The Mayan

The Mayan needs to make a bigger hip-hop room. More variety of music in the main room on the main floor.

I really enjoy going to The Mayan. The music is good, I recommended for all of those party people out their.

I live in San Jose CA, and I make it a mission to visit The Mayan every single time I visit L.A. I love the variety of music, and the variety of people that I meet. I always make it a point to tell friends to visit the club, and they do!!! See you soon.

The Mayan can be seen, inside and out, in the film "Save The Tiger".

The Mayan theatre opened in 1927. The architects were the firm of Morgan, Wall Morgan.

Contrary to the description, the Mayan hasn't been used for the Last Remaining Seats series, at least not since I started attending in the late '80s or early '90s. As far as I know, there haven't been any films shown there since the nightclub conversion. The place is definitely worth a visit, no matter what's booked there for the night. The interior has a wonderfully garish paint job that I understand is far more extreme than any color scheme the hall actually had in its original glory days.

The Mayan Theatre was part of Francisco Fouce's chain of Mexican film venues when I worked there as relief propjectionist in the 1950s. The booth's main entrance was via an outside stairway on the south side that served also as a fire escape. Upon entering the door, one climbed a long steel stairway, suspended in an vast open attic space, to a landing and the booth door. Equipment was first rate, and both the maroon main drape and the gold title curtain were motorized and operable from the booth, though the house lights were not on a dimmer. The emergency exit from the booth was at the north end, via a trapdoor in the floor and a ladder on the wall down to the last row of balcony seats, there being no seat at the ladder's location. The Fouce people saw the Mayan as the crown jewel in the chain, and lavished much care on it.

ROFL interesting info Moviemanforever. So as I take it there is still seats and an auditorium still in place that they use?

I enjoy going to the Mayan because of the Music and because its a nice building inside, although it does need to make its hip hop room more spacious for the clubbers. I also think that it needs to have better drinks, the cadilacs aren't that great. They also need to ENFORCE their dress code. If it was to fix these three things...it would be a perfect club..but i still like to go there for the music.

The mayan I heard was the sh*t so go to it. I know I will. For all you other people that wan't a good club go to Level 3 off of Highland and Hollywood Blvd. on the 3rd level of the chineese theatre center. It's good and has that nice official rich club vibe. 20.00 to get in but worth it lot's of hot chicks especially my girl

07/21/04 Wednesday Bill Sims
A few years ago, when I was working at the nearby Transamerica Center, it was necessary to go past this "adult" movie house. Through the years, the exterior has remained well-kept. I heard that Sarah Bernhard performed there MANY years ago, when it was a legitimate theater.

At some time in the 60's, perhaps just before it became an adult films theatre, it had a stage production in Spanish of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf".

The Mayan Theatre, inside and out, was also used in the 1936 Chesterfield picture "It Couldn't Have Happened....But It Did"

Prior to it's 1950s run a a Spanish language movie house, the Mayan showed second-run fare and then in the late 1940's tried arthouse fare.

The Mayan Theatre was built in 1927 with 1491 seats. The architect is listed as Stiles Clements. The Mayan nightclub opened in Feb, 1990.

Nice close up photo:
http://you-are-here.com/theatre/mayan.html

Exterior shots used in the Ramones' movie Rock n' Roll High School (1979).

I actually was in the Mayan Theatre a few times during my adolescent when it was owned by Carlos Tobalina. My buddies and myself would go down and watch "Infrasexum" which ran over a year at the Mayan in the late sixties. We would seat in the balcony and while the movie was running,you could the radio from the projection room. Usually a Dodger game if memory serves me well.
I was young and my hormones were raging and soft core movies were a adventure, in a way. Nevertheless, The Mayan and it's architecture was a joy to behold.

My grandfather, Jean Klossner was on the original Meyer & Holler construction crew that built the Egyptian, Chinese, Mayan and American theaters (among others) ..... After the opening of the Chinese, he performed the footprint ceremonies for over 40 years. He said Sid Grauman always wanted to open a complete chain, each theater with a different theme .... So different than the "Multiplex Giants" of today ......

