Optic Theatre

The Optic Theatre was located at 523 S. Main Street.

That sure looks like an interior view of this theatre, though. Maybe they were the avant-garde grindhouse theatre?

Hi All: I believe that the Optic Theatre is pictured in the opening scenes of the "Rockford Files" TV series?? Does anyone know this for certain?? TK...

This theater can be seen extensively in the 1913 Mack Sennett short "Mabel's Dramatic Career". It was then known as Woodley's Optic.

Magiclantern, it IS an interior view. The caption was just a typo.

I would not have thought that the Optic was this large, given the look of it from the outside. It had a very small frontage, tiny ticket foyer, and virtually no marquee- just a neon sign with the theatre's name. By the time I recall first seeing it, about 1960, it was an adult theatre, catering mostly to servicemen on leave and the unsavory characters of L.A.'s nearby skid row, who came to see what the posters out front called "Nudie Cuties." I never went there, and I am surprised to find that a 700 seat auditorium was lurking behind that diminutive facade.

Joe, I agree with you. In the silent short I mention above the theater looks very much like the picture. I don't believe there were anything like 700 seats unless the theater expanded at some point or it was very long and narrow.

The impression I got from the outside was that there wasn't even a real theatre in there, but just a bunch of seats stuck into a former retail space some time after the building was built. But then, maybe the entrance foyer itself was bigger to begin with, and part of it was converted to retail shops later on, to bring in more rent after the Main Street theatre district began to decline. I never examined the building carefully, so I don't remember how deep those shops next to the theatre were.

In fact, I don't even remember how high the building was, or how far up from the intersection of 6th Street it was, though it wasn't too far, I know, because I recall being able to see the place quite clearly from the southeast corner of 6th and Main, out in front of Whelan's Drug Store.

The entrance foyer looks small in the film.

Here is a clearer and wider shot of the photo above, which shows the organ ranks a bit better.....

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater3/00015509.jpg

From the USC Digital Archive:

http://digarc.usc.edu:8089/cispubsearch/sidview.jsp?object_name=chs-m17459&ORN=CHS-5723.2

From the LA Library:

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014172.jpg

Look carefully at the left side of the picture. The Optic is showing "Twilight People", which is a 1975 film:

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014168.jpg

The address of this theater should be changed to 533 South Main. From the LA Times Dec. 25, 1910:

Negotiations have just been closed with R.W. Woodley, the former proprietor of the Optic Theater on South Broadway, for a motion-picture theater, to be erected at No. 533 South Main Street. The place will have a seating capacity of about 900.

Also, all of the further listings for this theater up to the early 1970's list it at 533 S. Main. I wish more photos could be found of this theater. It was one of the first in Los Angeles to be built exclusively for motion pictures.

The only theatre on S. Broadway operated by R.F.Woodley that I have records of is Woodley's Theatre later known as the Victory Theatre and then Mission Theatre, located at 842 South Broadway. This was demolished and the current Orpheum Theatre built on the site.

Maybe the Woodley's/Victory/Mission Theatre, S. Broadway was aka Optic Theatre, or could we have discovered another 'lost' theatre.

KenRoe, if you send me your email, I'll forward you a .pdf from the LA Times talking about Woodley's Optic on Broadway. It's a different theater from the Woodley theater. He also owned another theater called the Olympic. My email is jeff@vokoban.com

Ken, vokoban must be right about the address of the Optic. It was situated right where Main Street makes that little bend, which was about mid-block. The Art Theatre, at 551 South Main, was only a few doors south of the Optic. The Burbank, at 542 South Main, was immediately south of the bend. 523 is too low a number for the Optic's location. In fact, 523 may have been the address of the Omar Theatre, which was a few doors north of the Optic.

The only references at the L.A. Public Library Regional History database to the Woodley Theatre on Broadway give its only other names as Victory (until 1920) and Mission (1920 to demolition.) There's no indication of when the name was changed from Woodley to Victory. I suppose it might have been called the Optic at some point.

