The parcel profile report for this address from the L.A. city planning department gives a construction date of 1914 for the building now on the site. It doesn’t reveal whether the building was built specifically as a theatre or not.
According to a report generated by the L.A. city planning department’s zoning information system, the building currently on this site was erected in 1912. The listing as Globe Theater in 1914 thus must refer to this same building.
My comment of October 20, 2005 above contains and error of fact. Architect Clifford Balch was not the father of William Glenn Balch, but his (considerably) older brother. This is not related to the Tumbleweed Theatre, but since I have no way of editing the older comment I wanted to point out the error so as to reduce the chances of it being perpetuated.
What does have to do with the Tumbleweed Theatre is the current classification of its style as “Oriental” at the top of this page. Oriental is no more accurate than was its earlier classification as “Atmospheric”.
While it is true that the plant after which this theatre was named is native to the steppes of Asia (and is also known as Russian thistle), there was nothing else about this theatre that was characteristic of the east, far or near. I still say that the style of the Tumbleweed could best have been described as Rustic.
Apparently the El Rey’s owner, Eric Hart, decided that his plan to gut the building and convert it to offices and retail space was not financially viable at this time. The Chico Enterprise-Record article (linked from myblueheven’s comment of July 15 above) about the planned sale of the building no longer works, but it looks as though there was no sale yet, to the preservationist group or anyone else. Instead, the latest news is that Hart will open the venue for live performances, according to this September 19 article from Chico News & Review.
Despite the article’s mention of October 5th as the date of the first event, an appearance by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, I don’t see it among events listed in the current issue of the paper- though it is still listed on Kaukonen’s website. There might have been a hitch with the minimal renovations needed to get the place ready on time, or maybe the permits.
No news on whether the El Rey is still for sale or not, but Chico’s other classic theatre, the Senator (also owned by Eric Hart last I heard), is currently listed on LoopNet for $5,250,000.
Ken: Oliver Morosco died in 1945 (hit by a streetcar in Los Angeles), so I guess he survived his fall down the stairs.
The Burbank, by the way, is were Morosco had his first success- and his success was the Burbank’s first success as well. Here is Time Magazine’s obituary for Oliver Morosco.
The reference is from a card in the California Index at the L.A. library. It might be a different edition of the paper. They sometimes did several editions a day in those days. It could also be a typo on the index card. The library does make a disturbing number of mistakes.
The remodeling that gave the Burbank its streamlined facade took place in 1937, according to an article in The Los Angeles Times of October 17 that year.
The Forrester Block, 638-642 S. Broadway, was built in 1907. The Palace of Pictures appears to have been converted from retail space in the building in 1914.
Ken: I think the photographer must have been facing west. Your photos of the theatre show a two story building rather than the one story building in the flood photo.
In any case, this remarkably rare (and probably unique in Los Angeles) Southern Greek Revival style theatre building was erected in 1920. The rarity of the style for theatres is one of the things that led me to suspect that the building did not begin life as a theatre. There’s also the fact that, as can be seen in Ken’s photo of the side of the building there are windows which were obviously original to the building.
In the L.A. library’s California Index I found two cards which may shed light on the history of this building. The first references a 1931 city directory which places the Epworth Methodist Church at the northeast corner of Normandie Avenue and 65th Street (the actual location of the Dixie Theatre, despite its address of 6520 S. Normandie which would suggest a location south of the intersection.) The second references an article in a 1938 issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor which reveals that Epworth Methodist Church intended to build a new building at Normandie and 65th.
A TerraServer of Google Satellite Image search on 6520 S. Normandie will show the intersection with the old church/Dixie Theatre building on the northeast corner, and another, larger church building on the northwest corner, presumably the 1938 replacement. So, it looks as though the Dixie Theatre building began life as a church in 1920, operated as a movie house for a while after 1939 or so, and then was converted back into a church no later than 1980, according to the plaque on the building now.
Returning to the Cozy once again, I find that the building in which it was located, including addresses 318, 320, and 322 S. Broadway, was erected in 1905 according to the report generated by the city planning department’s zone information system.
The L.A. city planning department’s zoning information system locates this building at 7506 S. Vermont, so the address has apparently been adjusted a bit over the years. The system’s report gives a construction date of 1939 for the building, not surprising given that Ken’s photos above reveal it to be yet another fairly simple art moderne design typical of that decade’s later years.
As might be surmised from the various photos linked from comments above showing the Clinton’s simple, art moderne facade, the building dates from the late depression year of 1938, according to a report generated by the L.A. city planning department’s zoning information system.