Here is a picture of the Mayan in shabbier days, courtesy of the LA Library:

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics18/00028706.jpg

CALLING ALL THEATRE / MOVIE ENTHUSIASTS!!!

T'he Los Angeles Theatre' on South Broadway, LA is playing host to the UK television show 'Dead Famous LIVE'. We are currently looking for people who would like to come along as part of the studio audience.

'Dead Famous LIVE' is a studio entertainment show all about Hollywood History and the paranormal. We will be welcoming celebrity guests on to the show and investigating famous locations around Hollywood which are rumoured to be haunted including the Los Angeles Theatre itself.

This is an invaluable chance to get access to the Los Angeles Theatre, the place where Charlie Chaplin's 'City Lights' premiered in 1931 and to have a thoroughly great day out! (And its free!!)

We're transmitting 'Live' back to the United Kingdom so expect it to be exciting and fun!

We will be filming on three days from 11th - 13th November between 11.30am - 4pm. If you are interested in coming on one or all of these days then email me for tickets!

george.hughes@twofour.co.uk

I look forward to your responses!

Having an interest in all things porn, a trip to the Mayan was something that had to happen.
Ech! A huge auditorium, and anti-masturbation trailers in both English and Spanish. Thrilling.
The toilets had streams of liquid coming out from them into the mezzanine area. Classy place.
This is from a visit in 1988. It was way beyond sleazy.

Here are some photos from the USC archive:
http://tinyurl.com/yl3xw7
http://tinyurl.com/ymu6u7
http://tinyurl.com/yzt2pl
http://tinyurl.com/yn9w5q
http://tinyurl.com/yn2mfy
http://tinyurl.com/yml3xh
http://tinyurl.com/ynh8tz
http://tinyurl.com/y9wfqd
http://tinyurl.com/y9p62l
http://tinyurl.com/ycsa58
http://tinyurl.com/ymyyy6
http://tinyurl.com/y9sreh
http://tinyurl.com/ylc4su
http://tinyurl.com/yhcru9

Here is another modern photo of the Mayan Theater.

Next door to the Mayan is the "Belasco Theater" (1050 S. Hill). It doesn't show up in the Cinema Treasures listing for Los Angeles under that name. Is it documented under another name? Real Estate signs indicate it's available for rent as a nightclub.

I have just added the Belasco to Cinema Treaure. Strange that it had not been listed before. Some photos can be see at this web address: http://www.geocities.com/los_angeles_coast/movie_palaces.html

Here is a circa 1970s photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics18/00028740.jpg

A just released DVD called Reflections in Love (a film by Carlos Tobalina made in 1971, he operated the Mayan then) has lovely pictures of this theater's exterior at night (including neon sign & marquee)--This would be when the Mayan was offering X-rated fare. There are also shots of the Las Palmas theater (another Tobalina house, marquee was showing "I Am Curious Tahiti") with a crowd in front and some fire dancers performing in front of the theater. There is also filmed footage of the X 1 & 2 (exterior & lobby areas) showing a "filmed obscenity bust" which I suspect was a re-enactment. Tobalina himself does appear in the film being interviewed. The film is a cross of a "mondo" film with XXX marterial & some "educational" stuff.

Just a note that this film/DVD is actually titled REFINEMENTS IN LOVE (not Reflections...). Besides the historical footage - also including behind-the-scenes shotsof Tobalina shooting a sex movie -- be aware this is a very entertaining film --- darn near wacky.

Here are some undated photos from the LAPL:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015384.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015385.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015388.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015389.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015392.jpg

The Mayan was showing Spanish films in January 1958.

On 9/15/72, the Mayan was advertising "The Vice Girls" plus "Secret Infidelity", both rated X. The ad also promises free popcorn, which I thought was a nice touch. Other theaters showing the same program (but without the free popcorn, I guess) were the Fine Arts in San Bernardino, the Ritz in Ontario, Savoy in San Diego, Roxy in Long Beach and Wilshire in Fullerton.