I'm a bit surprised that Mr. Woodley owned the Olympic, assuming that this was the Olympic on 8th Street. This was a later theatre than the Woodley or the Optic, and every early reference to it I've seen indicates that it was opened by Lou Bard.

Here is a picture of the Omar Theater, which is about midway between Fifth and Sixth Streets:

http://digarc.usc.edu:8089/cispubsearch/sidview.jsp?object_name=chs-m641&ORN=CHS-5723.1

I think I've figured out the confusion or created more. Maybe this should be on the Olympic page, but it seems that there were two Olympic theaters. The Olympic on Main has two people connected with it, R.W. Woodley and Charles Alphin, but I can't figure out who was first. Here are a few quotes from the LA Times:

(Apr. 8, 1914)
It was some years ago that Charley Alphin made Main street famous, and kept his Olympic Theater as brilliant within as its signs were luminous without. Now, although it is the same theater, it is the Alphin, and with his name over the door, and "welcome" on the mat, Charley started in, Monday night, to live up the "rep" he made in them happy days.

(Sep. 25, 1913)
Speaking of Mr. Garratt calls to light a unique feature regarding the new Woodley Theater. Mr. R.W. Woodley, propietor of the new thater, and who also has the Olympic on Main street, put up the new house backwards. Before he knew where he was going to locate he engaged Mr. Garratt. Then, acting on suggestions made by Mr. Garratt, he ordered the organ. Then he had a theater designed to fit the organ, and after this was done he secured the site for his new theater.

(Apr. 14, 1936)
...Mrs. Woodley and her husband, Robert W. Woodley, 2231 Cambridge street, operated the original Optic Theater here on Broadway and then on Main street between Fifth and Sixth streets. Then on Broadway between Eighth and Ninth streets they once operated the Woodley Theater. She leaves her husband, two brothers and two sisters.

Here are three pictures which show the Optic south of Fifth, then the Art following, with a last shot of Main looking north from Sixth:

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014123.jpg

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014167.jpg

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014117.jpg

Charles Alphin was my grandfather and he indeed did own and operate the Olympic Theater at 523 S. Main. It would seat 1000 people, was open 7 days a week with live music, mostly comoposed and played by my grandfather and his musicians. The venue was vaudeville. He gave several people their start, including Lon Chaney, whom he hired years earlier as a stage hand for a theater in Colorado Springs. I am not sure when he sold the Olympic, but I don't believe he sold his interest until the early 30's.

So the Olympic would have been slightly north of the Optic on the west side of the street?

ken, the Olympic/Alphin must show in the 1917 photo you linked to in your comment upthread. Given the address of 523 S., it must have been either the Omar Theatre itself under a different name, or it was in the building next door north of the Omar (the other buildings on the block lacked the right configurations to have large theatres in them.) Using the zoom and scroll features of the USC archive, a closer view of the building next to the Omar doesn't reveal any features that could positively identify it as containing a theatre, though.

I did zoom and scroll, but I can't tell what that building is. Thanks for the info.

Has anyone heard of the Moon Theater? It's the same address as the Omar, but I don't know if it was a new theater since the Omar had a fire in 1918. One advertisement from 1924 lists the Moon theater at 525 South Main, but later it is 523 South Main.

(Apr. 30, 1918)
Fire of unknown origin threatened the entire structure which houses the Omar Theater at No 523 South Main street, early yesterday morning. The blaze started in the back of the theater stage and had caused an estimated damage of $500 before it could be mastered by the fire department.

(May 14, 1918)
Earl McDonald, charged with arson in connection with a fire in the Omar Theater, No. 523 South Main street, on April 29, was arraigned in $2500 bail yesterday and his preliminary examination set for Thursday morning before Justice Summerfield.
John C. Gerlach similarly charged with McDonald, will appear for arraignment this afternoon before Justice Hanby. Gerlach has submitted a confession to the District Attorneys' office, according to Deputy District Attorney Heinecke.
The preliminary examinations of both men, it is declared, will reveal some startling facts concerning the purchase of motion picture theaters for the alleged purpose of destroying them in order to secure the insurance money.

