Regent Showcase Theater

This theatre is currently known as the Regent Showcase theatre operated by Laemmle Theatres of West Los Angeles. This theatre was restored by Cineplex theatres in the late 80's and was named The Showcase. The style was art deco. The theatre seated around 750 people.

I lived around the corner and in the 60's and 70's went once a week. It was a wonderful second run theater. Many times I would see celebrities there in the back just enjoying a show. Saw Peter Bagnovitch there at times.

I saw movies there in the early 80's when its admission was $2.
I recall how cold the auditorium was as they had no heat according to the management. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the show and tasty popcorn.

The Regent Showcase is NOT owned or operated by Laemmle Theatres of West Los Angeles.

It is owned and operated by Regent Theaters, LLC.

It is part of a growing chain of Regent Theaters.

The official website is http://www.regenttheaters.com

Cineplex Odeon gave up this house, which is located just down the street from the legendary LA hot dog joint Pink's, sometime around 1999-2000, at which point it became a Regent venue.

During the early 1950's the Gordon Theatre was part of the Fox West Coast Theaters circuit on District 1.

The headers at the top of this posting need to be updated to:
Status: Open
Screens: 1
Style: Art Deco
Function: Movies 1st run/Art House

Photo at this link:
http://www.mesbursmith.com/restor3.htm

I saw BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS for $2 - it was fun.

After the remodel Cineplex reopened the theatre on Oct. 11th, 1985.

My above post should have read booked by Laemmle Theatres, not operated by.

Here's an aerial view of the Gordon Theater:

Here's an aerial view of the Gordon Theater:

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=ppdbd3544687&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=6915833

Sun 18 Mar 07, 11:56 a.m.

Hi all,

Greetings from Thailand!

I guess I am a little late to be ringing in on this discussion. However, friends and I are having a crisis of memory about the names and dates of the Gordon Theater that we remember from decades ago. They say it was the Gordon Theater. However, when the topic first came up, my instinctive memory was that it was the La Brea Theater.

Googling around, there is more than one reference to the La Brea Theater 614 N. La Brea Ave., the same address as the Gordon Theater. So, at least am not entirely hallucinating! Phewwww! But I cannot find an references to when it was the La Brea Theater and why the name changed. Or is La Brea Theater just an alternative name it was know as? There is a "Fox La Brea" further south past Wilshire, but that's different.

I would be grateful for any additional info and sequence of dates from someone whose memory is held together a little tighter than me and my friends. ;o}

Thanks.

Aloha,

Rex

From 2007:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/hwdRegentShowcasejan262007001.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/hwdGordonTheaterfeb212007001.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/hwdGordonTheaterfeb212007002.jpg

Great pics hollywood 90038. Brought back memories. I lived off of La Brea near the theater in '95-'97 while attending Columbia College Film School, which used to be at 926 La Brea. Saw many great films here. Continued to attend when I moved to Burbank in "98, but left California in "01. The audience applauded several times during "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and it was fun seeing it there. They always had such a great variety of films-lot's of indies inc. a great run of "Trainspotting" in '96.

Just getting dark:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/hwdShowcaseRegent001May2007.jpg

A set of four photographs, taken in November 2002:
Exterior
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/531301290/
Interiors
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/531302006/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/531302752/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/531303584/

Hi Everyone,

I'm having a blast reading the postings. My parents owned the Gordon (never named the LaBrea BTW), the Oriental and the Delmar theaters. They had a lot of good and bad times at those theaters. I will read the posts to see if you ever have any questions.

Also, the Gordon opened in 1938

This is another recent photo of the Regent Showcase Theater.

Here is a January 1958 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/38rm99

Heathrow,

Use to go to the Oriental on Sunset in the early 80s. Seem to remember it closed shortly thereafter.

I've passed the Delmar on Pico many times, but it was never operational.

There is a phototour of the Regent Snowcase here: http://cinemasightlines.com/cinemas_cinemaviews4.php

The architect for the renovation of the Gordon was David K. Mesbur. He received a Los Angeles Architectural Conservancy Award for the project in 1987.

Another photo of the Regent Showcase can be seen here.