On 11/28/47, the Mayan was already showing adult-oriented films, which surprised me. The features that day were "Daughter of Ra - Life Among the Nudists (Adults Only)" and "The Strange Story of Man's Way with Woman (Swedish Film)". For anybody whose knowledge of Egyptian mythology is rusty, Ra was a sun god. He was a big deal in those days.

Here is a photo from the Library of Congress:
http://tinyurl.com/2vskfq

Here are some July 2007 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/ypgvtw
http://tinyurl.com/25pl3e
http://tinyurl.com/2gcplq
http://tinyurl.com/273ddw
http://tinyurl.com/2677hv
http://tinyurl.com/2f2xb8
http://tinyurl.com/2fntgh

You can see a different type of marquee on the left in this 1928 USC photo:
http://tinyurl.com/36snmk

Was the Mayan ever used for a church? There's a sign on the theater in this 1950 photo that says "Immanuel":
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics07/00013103.jpg

ken mc, that 1950's shot is the Mayan and that other vertical sign is on the theatre next door, the Belasco Theatre (Legit, no movies).

Then why the church sign?

Here is an early 70s ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2kdkrk

Here is a January 1958 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/2p2ln5

Here is a September 1948 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/2nmffs

Here is a September 1929 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/34klz7

Marianne with Marion Davies and Lawrence Gray was released in August of 1929.

Here is a July 1931 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/2o6y8x

Chas, I was looking for your entry on the Belasco and couldn't find it. Is it under another name? I also looked under Morgan, Walls & Clements and couldn't find it that way. Strange...

I tried to list the Belasco, however it did not list as Cinema Treasures lists only theaters that have shown movies and the Balasco was a legit house for live theater and never ran any movies. It was home of the Metropolitan Community Church at one time.

Don S: The Hill Street Belasco isn't listed at Cinema Treasures because nobody's presented any evidence that it was ever used as a movie theatre. In short, it's a theatrical treasure but not a cinema treasure. In fact I'm not sure it even has a projection room.

However, the Main Street Belasco is listed here under its final name, the Follies.

Thanks for the responses, Chas, Joe. I have the Conservancy's theater district walking tour book, and under "other theaters" it has a photo of the Belasco. The marquee reads "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," but according to Wikipedia the novel was turned into a stage musical in the late 40s. That probably explains that.

The Mayan opened on August 16 1927 as a playhouse, not first as a movie theater (per the top of the page).

To quote the Los Angeles Times (July 31): 'The property will be devoted solely to the presentation of musical comedies.'

and in an Aug 17 review of the opening night:

'Messrs David, Butler and Belasco have done well in presenting such a sparkling general production, to open their new theater, which is to cultivate the lighter muse, as an adjunct to their already successful playhouse, the Belasco.'

Evidently they'd changed their plans within the first couple of years of operation (per Ken's Nov 1 posting).

A rather glib description of the theater from the latter article:

'The Mayan casts an agreeable warmth over the spectator. It is abundantly decorative, but the effects are well blended, and typical of an architectural scheme that has never previously been expressed in any playhouse in this locality. It is a building that in its richness and detail elicits a curious as well as a pleased interest, because it is in every sense a novelty.'

Here is an October 1950 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/329hau

The Walls of Malapaga was released in March of 1950.

Enjoy the new Intro.

Nice, though "It Could Have Happened...But It Did" (1963)

should actually read "It Couldn't Have Happened... But it Did" (1936).

The timeline with respect to triplexing and porn isn't quite right, though.

Porno started at the Mayan well before 1977. Besides the examples already cited on this page, "Deep Throat" and "The Devil in Miss Jones" had a long run c. 1974 -- in an undivided auditorium.

Also remember the scene from "Save the Tiger", a 1973 film, where Jack Lemmon and Jack Gilford go to a porn movie at the Mayan to meet with an arsonist.