The Campus Theatre was built in 1939. The demolition of the building’s classic art moderne facade will undoubtedly eliminate any chance of the theatre being given any sort of historic designation. Maybe the alteration was a preemptive strike by the building owner against just such a designation.
I can’t find any recent information on the state of this building. I fear that it may either have already been demolished, or is in imminent danger of being demolished, to make way for a major mixed use development project which is associated with the Cypress Park-Lincoln Heights station of MTA’s Gold Line, which is a couple of blocks from the theatre at Avenue 26.
A property report generated for 452 Broadway by the city planning department’s zoning information system gives the address as 450 and 452 S. Broadway, and says the building was erected in 1908. The small building at left in ken mc’s photo (linked in his comment of January 15) must be the former home of the American Theatre.
I said above that in ken mc’s recent photos of this former theatre (linked in his comment of June 16 this year) the building looks as though it had been converted to a theatre from retail space. Ken’s comment of August 13 reveals that the building housed a theatre at least as far back as 1925. There’s still a possibility that the building began as retail space though. A Los Angeles planning department report available in .pdf from the department’s zone information system (search on building address) says that the building was erected in 1910.
It does seem possible that this house might have opened as the New Arlington Theatre. In the 2004 TerraServer aerial view, the building certainly looks as though it had been built as a theater,which reduces the likelihood that it was converted to theatrical use sometime after construction.
The two theatres were very close, the newer one (seen in this expanded view of the photo at the top of the page) being a few doors west of Arlington on the north side of Washington, and the older United Arlington being a couple of doors east of Arlington on the south side of Washington.
As the older theatre had the big “United” blade sign, it could be that it was known primarily by that name locally, which would have reduced the confusion that might arise from the partly-shared name. Given that both were neighborhood theatres, it wouldn’t have mattered much if people from outside the area were confused.
Here is a photograph of Washington Boulevard at Arlington in the early 1920s. I’d say it’s safe to surmise that the “United” blade sign in the fancy-fronted building at center belonged to the United Arlington Theatre, later to become the Maynard Theatre.
This was the Rainbow Ballroom at least back to the 1930s, and I’ve found references to a Fresno-based orchestra called “Spike Hennessey and his Rainbow Ballroom Band” being featured on the first live radio broadcast from the city’s first radio station in 1925. All the indications are that this 1918 building went directly from being the Fresno Natatorium (an indoor swimming pool) to being the Rainbow Ballroom, which it has been ever since. Despite its theatrical marquee, I can find no evidence that the building has ever been used as a theatre.
A few additional bits about the Glendale Theatre have turned up. The L.A. Times announced the theatre’s opening on October 31, 1920. The project was financed by a Dr. W.C. Goodno. A few years later, at the time of the theatre’s 1924 expansion, the owner was named as Louise Goodno.
The theatre’s organ was dedicated early in 1921, according to an article in The Verdugo Foothills Record on January 22 of that year. The organist was Maude Moore Clement.
At the time the Glendale Theatre was wired for sound, its seating capacity was 1231, according to the item published in Exhibitor’s Herald & Motion Picture World on December 28, 1928.
The photo to which Bryan Krefft linked on June 22, 2005, has been moved to a different URL. There’s just a glimpse of the theatre’s marquee and blade sign in the background of this view north along Brand Boulevard in the (judging from the cars visible) mid-1950s.
About half of the theatre’s facade can be seen at extreme right in this 1920s photograph.
I can’t find a U.S. Cinema among the listings for Glendale in my August 24, 1986, copy of the L.A. Times Calendar section. However, in that issues listings for Pacific Theatres, there is a theatre called the Regency 2 at 232 S. Brand Boulevard, which I believe would be the address of the storefront in the Masonic Temple Building immediately adjacent (on the north) to the Temple Theatre’s entrance: See this photo from the 1950s, looking north on Brand (its the same photo to which Bryan Krefft linked above- the URL has been changed.) I never visited that block of Brand in the 1980s, so I don’t know for sure if Regency 2 was an aka for the Temple or not, but it seems likely. There was also a Regency 1 Theatre in the 1986 Pacific Theatres listings, located just up the block at at 210 S. Brand Boulevard. In 1971, 210 S. Brand had been the location of the independently operated Sands Theatre. I don’t think that house is listed at Cinema Treasures yet under any name.
The parcel profile report for this address from the L.A. city planning department gives a construction date of 1914 for the building now on the site. It doesn’t reveal whether the building was built specifically as a theatre or not.
According to a report generated by the L.A. city planning department’s zoning information system, the building currently on this site was erected in 1912. The listing as Globe Theater in 1914 thus must refer to this same building.
