrote, directed, and starred in several independent films, continuing the entertainment tradition. Alongside his family, he helped distribute Latino films to new audiences around the world.

As a promoter, Lewis Jr. brought some of the biggest names in entertainment to the Yost. To name only a few, he met: Tina Turner, Sonny & Cher, Cantinflas, Vicente Fernández, and Pedro Infante. He was especially good friends with notable actor Ricardo Montalbán, and remained so until he passed in 2023.

Watch below as Lewis Jr. talks about his experiences with actor Mario Moreno, better known as Cantinflas:

Amongst the hardest workers at the Yost was 'the negotiator' Alfonso Olivos, nicknamed 'Poski' by his loved ones. Another artist in the family, he pursued a singing career in Mexico before returning to Santa Ana to help run the theater.

As one of the most reliable workers, Alfonso found his responsibilities growing year by year. He handled negotiations with venders, merchants, and professionals in the industry. Sometimes, he would even operate the film projectors at the Yost!

Alfonso is perhaps most proud of his friendship with actor Cantinflas, whom affectionately called him 'Tocayo.'

Like his brother, Alfonso helped bring Spanish-language films to new audiences. He was especially influential as the president of the Spanish Exhibitors Association of America.

Listen below as Alfonso recalls his last day at the Yost, and the tremendous impact it had on him and his family:

As the daughter of Lewis Jr., Gay grew up in the aisles of the Yost theater. As a young girl, she spent afternoons with her siblings racing around the barrios of Orange County to promote the Yost. Spend any amount of time with Gay, and you'll feel her positivity and excitement rub off on you.

Following her time at the Yost, she helped build El Sol Science and Arts Academy in Santa Ana as well as being involved in community activism, winning numerous service awards in the process.

Nowadays, she's dedicated to telling her family's story.

Watch below as Gay Olivos recalls her chance encounter with a professor who changed her life, and how that lead her to tell her family's story:

Amidst shady tactics, demands, and debt, the Olivos family would eventually lose ownership of the Yost in 1986. The theater had become a member of the family, and seeing it go would be amongst their most difficult times.

Today, the Olivos family is stronger than ever and are proud to tell their story. Watch below as Alfonso recounts the powerful and emotional final words his father spoke to the theater:

The Yost still sits as it always has on Spurgeon Street, amongst busy Downtown Santa Ana. Following a brief revival in the 2000s by El Centro Cultural de Mexico, it converted to a popular nightclub and performance venue. Community members far and wide still remember the heyday of the Yost, and speak of it fondly.

In 2007, El Centro Cultural de Mexico  produced a documentary  about the Yost and helped the Olivos tell their story. Just this past Spring, I was grateful to work with the UCI History Project and once again amplify the Olivos' story at a  campus event . After the Olivos family spoke, community members in the audience shared their precious memories of the theater in a truly breathtaking event.

Santa Ana, Orange County, and California will never forget the Yost and the Olivos family. Their inspiring story will always live on in the hearts and minds of community members, and now, on this site.

If you visit the Yost today, you might notice the small Frida Cinema tucked away just across the street. As the only non-profit arthouse theater in Orange County, it plays films from around the globe for millions of patrons each year.

Look hard enough and you'll start to see the connections between the two theaters. Lewis Jr. even  visited the Frida  a few years ago and talked about his experiences with Cantinflas!

In September 2024, the Frida Cinema is hosting the  Orange County International Latino Film Festival.  Perhaps it will carry the torch and become the new cultural hub in Orange County.

Only time will tell. But until then, as Lewis Olivos Sr. always said:

Thank you for engaging with this site. Your interaction contributes to a formative effort in preserving and amplifying local, culturally relevant history.

If you have a story about the Yost, Santa Ana, or anything related to local history we would love to hear it. Please fill out the form below, and become apart of making history.

Below is a collection of archival materials such as photographs, ticket stubs, and posters all relevant to the Yost. All materials have been graciously sourced by Dr. David-James Gonzalez, the Olivos family, and University of California, Irvine Special Collections and Archives.

As you browse the gallery, we invite you to imagine what it would have been like to visit the Yost during its heyday as a cultural hub.