The USC Digital Archive has changed the URLs for the photos of the Mayan to which ken mc linked in his post of October 4, 2006. Rather than recreate the individual links which might vanish again, here's the Archive's home page. Search on "Mayan Theater" (note the spelling- using "theatre" will fetch only three results) to access 21 historic photos and renderings of this splendid building, most of them ca.1925.

That date should be ca.1927, of course.

I've also come across cards in the California Index which cite L.A. Times issues of August 16 and September 5, 1929. The first article announces that the Mayan will soon be presenting a talking movie, and the second is about the world premier of the new Marion Davies film "Marianne", to take place at the Mayan that night.

The images all say "circa 1925"; those crafty people at USC slipped you up!

This is a 2008 photo.

Here is a 1988 photo from the UCLA collection:
http://tinyurl.com/56qtwe

The film Rock and Roll High School had its ticket booth and marquee and the upper portions of the building (panning down to street level) at this theatre. In the film it was called the "Rockatorium". Production notes on the special features icon had the original production call sheet with this info. (Backstage was at the Whiskey and live performance at the Roxy).

Here is a May 2008 photo.

Photos of neighbor Belasco Theatre being converted now into a nightclub:
http://eecue.com/images.php?images_id=29405&larger=1

This is in response to the thoughts above about the church sign and the Belasco....it sounds as though they did show a few movies at one point:

(June 7, 1950)
BELASCO THEATER TO BECOME CHURCH
The Belasco Theater, scene of many a dramatic triumph in the boom days just before talking pictures arrived, was sold yeysterday to be converted into a church. The Immanuel Gospel Temple bought it for $200,000. The church will dedicate it at 11 a.m. Sunday. Down will come the signs of the last motion-picture double bill: "French Nudists" and "Girls for Sale." These marked the lurid end of a dramatic trail which began in the heyday of the legitimate stage in Los Angeles. The Belasco was built by the Doheny interests at 1050 S Hill St. and opened Nov. 1, 1926, with a glittering premiere of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." (excerpt)

There have been discussions about adding the Belasco, but the consensus has been live theater only. I think your item above puts a hole in that argument.

already dealt with in 3rd paragraph of our revised Introduction above. Note that the 1926 show was a stage show.

Interesting, Vokoban, but still confusing. I assumed that the photo of the Belasco with "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" on the marquee to be from the late 40s run of the play. However, it turns out the book was adapted to silent film (now lost) in 1928 -- two years after the theater opened -- and that's what they seem to be advertising (and talking about in your article). Could it be that the Belasco opened in 1926 but didn't show its first film until 1928?

Okay, I read the 3rd paragraph and confirmed that a play was produced in 1926. It all fits. Nothing to see here, folks. Go about your business...

It showed movies for two years and it doesn't qualify? Don't we have theaters on here that opened in the beginning of the year and closed six or seven months later?

I wasn't questioning that they were referring to a stage show in the article about Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. There are plenty of articles discussing the opening of the Belasco and the production of its opening play. I was just saying that there is some evidence that the theater showed some kind of movie at some point. There was a movie named Girls For Sale! in 1930 (released 1934), although I doubt this was a revival showing of that obscure movie. Most likely these were low budget semi-porn movies, whatever that entailed in 1950.

I can't imagine that this is not considered a movie theater wherein some converted shoestore that showed adult films is allowed in. I have nothing against adult theaters, but this seems inequitable.

which theater was a shoe store? i'm curious now....

You might not have been, Vokoban, but I was. From my limited research, I thought that the 1949 play was the first produced. I didn't know about the 1926 play until now. Sorry for the confusion.

How do you know that movies were shown at the Belasco for two years? If that were true, it should be listed in a Film Daily Yearbook.

1st comment of today named 2 of the films. Again, introduction's 3rd paragraph elaborates on the Belasco.

I don't know if two films qualify a theater to be listed here. Unless each film ran for a long period of time. Two films playing at a theater could be considered as a special event and not aa a true movie theater

Great introduction!

Hmmmmm.....read the last sentence.