My film Edgar Allan Poe's "HOUSE OF USHER" opens here at the Regent Showcase on Friday May 7th.

http://www.houseofusher-themovie.com/

Alas, we must report that as of May 29, 2008, the Regent Showcase Theater will be closed after seventy years of service to the community. Market pressure from Arclight and The Grove, who lock out studio films from this theater has finally taken its toll.

It is a shame, yet another single screen theatre in L.A. is gone. Back in the 80's into the 90's Cineplex Odeon did a great job of reviving this theatre; they had great first run bookings including Hannah and her Sisters, Platoon, Radio Days, Fargo etc. It was at that time considered a Hollywood booking, and was a heavily patronized theatre. The Arclight and Grove really did in this theatre, the Fine Arts, Fairfax, and Beverly Center theatres.

This just in... the old girl may have life in her yet. Theater is closed this week. May be news about a least some kind of cinema experience continuing soon. More to come...

On June 6, the Regent Showcase will be running a double feature. Billed as "Everyday Gay Heroes," the two films are "Solar Flare" http://www.solarflare-themovie.com and "Polar Opposites" http://www.polaroppositesmovie.com

The doors are closed through Thursday June 5.

The theatre is still operating (as of this date, they are running WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER with Colin Firth, but the building is for lease - Regent may indeed want out of this location.

I can see why the theatre went out of business. A failing theatre/distribution company and bad DTV worthy titles.

Did Regent take some time off to reconsider their decision to market this theatre to the GLBT community? I've been to this place once (saw "The Sixth Sense" - and had my jaw pryed off the floor by the ushers as a result of the ENDING!) and, once they switched to GLBT programming, wondered if they were even packing full houses here.

Here is a January 1947 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/53sfgm

Here are some October 2008 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/49ol7o
http://tinyurl.com/4wyfs9
http://tinyurl.com/4t5lge
http://tinyurl.com/4tgjj2
http://tinyurl.com/3rqbz4

Here is a 2007 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/52m3st

Here is a 1981 view of the Gordon:
http://tinyurl.com/cb8qxx

Retro Grindhouse Style Triple Features at the REGENT SHOWCASE THEATRE starting this weekend!

http://www.regenttheaters.com/nowplayingSHOWCASE.html

this theatre has 750 seats

Has it closed again?

There are no new showtimes for the week, the number listed on the website is disconnected, there are no coming attractions listed, etc.

I guess at least I made it to see "12" a couple months ago i that's the case.

Hopefully it isn't.

1982 Photo

Last I heard, they were ceasing regular operation though there may be the occasional special event or premiere there. Apparently parent company Regent Entertainment is not doing well. The marquee was stripped of its Regent and Here!Network panels, but I understand all the seats and equipment are still intact.

Here's a google street view of the theater:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=614+N.+La+Brea+Avenue,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90036+United+States&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=34.082237,-118.34404&spn=0.008673,0.01914&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=34.082328,-118.344046&panoid=lMYujFfIrCBY8C7iw0fj1g&cbp=12,84.4,,0,-14.37

http://www.lottaliving.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=14612

Re:Ken mc's post-I wonder how long "The Stunt Man" played at the Gordon. When i saw it while on vacation from Vegas in Spring '81,it was there with the Jack Nicholson/Jessica Lange remake of "The Postman Always Rings Twice".

Does anyone remember the Gordon Cafe that operated next to the theater? I presume this restaurant has changed names many times over the years, but my grandfather ran it as the Gordon Cafe in the early '50s I think. I'd especially love to see a picture from that era if anyone has.

My best memory of this theater is seeing "The Player" when it first came out. It was a completely sold out show; we were seated way on the side. The audience was full, apparently, of industry people, because they were laughing at all of these inside jokes I did not really understand!

The murals in the auditorium--uncovered and restored when Cineplex Odeon took over--were by Los Angeles decorator Heinsbergen. Identical Greco-Deco mythological figures in these murals appear, in a much different arrangement, around the proscenium of the Bay Area's Cerrito Theatre in El Cerrito, designed by a different architect but decorated by Heinsbergen.

Goodbye, Gordon.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/GordonNov1020091-1.jpg

January 8, 2010:
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/GordonJan1020102.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/GordonJan1020104.jpg

This would be a difficult theatre to operate. Good bookings would be difficult and parking is awful around that area.

Cheak the theater's website and I think this company is insolventIncluding its theater in Texas