My comment of October 20, 2005 above contains and error of fact. Architect Clifford Balch was not the father of William Glenn Balch, but his (considerably) older brother. This is not related to the Tumbleweed Theatre, but since I have no way of editing the older comment I wanted to point out the error so as to reduce the chances of it being perpetuated.
What does have to do with the Tumbleweed Theatre is the current classification of its style as “Oriental” at the top of this page. Oriental is no more accurate than was its earlier classification as “Atmospheric”.
The Tumbleweed had an American farm-style windmill out front!
Wagon wheels were featured as part of the decoration!
The walls were decorated with cartoons of such icons of the American west as an Indian on a pony, cacti, and a burro harnessed to a Mexican carreta! Not to mention the fact that the chandeliers repeated the wagon wheel motif!
While it is true that the plant after which this theatre was named is native to the steppes of Asia (and is also known as Russian thistle), there was nothing else about this theatre that was characteristic of the east, far or near. I still say that the style of the Tumbleweed could best have been described as Rustic.
Apparently the El Rey’s owner, Eric Hart, decided that his plan to gut the building and convert it to offices and retail space was not financially viable at this time. The Chico Enterprise-Record article (linked from myblueheven’s comment of July 15 above) about the planned sale of the building no longer works, but it looks as though there was no sale yet, to the preservationist group or anyone else. Instead, the latest news is that Hart will open the venue for live performances, according to this September 19 article from Chico News & Review.
Despite the article’s mention of October 5th as the date of the first event, an appearance by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, I don’t see it among events listed in the current issue of the paper- though it is still listed on Kaukonen’s website. There might have been a hitch with the minimal renovations needed to get the place ready on time, or maybe the permits.
No news on whether the El Rey is still for sale or not, but Chico’s other classic theatre, the Senator (also owned by Eric Hart last I heard), is currently listed on LoopNet for $5,250,000.
vokoban: The card has only the date, alas.
Ken: Oliver Morosco died in 1945 (hit by a streetcar in Los Angeles), so I guess he survived his fall down the stairs.
The Burbank, by the way, is were Morosco had his first success- and his success was the Burbank’s first success as well. Here is Time Magazine’s obituary for Oliver Morosco.
The closing date of this theatre has to be no later than 1933, which is when the Main Street Gym took over the premises.
The reference is from a card in the California Index at the L.A. library. It might be a different edition of the paper. They sometimes did several editions a day in those days. It could also be a typo on the index card. The library does make a disturbing number of mistakes.
The remodeling that gave the Burbank its streamlined facade took place in 1937, according to an article in The Los Angeles Times of October 17 that year.
This building was erected in 1917, according to a report generated by the city planning department’s zoning information and mapping system.
The Forrester Block, 638-642 S. Broadway, was built in 1907. The Palace of Pictures appears to have been converted from retail space in the building in 1914.
Ken: I think the photographer must have been facing west. Your photos of the theatre show a two story building rather than the one story building in the flood photo.
In any case, this remarkably rare (and probably unique in Los Angeles) Southern Greek Revival style theatre building was erected in 1920. The rarity of the style for theatres is one of the things that led me to suspect that the building did not begin life as a theatre. There’s also the fact that, as can be seen in Ken’s photo of the side of the building there are windows which were obviously original to the building.
In the L.A. library’s California Index I found two cards which may shed light on the history of this building. The first references a 1931 city directory which places the Epworth Methodist Church at the northeast corner of Normandie Avenue and 65th Street (the actual location of the Dixie Theatre, despite its address of 6520 S. Normandie which would suggest a location south of the intersection.) The second references an article in a 1938 issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor which reveals that Epworth Methodist Church intended to build a new building at Normandie and 65th.
A TerraServer of Google Satellite Image search on 6520 S. Normandie will show the intersection with the old church/Dixie Theatre building on the northeast corner, and another, larger church building on the northwest corner, presumably the 1938 replacement. So, it looks as though the Dixie Theatre building began life as a church in 1920, operated as a movie house for a while after 1939 or so, and then was converted back into a church no later than 1980, according to the plaque on the building now.
Returning to the Cozy once again, I find that the building in which it was located, including addresses 318, 320, and 322 S. Broadway, was erected in 1905 according to the report generated by the city planning department’s zone information system.
The L.A. city planning department’s zoning information system locates this building at 7506 S. Vermont, so the address has apparently been adjusted a bit over the years. The system’s report gives a construction date of 1939 for the building, not surprising given that Ken’s photos above reveal it to be yet another fairly simple art moderne design typical of that decade’s later years.