(Dec. 25, 1948)
BELASCO OPENS TODAY WITH NEW STAGE OFFERING
The newly refurbished Belasco Theater will open today with Wally Vernon's "Big Dame Hunt" written by Eddie Maxwell. The theater has been given a scrubbing and repainted from stem to stern. Backstage, the dressing rooms and the Green Room have been renovated. Switchboard has been enlarged to handle special lighting effects and rigging and flies augmented in order to facilitate changing of scenes. New movie equipment has been installed.

Okay, thanks vokoban. Movies were shown here "briefly" from 1948 to 1950. The keyword is "briefly". Define "briefly". Were movies shown at the Belasco once per month, once per year? If you could find dated ads, that would certainly help.

Is this the same Belasco Theater listed on Cinematour? Maybe they know something that we don't.

Apparently, the Belasco went from legit dramatic and musical theater to a program of burlesque with a movie following the performance by the end of 1948. This continued until June of 1950 when the church bought the theater. The numerous movies tend to be French or drug propaganda type films. Here are a few of the titles that screened for that short period: Fric-Frac, Kiss of Fire, Human Beast, Bride's Delight, Lysistrata, Venus of Paris, Streets of Shadow, She Returned at Dawn, Wild Weed, Girls For Sale...etc....there are more but you can look under the movie listings in the LA Times if you're interested. I'm not really concerned whether the theater gets listed on here or not. I just wanted to show that they did show movies here, briefly or not.

Here are a few examples of short write ups for the movie period at the Belasco:
April 7, 1949-The Belasco Theater's new bill consisting of the French film, "She Returned at Dwan," starring Daneille Darrieux, and a musical stage show, "Silk Stocking Revue," opens this afternoon.

Jan. 27, 1949-A new stage show, "The Garter Girls," starring Viviene Lee, and featuring Genii Young, Frank Scannell, Joe De Rita and Mary Miller, opens today at the Belasco Theater. In addition, Danielle Darrieux, French screen star, will be seen in her Parisian picture, "Club de Femmes."

You could always ask Ken Roe. He was one of the contributors to the Cinematour page for the Belasco.

I don't know if this link has been posted here before.

"The theatre was very briefly shuttered in 1945, and then reopened by Arthur Grossman. In 1948 the venue was sold, and the content changed with the ownership. The new format was to show films preceded by a stage show or revue, typically featuring scantily clad girls. The revue in February of 1949 was titled "Peek-a-Boo", while in April they introduced "Good Nudes for All." The theater's last film double bill in 1950: "French Nudists" and "Girls for Sale."

It shouldn't matter if they were French films or not. I wonder if movies were shown on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

In counterpoint, I would say that if the theater featured burlesque with short racy films screened as filler, that probably wouldn't qualify it to be listed as a legitimate house. That's what the films described above sound like to me. The patrons weren't going to the place for the films, they were going there for the girls.

There are theaters listed on here that had vaudeville shows and a movie. Racy films should still count. There are a number of adult theaters listed on here. We have Airdomes listed that only operated for a few months. Same thing goes for many short lived nickelodeon's. Maybe management should reconsider adding this theater.

The same film seems to have been shown with the same stage show which usually lasted a week or two. Who said it mattered if the films were French? I was just describing the fair...not commenting on what qualifies. The Danielle Darrieux movies they showed were from the mid to late 30's, so its almost like a revival. It's amazing that she's still alive and working today!

Dec. 9, 1948
BELASCO THEATER WILL HOUSE STAGE, FILM PRODUCTIONS
Belasco Theater has been purchased from the Doheny Estate by Belco Properties, Inc., whose officers are Sidney Pink, Paul P. Schreibman and Monroe Goldstein. On Christmas Day, Pink will bring in the first of his new foreign film-stage show bills. Initial stage attraction will be "Wally Vernon's Big Game Hunt." The Belasco seats 1000 persons.