(Dec. 26, 1930)
James H. Grayson, 53, of 1712 Harriman avenue, died at Moon Theater, 523 South Main street, of heart failure.

I don't know if this theater was the Moon, but the address is correct:

(May 9, 1937)
Last night a collection of lithographs showing rotund young women in Gypsy Rose Lee postures but with less habiliments than La Lee customarily wears, lay scattered in a squad room of Central Police Station. The officers there were yawning or reading detective stories. And in the City Jail were three proprietors of Main street burlesque and honky-tonk shows, charged with suspicion of violation of the law governing lewd and indecent display of pictures in theater lobbies. The three are Harold Richards, 35 years of age, propietor of a theater at 431 South Main street; Robert Levy, 21, showman of 523 South Main street, and John Revis, 23, 613 South Main street. The showmen, according to Detective Lieutenant C.M. Buxton, in charge of the vice squad detail raiding the theaters, refused to heed a police warning against displaying the posters. The lithographs over which the officers at Central Station yawned were confiscated in the raid.

Interesting revelations, vokoban. Now we know that the Omar was indeed at 523 S. Main Street. As for the Moon Theatre at the same location, I doubt that it would have been a new building, as the article says that the fire in the Omar did only $500 in damage. That amount went far in 1918, but it wouldn't account for the total destruction of a 1000 seat theatre in a substantial, three-floor building probably valued at tens of thousands.

Also interesting is the final paragraph in the May 14, 1918 article, which mentions that the Omar arsonist was part of a group which may have been involved in "...the purchase of motion picture theaters for the alleged purpose of destroying them in order to secure the insurance money." I wonder if that indicates that the Omar was operating as a movie theatre at the time? If it was, it would justify giving it an entry at Cinema Treasures.

I don't know if movie theatres were doing any extensive newspaper advertising in 1918, but if they were then there might be an ad for the Omar which could confirm its status as a movie house. Whatever its status may have been in 1918, though, the 1937 article suggests that, by that time, it had returned to being a burlesque theatre. (And, though it may be flippant to mention it, maybe the 1930 article does the same. Perhaps Mr. Grayson suffered his fatal heart attack as a result of over-stimulation by the bumps and grinds of some very talented striptease artiste.)

It's not flippant....I thought the same thing, but I'm glad you said it. I'm going to look for an ad for the Omar. I've found ads for the Moon Theater starting around 1924 that say it showed movies, but not the Omar yet.

Cinema Treasures lists the Gaiety Theatre as being at 533 South Main Street, but we now know that to be the address of the Optic Theatre. I think it's unlikely that the Optic was ever called the Gaiety. It was still called the Optic in the 1960s, when I first recall seeing it. I think maybe when William posted the two theatres, he inadvertently transposed their addresses, and that the Gaiety was probably the same theatre as the Olympic/Alphin/Omar/Moon theatre at 523 South Main, under a later name.

Here's a list of theaters on Main Street from a Paramount ad from September 2, 1923. They could have printed wrong addresses, but they match from week to week.

Banner Theater, 456 S. Main Street
Burbank Theater, 548 S. Main Street
Electric Theater, 212 N. Main Street
Estella Theater, 515 N. Main Street
Grand Theater, 110 S. Main Street
Lark Theater, 613 S. Main Street
Moon Theater, 523 S. Main Street
Novelty Theater, 136 S. Main Street
Optic Theater, 533 S. Main Street
Picture Theater, 545 S. Main Street
Principal Theater, 223 N. Main Street
Regent No. 1, 448 S. Main Street
Republic Theater, 629 1/2 S. Main Street

vokoban: If I've hunted down everything, and made no mistakes, then four of the theatres on your 1923 list are not yet listed at Cinema Treasures under any name. They would be the Estella, the Lark, the Novelty (though its address is listed, wrongly, as th location of the Liberty Theatre, which was actually in the next block south, near 3rd Street), and the Principal.

