Lincoln Theatre

Opened on October 7, 1927 at 23rd and Central Avenue, it was the crown jewel of the street. The architect was John Paxton Perrine. Above the grand staircase is a mural of Abraham Lincoln.

The Lincoln Theatre is located at 2300 S. Central Ave.

Over the history of film exhibition. There were theatres that were called negro theatres. That served the Afro-American population in this country. At one time this theatre was listed as one of them.

A more current photo of the exterior of the former Lincoln Theatre can be seen here.

http://www.geocities.com/los_angeles_coast/Lincoln_2300_sCentral1962.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/los_angeles_coast/Lincoln_2300_sCentral1962a.jpg

Here is a link:
http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/25948.html

Why so many links to Cinema Tour?

Lobby:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015354.jpg

Grand stairway:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015355.jpg

Auditorium:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015357.jpg

Proscenium:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015356.jpg

I was inside this theater today. It looks about the same as in the pictures above, except Lincoln has lost his place on the staircase. I took some pictures which I will post when I get them on a disk.

Here is an article about the theater's opening on 10/5/27. Maybe pretentious had a different meaning then than it does now:

NEW LINCOLN THEATER WILL OPEN FRIDAY

Los Angeles will add another pretentious motion picture house to its roster this week when the Lincoln Theater, located at Central Avenue and Twenty Third Street, opens this Friday. The edifice represents an investment of approximately $500,000. It is of Moorish design. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 2100. A weekly change of program will mark its policy.

Friday’s dedicatory program is scheduled to start at 5 o’clock. The principal address of the occasion will be delivered by attorney Willis Taylor. Farina, of “Our Gang” fame, will make a personal appearance. The stage presentation will be decidedly colorful, not only Friday but for the rest of the week. “The Chocolate Scandals” together with Curtis Mosby’s Dixieland Blue Blowers, will entertain behind the footlights. On the screen will be “Rose of the Golden West”, a First National Production starring Mary Astor and Gilbert Roland.

One of the distinct features of the Lincoln will be a midnight show every Saturday night commencing at 11:30 o’clock. A program of nearly three hours is planned for each of the midnight shows, the first of which will be given this week.

ANYONE ELSE NOT GETTING THE HOME PAGE????????????????????????????????????????????

Here is a batch of pictures I took a week ago:
http://tinyurl.com/2qkz3d
http://tinyurl.com/2lafr7
http://tinyurl.com/3yj5xm
http://tinyurl.com/2syvpr
http://tinyurl.com/35m3b6
http://tinyurl.com/2ungdu
http://tinyurl.com/2smxp5
http://tinyurl.com/37jul2
http://tinyurl.com/3xoqaj
http://tinyurl.com/349grn

Brief in the LA Times dated 6/22/26:

A picture theater for negroes only to be as elaborately beautiful as any theater in the city and to seat 1700 persons will be built by Adolph Ramish, according to the announcement of that enterprising citizen yesterday. The new theater will be situated at Twenty Third and Central Streets, and the architect will be John Paxton Pirenne.

All the entertainers who surround the picture bill will be negroes as also will be all attaches and attendants of the house. Films of first quality will be shown, as is done in other first-class neighborhood houses.

Here is a 2004 aerial photo:
http://tinyurl.com/287myz

Looks like they got rid of the vertical sign from the facade of the theatre now.

I think the current church took it off. It was there a few years ago.

Thank you so much for posting those recent pictures! I haven't seen the inside of this place since I was a small child growing up in Southern California in the 1980s. My parents used to take us there for worship services held there by the area's diocese of our denomination (Church of God In Christ). They purchased it in 1962(?) and held services there through the late 80s/early 90s(?). I'm unsure if they moved because they outgrew the building or because of the dramatic increase in crime in the area. Anyway, during their occupancy the building was renamed "Crouch Temple Church of God In Christ" after the Bishop (Samuel Crouch) who presided over the diocese when it was purchased. This is what the vertical marquee read. Here's a link to a story from Time Magazine in March 1969 about a revival held there: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839798-1,00.html

Please post or email if you ever get a chance to take any more pictures. I'd love to see some of the lower levels. Thanks again.

They were not very receptive when I was walking around with my camera. I think an arrangement would have to be made before I go back there again.

Here is a December 1928 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2r3mwj

This is the registration form for the National Register of Historic Places.

Scroll down to the Lincoln Theater section on this site. They posted my CT photos from 2007, also linked to my photobucket account. I'm famous.
http://tinyurl.com/cvfgob

Here are 1983 and 1984 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/oulyyj
http://tinyurl.com/q7xp33

Here is another 1984 photo.

This is a recent photo and here is a website for the church.

http://www.marchandmeffre.com/theaters/index06.html