(Later on the name changes to 'Big Dame Hunt'...maybe it was a typo)

Here is an article about the Mayan switching to movies:
(Aug. 16, 1929 LA Times)
MAYAN CHANGES FROM DRAMA TO TALKING FILMS
The Mayan Theater has gone talkie. Commencing Thursday evening, September 5, the Eleventh and Hill street playhouse, hitherto devoted to spoken plays, will inaugurate a policy of talking pictures to be shown twice daily. The opening attraction will be "Marianne," a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer screen musical comedy. Gerhold O. Davis, manager of the Mayan, believes that the best entertainment of the future is to be in the form of talking pictures, and he is installing the finest equipment for reproduction, including a new device which he declares to be sensational in its improvement over the present devices. "I am thoroughly convinced that the public has taken the up-to-date talking, singing and dancing picture to its heart and prefers it to all other forms of entertainment," declared Davis last night. "For that reason I am going to a great expense to equip my theater." Mr. Davis announces that he will present only the best talkies available. Arrangements are being made for a typical gala premiere.

Here is a detail of a Sanborn map from around 1950 showing the Mayan and the Belasco:

http://flickr.com/photos/vokoban/2779806516/sizes/o/

Interesting about the opening of the Mayan:
(July 31, 1927 LA Times)
NEW THEATER COMPLETED
Mayan of Indian Design, Erected on Hill Street at Cost of $850,000, to Open Soon
The newest Los Angeles theater, the Mayan, erected at a cost of $850,000, is situated on Hill street between Tenth and Eleventh streets, next door to the Belasco, and is the first to follow the earliest-known American mode, the Mayan.
The property, fronting 100 feet on Hill street, with depth of 150 feet, is a Class A reinforced concrete structure, and will be devoted solely to the presentation of musical comedies. The theater will have its premiere August 15, next.
Gerhold O. Davis, who, with Edward Belasco and Fred Butler, is lessee of the new Belasco Theater, has leased the Mayan for twenty years from the owner, N.W. Stowell. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 1500, with 750 chairs on the main floor and 750 in the balcony. Offices are located on the second floor in front.
INDIAN ARCHITECTURE
Into the structure, the architects have incorporated the most modern design and equipment architecturally. The exterior is in ornamental stone designed by a young Mexican artist, Francisco Cornejo, who in his interior design and color, has embodied the findings of his extensive research into earliest known American and Mexican art, with a predominance of blue, brown, red and gold tones. Doorways, proscenium arches and the ceilings are of ornamental stone in Mayan design. The selection of the Mayan motif by Gerhold O. Davis was the result of important archeological discoveries in Central America a year ago.
Entrance to the theater is through a large outer lobby, 18 x 32 feet, into the downstairs foyer. This and the mezzanine foyer, running the full width of the building, are decorated and furnished for the comfort of patrons during intermission, and smoking will be permitted in them as a result of the recent removal by the City Council of the ban on smoking in such places. Retiring rooms open off the mezzanine lounge.
Auditorium illumination is by an indirect system. The large figure of the Mayan sun rays, from whose circumference the entire ceiling is lighted in white and amber tones, is in turn lighted by green and blue lights from a pendant fixture.
FIRST CONNECTING STAGE
Of exceptional interest because it is the first time in America such practice has been followed, is the use of a twelve-foot connecting stage, on each side of the main stage, which is thirty-eight feet deep and has a width of forty-two feet.
Space for fifty musicians is provided in the orchestra pit, which is 10 x 38 feet. From tis two stairways lead below stage, to the musicians' room, which is 35 x 11 feet. An interesting innovation in stage lighting is the use of a balcony fifteen feet above stage level for the switchboard panel.
With the exception of the de luxe star quarters just above the stage level, equipped with a suite of three rooms, and a star room on the stage level, all dressing-rooms open off the green room below, which is 45 x 25 feet. These include two star dressing-rooms, three dressing-rooms accommodating three persons each, five chorus rooms-two accommodating twenty-three each, two accommodating eight and one for six persons. On this level are also the wardrobe room and ventilating system. All downstairs rooms are well ventilated. Shower rooms for the convenience of the players are also in the basement.
Ground was broken for the Mayan Theater last August, and the general contract awarded to the Scofield Engineering Company.