As might be surmised from the various photos linked from comments above showing the Clinton’s simple, art moderne facade, the building dates from the late depression year of 1938, according to a report generated by the L.A. city planning department’s zoning information system.
According to a report from the L.A. city planning department’s zoning information system, the building at 1122 N. Western Avenue was built in 1937.
The Campus Theatre was built in 1939. The demolition of the building’s classic art moderne facade will undoubtedly eliminate any chance of the theatre being given any sort of historic designation. Maybe the alteration was a preemptive strike by the building owner against just such a designation.
I can’t find any recent information on the state of this building. I fear that it may either have already been demolished, or is in imminent danger of being demolished, to make way for a major mixed use development project which is associated with the Cypress Park-Lincoln Heights station of MTA’s Gold Line, which is a couple of blocks from the theatre at Avenue 26.
A property report generated for 452 Broadway by the city planning department’s zoning information system gives the address as 450 and 452 S. Broadway, and says the building was erected in 1908. The small building at left in ken mc’s photo (linked in his comment of January 15) must be the former home of the American Theatre.
I said above that in ken mc’s recent photos of this former theatre (linked in his comment of June 16 this year) the building looks as though it had been converted to a theatre from retail space. Ken’s comment of August 13 reveals that the building housed a theatre at least as far back as 1925. There’s still a possibility that the building began as retail space though. A Los Angeles planning department report available in .pdf from the department’s zone information system (search on building address) says that the building was erected in 1910.
It does seem possible that this house might have opened as the New Arlington Theatre. In the 2004 TerraServer aerial view, the building certainly looks as though it had been built as a theater,which reduces the likelihood that it was converted to theatrical use sometime after construction.
The two theatres were very close, the newer one (seen in this expanded view of the photo at the top of the page) being a few doors west of Arlington on the north side of Washington, and the older United Arlington being a couple of doors east of Arlington on the south side of Washington.
As the older theatre had the big “United” blade sign, it could be that it was known primarily by that name locally, which would have reduced the confusion that might arise from the partly-shared name. Given that both were neighborhood theatres, it wouldn’t have mattered much if people from outside the area were confused.
Here is a photograph of Washington Boulevard at Arlington in the early 1920s. I’d say it’s safe to surmise that the “United” blade sign in the fancy-fronted building at center belonged to the United Arlington Theatre, later to become the Maynard Theatre.
This was the Rainbow Ballroom at least back to the 1930s, and I’ve found references to a Fresno-based orchestra called “Spike Hennessey and his Rainbow Ballroom Band” being featured on the first live radio broadcast from the city’s first radio station in 1925. All the indications are that this 1918 building went directly from being the Fresno Natatorium (an indoor swimming pool) to being the Rainbow Ballroom, which it has been ever since. Despite its theatrical marquee, I can find no evidence that the building has ever been used as a theatre.
A few additional bits about the Glendale Theatre have turned up. The L.A. Times announced the theatre’s opening on October 31, 1920. The project was financed by a Dr. W.C. Goodno. A few years later, at the time of the theatre’s 1924 expansion, the owner was named as Louise Goodno.
The theatre’s organ was dedicated early in 1921, according to an article in The Verdugo Foothills Record on January 22 of that year. The organist was Maude Moore Clement.
At the time the Glendale Theatre was wired for sound, its seating capacity was 1231, according to the item published in Exhibitor’s Herald & Motion Picture World on December 28, 1928.
The photo to which Bryan Krefft linked on June 22, 2005, has been moved to a different URL. There’s just a glimpse of the theatre’s marquee and blade sign in the background of this view north along Brand Boulevard in the (judging from the cars visible) mid-1950s.
About half of the theatre’s facade can be seen at extreme right in this 1920s photograph.
I can’t find a U.S. Cinema among the listings for Glendale in my August 24, 1986, copy of the L.A. Times Calendar section. However, in that issues listings for Pacific Theatres, there is a theatre called the Regency 2 at 232 S. Brand Boulevard, which I believe would be the address of the storefront in the Masonic Temple Building immediately adjacent (on the north) to the Temple Theatre’s entrance: See this photo from the 1950s, looking north on Brand (its the same photo to which Bryan Krefft linked above- the URL has been changed.) I never visited that block of Brand in the 1980s, so I don’t know for sure if Regency 2 was an aka for the Temple or not, but it seems likely. There was also a Regency 1 Theatre in the 1986 Pacific Theatres listings, located just up the block at at 210 S. Brand Boulevard. In 1971, 210 S. Brand had been the location of the independently operated Sands Theatre. I don’t think that house is listed at Cinema Treasures yet under any name.