The Library of Congress web site has 18 photos of the Beach theater from about the time of its opening. Use the theater and city name in the search box on this page.
From You-are-here.com, a recent photo of 551 S. Broadway, the Metropolitan Annex which was the location of the Broadway entrance to Grauman’s Metropolitan in the 1920s. This is the last remaining part of a once great theatre.
Adam: it’s quite possible that the 1927 version of the Norwalk Theatre was destroyed in the 1933 earthquake, and the building rebuilt in 1935. Damage in the area was severe.
Bway: The particular Tally’s Broadway across from the Orpheum and near the Majestic is listed at Cinema Treasures. Its location is now occupied by a 1929 addition to the former May Company department store.
Ken: not only the Majestic but, a couple of doors farther up, Tally’s Broadway Theatre was still in operation as can be seen by the blade signs above either side of its entrance.
Ken: not only the Majestic but, a couple of doors farther up, Tally’s Broadway Theatre was still in operation as can be seen by the blade signs above either side of its entrance.
It’s almost certain that this was the first theatre to be called a Nickelodeon, but even more certain is that it was not the first theatre in the world devoted exclusively to the exhibition of motion pictures. It’s even possible that there were such theatres operating earlier than 1902 when Thomas Tally opened his Electric Theatre on Main Street in Los Angeles, widely believed to have been the first permanent theatre built specifically for the exhibition of movies.
The California Index quotes Southwest Builder & Contractor issue of 4/15/1927 announcing plans for the Norwalk Theatre. It was to cost $30,000, to seat about 600, and was to be built for a company called Principal Theaters. The name of the architect is not mentioned.
Ace: I can’t recall for certain, and I don’t have access to my books right now so I can’t check, but I think there was a period photo of Manhattan’s Bunny Theatre in David Naylor’s “American Picture Palaces.” Maybe somebody reading this who has the book at hand can check it and respond. I do know I’ve seen a photo of this theatre in one book or another, and Naylor’s book is the most likely.
The Alpha Theatre was featured in the Better Theatres section of Motion Picture Herald, 5/28/1938. The architect is named there as S. Charles Lee.
Interestingly, Southwest Builder and Contractor of 10/15/1937 carried the announcement that S. Charles Lee was preparing the plans for a complete remodeling of the Maybell Theatre in Bell for Fox West Coast Theatres. I wonder if the Alpha could have been the remodeled Maybell?
Oh, rats! I probably have at least sixty USC links scattered about this site alone. It’s going to take ages to track them down and update them. I notice that the archive isn’t supporting the zoom feature anymore either. I’m going to miss that.
Here’s the new location for the picture I linked to in my comment of March 1, 2006, way up there near the top of the page. Unfortunately, without the zoom feature it’s just about impossible to make out the “Strand” name on the back wall of the theatre.
A web site devoted to the Los Angeles Fire Department contains an archive which includes this collection of pictures of a 1913 fire in the Brennan Hotel building which was immediately north of the Optic (and to which the Optic’s blade sign was attached.) Several of the shots show the front of the Optic quite clearly, and a couple show the facade of the theatre to the north of the hotel, that theatre of many names which is discussed in several comments above.
To get this page back on its subject, here is a 1939 picture of a fire which destroyed the Gray Building, a few doors south of the Cozy. (The file is huge, and not recommended for those on dial-up connections.) At the far left of the picture, though they are blurry and much obscured by smoke, it’s possible to make out the marquees of two theatres which must have been the Cozy and its neighbor the Central.
A 1930 picture of Whittier Boulevard showing the Golden Gate Theatre. You can also see, farther down the street, a Van De Kamp’s Bakery with its windmill.
scottfavareille’s 2004 link to the interesting (if somewhat lurid) OC Weekly article about the 1951 kidnapping and murder related to this theatre no longer works, but if you want to read it it’s available from Google’s cache. Do a Google search on “Velaskis Theater” and the link to the cached article “Live Noir” will be among the handful of results.
The proposed office tower at 6th and Hill, designed by Chuck Luckman, (this might have been his very first solo project after dissolving his partnership with Bill Periera) would have been the tallest building in Los Angeles at that time, had it been built. The Paramount was razed specifically to make way for the office development, but the deal did indeed fall through and the site was used as a parking lot for years, until the Jewelry Center was finally built there. It’s possible that one of the reasons the deal fell through was because of the unforeseen delays in the demolition of William Woolett’s rock-solid building. I’d like to think that it was.
The L.A. Library photo cited in the first comment above is here.
The USC archive picture cited in the second comment above is here.
New: a photograph of Hill Street south from 7th Street about 1931. The blade sign of the RKO Theatre can be seen in the distance, but a bit nearer, just below the rooftop sign for Birch and Smith Furniture Co. can be seen the marquee of the Alhambra Theatre.
I’m wondering if perhaps the ornate, arched entrance on the far end of the building at the lower right in this c1913 photo might be the door of the Shamrock Theatre?
ML & Ken: no, the Tracy is a different theatre from the Ritz on 7th Street, which was a small neighborhood house. The Tracy wasn’t called the Ritz for very long.
The Library of Congress web site has 18 photos of the Beach theater from about the time of its opening. Use the theater and city name in the search box on this page.
From You-are-here.com, a recent photo of 551 S. Broadway, the Metropolitan Annex which was the location of the Broadway entrance to Grauman’s Metropolitan in the 1920s. This is the last remaining part of a once great theatre.
