Prior to its life as a medical clinic, it was a Chuck E. Cheese just before it became the medical clinic. Come to think of it, there was another Fox Oxnard further east, too.
“Located on the infamous Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, Book Soup has been serving the Hollywood community for twenty-eight years!” says their website, so there’s a slim chance it went porno chic in the early 1970s, but since it’s in the heart of the Sunset Strip, possibly not.
This theatre is now operating as Club 740. Website – with many photographs of a radically altered and cleaned-up interior – is here: http://www.740la.com/
I sent this question to my contacts at Landmark; I should know what’s up for the theatre in the next day or so. It really is a beautiful little theater – on par with the Royal on Santa Monica Boulevard – but there’s also an empty lot to the left of it so maybe someone’s fixing to tear it down and build on both lots. I hope not.
The historical society is saving the amazing mirror mural of the Seven Dwarves, as well as the deco EXIT and restroom signs. There are murals inside the theatre itself – which is remarkably tall for a neighborhood theatre – that resemble a more Pop Art version of Picasso’s “Guernica”. The lights finally went on in the auditorium after who-knows-how-long, but we were sadly gone before the time. Oh, and the seats were naugahyde with velvet backing, just in case anyone wondered how difficult it was to clean up afterwards.
Not entirely ended – there’s the Regency (former Pussycat) in Sacramento, Secrets / Xanadu in SFO and a couple others in Oakland and surroundings. But certainly yes, as far as mainstream neighborhood cinemas converted into porn palaces. It was the regular customers that actually kept the place going, especially after the demise of the Burbank.
Major reconstruction witnessed this past week – they’ve gutted the place entirely and are shaping it up to be another theatre. Unsure if it’s first-run or revival or what, but one of the construction guys said that the theatre had been there for 90 years or more. While that may or may not have been hyperbole, it looks like it could’ve seated 500 or more; the walls are still decorated with cornices of some kind but it’s still too destroyed to make out any of its past architectural accoutrements without blueprints and / or some serious remote viewing.
This theatre’s marquee can be seen with other Baltimore cinemas in John Waters' “Cecil B. Demented” – the marquee advertises “Karate Marathon: All Action All The Time Admission One Dollar”.
Prior to its life as a medical clinic, it was a Chuck E. Cheese just before it became the medical clinic. Come to think of it, there was another Fox Oxnard further east, too.
This theatre is featured quite prominently in the film “Demons” (1985).
This is now Gary’s Tuxedo Shop.
It’s now Drake’s Books, an adult bookstore.
“Located on the infamous Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, Book Soup has been serving the Hollywood community for twenty-eight years!” says their website, so there’s a slim chance it went porno chic in the early 1970s, but since it’s in the heart of the Sunset Strip, possibly not.
This theatre is now operating as Club 740. Website – with many photographs of a radically altered and cleaned-up interior – is here: http://www.740la.com/
I sent this question to my contacts at Landmark; I should know what’s up for the theatre in the next day or so. It really is a beautiful little theater – on par with the Royal on Santa Monica Boulevard – but there’s also an empty lot to the left of it so maybe someone’s fixing to tear it down and build on both lots. I hope not.
They still had admission tickets for the Burbank on their final evening.
The historical society is saving the amazing mirror mural of the Seven Dwarves, as well as the deco EXIT and restroom signs. There are murals inside the theatre itself – which is remarkably tall for a neighborhood theatre – that resemble a more Pop Art version of Picasso’s “Guernica”. The lights finally went on in the auditorium after who-knows-how-long, but we were sadly gone before the time. Oh, and the seats were naugahyde with velvet backing, just in case anyone wondered how difficult it was to clean up afterwards.
Not entirely ended – there’s the Regency (former Pussycat) in Sacramento, Secrets / Xanadu in SFO and a couple others in Oakland and surroundings. But certainly yes, as far as mainstream neighborhood cinemas converted into porn palaces. It was the regular customers that actually kept the place going, especially after the demise of the Burbank.
Yes, but the Tiki is more like a storefront conversion – not to cast aspersions, though. The Palm was more like the Monica / Tomkat.
You missed the last night at The Palm, Ken! No more straight porno theatres in California! When are you coming back out?
Closed at midnight tonight. Manager said it had 658 seats. Demolition purportedly begins next week.
Major reconstruction witnessed this past week – they’ve gutted the place entirely and are shaping it up to be another theatre. Unsure if it’s first-run or revival or what, but one of the construction guys said that the theatre had been there for 90 years or more. While that may or may not have been hyperbole, it looks like it could’ve seated 500 or more; the walls are still decorated with cornices of some kind but it’s still too destroyed to make out any of its past architectural accoutrements without blueprints and / or some serious remote viewing.
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I think that Yahoogroup is specifically not spidered, for obvious reasons.
Bump for sadness.
The Yahoogroup dedicated to regular habituees of the Palm confirms it. They’d know if anyone would.
The renovations are almost done now. The seats are insanely comfortable, the sound is crisp and the screens are far wider than they use to be.
Here’s the most recent plans for The Port:
http://www.theporttheater.com/
For a look inside this theatre circa 1980, footage of the Wilshire’s interiors can be seen in the film “Terror On Tour” (1983).
Along with the Kim Sing and the Kokusai, during the 1970s and early 1980s, the Campus was a mainstay in screening the latest martial arts films.
This theater appears in John Waters' “Cecil B. Demented”.
This theatre and its marquee appear in John Waters' “Cecil B. Demented”.
The theatre and its marquee appear in John Waters' “Cecil B. Demented”.
This theatre’s marquee can be seen with other Baltimore cinemas in John Waters' “Cecil B. Demented” – the marquee advertises “Karate Marathon: All Action All The Time Admission One Dollar”.