Here's something about Francisco Cornejo, mentioned in the article above:

http://www.publicartinla.com/art_buildings/mayan.html

My HTC meeting was held in the Mayan last night...here are some photos. Some are not very good since it was very dark in there:

http://flickr.com/photos/vokoban/sets/72157606977970096/

We also had a tour of the Belasco last night. Here are some photos of that theater....mostly details and again, very dark inside:

http://flickr.com/photos/vokoban/sets/72157606981553489/

also see jericl cat's - a dozen or so starting with this one:
http://flickr.com/photos/79761301@N00/2810783839

Just as a side note to the Belasco discussion, I thought I'd point out that it was used as the filming location for the "abandoned opera house" that was the setting for the big Angel vs. Spike fight in an episode of the last season of Angel. So you had the two lead vampire heroes doing super-powered leaps from the balcony and beating the crap out of each other. It's dark, but if you squint you can see that it's clearly the Belasco there, especially in the one balcony shot.

I respectfully submit this information in the hopes that the Belasco at 1050 S. Hill can have a separate listing. They definitely screened films there... At least in 1950.

http://tinyurl.com/5h5pwn
http://tinyurl.com/5bwc2d
http://tinyurl.com/6jjobs
http://tinyurl.com/5mtwlu
http://tinyurl.com/6x664l

It did have a listing at one time. But they pulled it, for some unknown reason.

I drove by the Belasco this morning. No photos as no place to put them. Alas.

It should be listed again William.

Filming at the Mayan today:
http://tinyurl.com/6mxdew

The Mayan had a major role this evening on the NBC prime time show "Life". The theater was the opening scene of the murder of the lead singer of a fictional metal cover band called Hot Lead.

They only utilized tight shots of the marquee sides. But did show the auditorium, stage & suspended mirrored ball. Along with various interior bar shots, and stage door/alley exteriors.

Since it was a new episode, it's plausible that it was the filming that was taking place the day of ken mc's Dec. 3rd photo.

P.S. Two nice night time full tilts of the Mayan blue neon blade & marquee at show's end.

Here's some photos of the Mayan from yesterday:
mayan_01.jpg
mayan_02.jpg
mayan_03.jpg
mayan_04.jpg
mayan_05.jpg
mayan_06.jpg
mayan_07.jpg
mayan_08.jpg
mayan_09.jpg
mayan_10.jpg
mayan_11.jpg
mayan_12.jpg
mayan_13.jpg
mayan_14.jpg
mayan_15.jpg
mayan_16.jpg

And some of the Belasco. since it doesn't have its own page:
belasco_01.jpg
belasco_02.jpg
belasco_03.jpg
belasco_04.jpg
belasco_05.jpg
belasco_06.jpg
belasco_07.jpg
belasco_08.jpg
belasco_09.jpg
belasco_10.jpg
belasco_11.jpg
belasco_12.jpg
belasco_13.jpg
belasco_14.jpg

And one showing both:
mayan_belasco.jpg

The Belasco is an orphan. Thanks for the photos.

Since the Belasco ran movies regularly for two years and it once had projection equipment up in the booth, this magnificient theatre should be listed in Cinema Treasures.

If the Belasco did run films for two full years then you should post it.

I think people have tried to list it in the past but it was rejected. I don't know if anyone has tried lately.

My understanding is that the theater is supposed to have shown movies for a "significant time". For me 2 years is significant, but perhaps not for others. The reason I personally would allow it is that a good number of the theaters listed on CT are non descript multiplexes and post war theaters that, while they may have a lot of "cinema" in their past, there is certainly no "treasure". Yet, truly spectacular theaters that happened to be devoted to live performances instead of the silver screen are excluded.

I believe a good number of New York's Broadway theaters (which are landmarked) are included in Cinema Treasures because they showed movies for some periods in their history. So while they were built for live theater, true treasures like Radio City and The New Amsterdam are included in Cinema Treasures today.