Adam: it’s quite possible that the 1927 version of the Norwalk Theatre was destroyed in the 1933 earthquake, and the building rebuilt in 1935. Damage in the area was severe.
Bway: The particular Tally’s Broadway across from the Orpheum and near the Majestic is listed at Cinema Treasures. Its location is now occupied by a 1929 addition to the former May Company department store.
And, from the L.A. Public Library, a dramatic night shot taken when it was still called the Vine Street Theater.
TYPO ABOVE: of course I meant; Do a Google search on “Valuskis Theater” to find the cached page.
Ken: not only the Majestic but, a couple of doors farther up, Tally’s Broadway Theatre was still in operation as can be seen by the blade signs above either side of its entrance.
Ken: not only the Majestic but, a couple of doors farther up, Tally’s Broadway Theatre was still in operation as can be seen by the blade signs above either side of its entrance.
It’s almost certain that this was the first theatre to be called a Nickelodeon, but even more certain is that it was not the first theatre in the world devoted exclusively to the exhibition of motion pictures. It’s even possible that there were such theatres operating earlier than 1902 when Thomas Tally opened his Electric Theatre on Main Street in Los Angeles, widely believed to have been the first permanent theatre built specifically for the exhibition of movies.
The California Index quotes Southwest Builder & Contractor issue of 4/15/1927 announcing plans for the Norwalk Theatre. It was to cost $30,000, to seat about 600, and was to be built for a company called Principal Theaters. The name of the architect is not mentioned.
Ace: I can’t recall for certain, and I don’t have access to my books right now so I can’t check, but I think there was a period photo of Manhattan’s Bunny Theatre in David Naylor’s “American Picture Palaces.” Maybe somebody reading this who has the book at hand can check it and respond. I do know I’ve seen a photo of this theatre in one book or another, and Naylor’s book is the most likely.
The Alpha Theatre was featured in the Better Theatres section of Motion Picture Herald, 5/28/1938. The architect is named there as S. Charles Lee.
Interestingly, Southwest Builder and Contractor of 10/15/1937 carried the announcement that S. Charles Lee was preparing the plans for a complete remodeling of the Maybell Theatre in Bell for Fox West Coast Theatres. I wonder if the Alpha could have been the remodeled Maybell?
Oh, rats! I probably have at least sixty USC links scattered about this site alone. It’s going to take ages to track them down and update them. I notice that the archive isn’t supporting the zoom feature anymore either. I’m going to miss that.
Here’s the new location for the picture I linked to in my comment of March 1, 2006, way up there near the top of the page. Unfortunately, without the zoom feature it’s just about impossible to make out the “Strand” name on the back wall of the theatre.
While I’m at it, here is the picture in vokoban’s first link of March 4th, and also the picture in his second link of that day, showing the “Clune’s Grand Ave. Theatre” sign painted on the side wall of the building. I can’t find the new location of the picture he linked to on March 5th.
A web site devoted to the Los Angeles Fire Department contains an archive which includes this collection of pictures of a 1913 fire in the Brennan Hotel building which was immediately north of the Optic (and to which the Optic’s blade sign was attached.) Several of the shots show the front of the Optic quite clearly, and a couple show the facade of the theatre to the north of the hotel, that theatre of many names which is discussed in several comments above.
To get this page back on its subject, here is a 1939 picture of a fire which destroyed the Gray Building, a few doors south of the Cozy. (The file is huge, and not recommended for those on dial-up connections.) At the far left of the picture, though they are blurry and much obscured by smoke, it’s possible to make out the marquees of two theatres which must have been the Cozy and its neighbor the Central.
A 1930 picture of Whittier Boulevard showing the Golden Gate Theatre. You can also see, farther down the street, a Van De Kamp’s Bakery with its windmill.
A larger photograph of the Laughlin, from the USC digital archives.
Here, from the USC digital archives, is a 1930’s photo of Vine Street showing this theatre when it was called the Studio.
Not demolished, but functioning as a church.
From the USC digital archives, a 1951 photograph of the Valuskis Theatre.
scottfavareille’s 2004 link to the interesting (if somewhat lurid) OC Weekly article about the 1951 kidnapping and murder related to this theatre no longer works, but if you want to read it it’s available from Google’s cache. Do a Google search on “Velaskis Theater” and the link to the cached article “Live Noir” will be among the handful of results.
The proposed office tower at 6th and Hill, designed by Chuck Luckman, (this might have been his very first solo project after dissolving his partnership with Bill Periera) would have been the tallest building in Los Angeles at that time, had it been built. The Paramount was razed specifically to make way for the office development, but the deal did indeed fall through and the site was used as a parking lot for years, until the Jewelry Center was finally built there. It’s possible that one of the reasons the deal fell through was because of the unforeseen delays in the demolition of William Woolett’s rock-solid building. I’d like to think that it was.
Repairing dead photo links and adding a new one:
The L.A. Library photo cited in the first comment above is here.
The USC archive picture cited in the second comment above is here.
New: a photograph of Hill Street south from 7th Street about 1931. The blade sign of the RKO Theatre can be seen in the distance, but a bit nearer, just below the rooftop sign for Birch and Smith Furniture Co. can be seen the marquee of the Alhambra Theatre.
Here is photographic evidence of an earlier theatre in the Tujunga area.
I’m wondering if perhaps the ornate, arched entrance on the far end of the building at the lower right in this c1913 photo might be the door of the Shamrock Theatre?
ML & Ken: no, the Tracy is a different theatre from the Ritz on 7th Street, which was a small neighborhood house. The Tracy wasn’t called the Ritz for very long.