Galway Theatre

514 S. Main Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Unfavorite 1 person favorited this theater

Showing 1 - 25 of 62 comments

CStefanic
CStefanic on September 28, 2017 at 4:52 pm

IS the auditorium space still there?

spectrum
spectrum on October 10, 2013 at 11:25 am

From Google Street View (October 2013), the building is still there, the front has been recently repainted and the four store fronts are “Leonide Hotel”, “Chrysalis”, “{vacant}” and “{Vacant}”

Matthew Prigge
Matthew Prigge on August 24, 2012 at 6:57 pm

If anyone has any stories about going to/ working at this threatre, I would love to hear them. I am chronicling the histories of adult theatres in the US. Please contact me at Thanks!

Matthew Prigge
Matthew Prigge on May 12, 2012 at 12:45 am

A shot of this theatre appears in the film “Parts: The Clonus Horror.” The film later got the MST3K treatment and Mike and the bots make reference to it.

BillCounter
BillCounter on March 30, 2011 at 7:49 pm

Two more data points for the Sherman Theatre:

It’s listed in the city directories for 1916 and 1918 as being at 518 S. Main.

BillCounter
BillCounter on March 21, 2011 at 7:47 pm

for Ken McIntyre:

It was an interesting comment about a theatre to be called the Sherman mentioned in the 1915 LA Times article you quote in your 2007 post.

Did it give an address as 514 or 518?

Also: Henry’s Theatrical Guide for 1907-08 lists #514 as the location of the La Petite Theatre #5.

Zimas gives a 1905 date for the building that later housed the Galway at #514.

BillCounter
BillCounter on March 14, 2011 at 2:33 pm

In the 1959 Universal-International release “Too Soon To Love” we get Jennifer West and Richard Evans on Main Street. They’re looking for an abortionist. Note the bottoms of the illuminated “Galway” letters above the “open all night” banner.

View link

View link

danwhitehead1
danwhitehead1 on September 18, 2010 at 6:18 pm

I remember the Galway; never was inside though. I worked for Walnut Properties/Pussycat Theatres for a long time and serviced the projection equipment at the Optic several times. It seems to me that it was across the street and a few doors away but I can’t remember in which direction. That was back in the ‘70s through the '80s and those memories are getting dim (a stroke didn’t help much either). I always found that old part of town really interesting. A lot more history down there than folks realize.

chrisepting
chrisepting on October 28, 2009 at 12:59 pm

The Galway, as seen in 1972 in this newly unearthed clip of the Rolling Stones shooting the cover for Exile on Main Street

View link

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on May 15, 2009 at 1:11 pm

Here is the theater building in a photo taken yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/ow2fcr

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 26, 2009 at 4:14 pm

Here is the Hotel Leonide in 1939, long before the Galway:
http://tinyurl.com/d2eqso

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 17, 2008 at 12:09 pm

You might want to check out Hill Street Blues as well. Filmed on Main Street and surroundings circa 1981.

vokoban
vokoban on October 17, 2008 at 10:27 am

I hate reliving my childhood with these shows but I guess I have to for the sake of research….

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 17, 2008 at 10:24 am

Also seen in several episodes of Baretta. Both available on DVD.

rm71
rm71 on October 17, 2008 at 7:30 am

Vokoban, yes the entire series including the pilot is available on DVD. Don’s arcade is very visble next to the Galway Theartre in the movie. There is a scene when they come out of the theartr and make a call from payphone across the street. Oh, and it did show XXX movies.

vokoban
vokoban on October 16, 2008 at 10:19 am

That sounds enchanting rm71…..is it available on dvd yet? I’d love to get some screen shots from that show since there are so few photos of this place.

rm71
rm71 on October 16, 2008 at 12:51 am

In the pilot movie of Starsky & Hutch, they met Huggy Bear inside that theater

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 5, 2008 at 10:42 pm

Of course, the Rosslyn and that big hotel on Main below Seventh (can’t recall the name) are now gentrified, or trying to be, so maybe that’s in the cards for this place. The building looks sound enough.

DonSolosan
DonSolosan on October 5, 2008 at 6:39 pm

I see what you mean. Many of the sites I’ve looked at describe it as a hotel, but it seems to be low-income housing related to rehab, etc.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 5, 2008 at 5:53 pm

But is it a hotel, or are the rooms used for rehab purposes. I think the latter, but if not let me know.

DonSolosan
DonSolosan on October 5, 2008 at 12:26 pm

The Galway appears in the Gary Graver video twice (the second appearance is probably the better of the two), and both are fairly wide shots that show the theater in the center of the ground floor of the Leonide Hotel, not the single story buildings to the south. What is now Rose Rosa at 518 was also showing movies in the 70s, but might have just been an adult store with peep booths. It’s hard to tell from the print of Parts: the Clonus Horror they used on MST3K.

By the way, Ken, the hotel is still there. Chrysalis bought and refurbished it. It has 54 rooms.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 26, 2008 at 1:03 pm

In this particular area, the poor homeless people are being moved out in favor of the non-poor non-homeless people.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 26, 2008 at 12:59 pm

Or commmunity center.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 26, 2008 at 12:47 pm

A true cinema treasure, right up there with the Roxy.