To be fair, films did play these two theaters for significant parts of their history, but there are other examples where the percentage was less. In my opinion, if a theater is an architectural wonder and it showed movies for even 6 months, then it was a cinema treasure for someone at that time and should be allowed for inclusion. If it's a non-descript box, then no. Good Luck!

LawMann, do you know the general period in which the Belasco ran movies? They surely would have been advertised in the L.A. Times, and somebody who has access to the Times archives at the L.A. Library could probably find some of those ads if they knew where to look.

If the place did run movies for a couple of years, or even a few months, then it certainly deserves a page here. Somehow, the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium got a page, and all they ever did was four-wall an occasional surf or ski movie, and a few of the Hollywood beach movies of the 1960s, long after they'd had their theatrical runs. (By those standards, practically every civic auditorium in the country should qualify.)

cnichols posted some info about films shown in 1950 back on Nov 18, 2008, with ad links.

Ah, I didn't see that. Well, even if they were just 1950s soft core porn movies, I think that should qualify the Belasco for a page. Lots of little store front porn houses from the 1970s are listed, and the Belasco is certainly more interesting as a theater than they are.

Due to popular demand, the Belasco Theatre now has its own dedicated page on Cinema Treasures.

Some touchup work in 1965. Already showing adult films:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015389.jpg

Here is a January 1944 ad from the LA Times. Dorothy Dandridge was one of the stars.
http://tinyurl.com/c29u3d

Here is a March 1969 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/quyrue

1982 Photo

1982 Photo

1983 Night Photo

1983 Night Photo

LAHTF's "All About..." series returns this Saturday, May 16th, 10:30 (doors open at 10) to The Mayan. Also included will be the Belasco Theatre next door. See you there.

There's something interesting in the basement of the Mayan that I haven't seen mentioned here: in one of the mechanical spaces, someone kept a running tally of the shows in pencil on the wall. The top entry is "Grand Opening August 15, 1927." Then:

1 - O-Kay - Elsie Janis - 8 weeks - musical - Aug 15, 1927
2 - Twinkle Twinkle - Joe E. Brown Nancy Welford - 6 " - musical - Oct 10, 1927

and so on into the early 1930s. There's a sheet of Plexiglas protecting it.

I posted this photo on the Belasco page a while ago, but it also shows the Mayan circa 1930s. Photo is from the USC archive:
http://tinyurl.com/ccg4xv

"Contrary to the description, the Mayan hasn't been used for the Last Remaining Seats series, at least not since I started attending in the late '80s or early '90s."

I asked Connie Humberger about this tonight; she was there from the beginning. And yes, the Mayan was used for the LRS series, back when it was a porn house. They had to go in and clean the place up.

Also, the description as it appears now, refers to the book "Last Remaining Seats," not the film program.

Here is a June 2009 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ms3q8f

Here is a July 1943 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/lldyot

Here is a January 1977 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/mb9m49

Another good year for ads.

Here is a January 1940 ad from the LAT:
http://tinyurl.com/ooqeml

Talk about distorted........

Here are some photos taken today:
http://tinyurl.com/pv6kxh
http://tinyurl.com/p4bahw
http://tinyurl.com/r4fouv
http://tinyurl.com/ozgx45
http://tinyurl.com/otaed9
http://tinyurl.com/ornz6y

I finally got to tour the inside of the Mayan Theater last Thursday night and am thrilled to say it looks as great inside as it does outside. Although converted to a nightclub, the Mayan is in great shape and still looks like a theater inside (okay, minus 1,400 seats or so). The auditorium and chandelier in particular are definitely something to see. I was surprised at the small restrooms located on the mezzanine level. They seemed way too tiny to service 1,400+ audience members. The nightclub has more restrooms backstage and under the stage, but those would have been inaccessible when this operated as a theater. Are there some "lost" restrooms located behind a false wall somewhere in or underneath the Mayan lobby?