I'm pretty sure that the Moon is listed here (albeit with the wrong address) as the Gaiety. The Banner, Burbank, Grand, Optic (of course), Picture, Regent (though without the No.1) and Republic are listed here under those names. The Electric is listed under its later name, the Roosevelt.

Main Street Theatres listed at Cinema Treasures but not on your 1923 list are: the Art, the Bijou, the California, Clune's, the Follies, the Galway, the Gem, the Hippodrome, the Jade, the Liberty (although, as I said, at the wrong address), the Linda Lea, the Main, the Muse, the Rosslyn, the Star, and the Union.

There was also, in the 1960's and earlier, an Admiral Theatre, which I think might have been the one renamed the Main, but I'm not sure yet.

And, there is one theatre I know existed on Main Street in the 1920's which is neither on your list, nor listed at Cinema Treasures. That is Miller's Theatre, which was on the east side of the street between 8th and 9th, a few doors down from where the California (originally called Miller's California, so probably owned by the same person) was later built.

But your list has uncovered four more theatres that we formerly know know about (and found the correct name of the theatre (the Novelty) at 136 South Main mistakenly given as the address of the Liberty. Good show.

Thanks Joe, I'm going to try to find something on Miller's Theater. The list I posted is not in any way comprehensive for the theaters on Main on that date. That is just from an advertisement listing theaters showing Paramount pictures for that week. I'm sure there are many others, but Paramount seems to have spent a lot of money on full page ads listing all of the theater showing their pictures with complete addresses and not just cross streets.

The only evidence of the existence of Miller's Theatre I've found is in photos at the USC digital archive. It appears in this 1917 bird's eye view of the intersection of Main and Spring. The theatre's marquee is at the lower right, and there is a rooftop sign above it. There is also a painted add for the theatre on the wall of the tall building at the far end of the triangular block on the left. It includes the words "WE SHOW WM. FOX PHOTOPLAYS."

I don't know why Miller's Theater isn't listed, because there are over 400 articles about it in the LA Times. Here are a few that establish the address and also stir up some confusion, at least for me. This theater should definitely be on CT since it showed moving pictures very early.

(Nov. 13, 1913)
A change of policy brought a new show to Miller's Theater yesterday instead of later in the week, and by way of introducing the change, a programme replete with thrills and laughter has been provided for today and tomorrow. The big sensational feature is called "The Raid of the Human Tigers."......The second big feature is serio-comic and is entitled "Her Secretariew." The big ton and a half glass screen continues to be town talk, and pretty Betty Stokes has already built up a regular clientele which is the envy of every other moving-picture house songbird in the city.

{What are they talking about a glass screen? Did they have a glass screen in the theater? vokoban}

(Apr. 5, 1914)
FREE 5000 Tickets to Miller's Theater
We have purchased 5000 tickets for Miller's Moving Picture Theater just a few doors from our store. These will be issued FREE OF CHARGE to those visiting our great Fire Sale.
Arnold Furniture Company
830-832 South Main Street

(Oct. 11, 1914)
Miller's Theater-One Week Starting Tomorrow
"Hearts Of Oak" with Ralph Stuart and Violet Horner
842 South Main St.
Near Marsh-Strong Bldg.

I was confused because I didn't realize that Miller also owned the California Theater.

(June 11, 1919)
California
Miller's New Theater
Main at Eighth
Wm.S.Hart in "The Money Corral"

Miller's Theater must have closed for a short time, but I don't know why....

(Nov. 27, 1919)
Two more picture theaters are to be added to the Rialto's houses of the cinema. One of these is, of course, Miller's Theater, that is to have its reopening Saturday afternoon, with the first feature of the new Mary Miles Minter Realart series, "Anne of the Green Gables."

(Dec. 8, 1919)
The appearance of stars under a new management and the reopening of theaters, are always occasions fraught with thrill, and when Mary Miles Minter and Roy Miller got away together in the picture race, last Saturday, with Miss Minter's first Realart feature, "Anne of Green Gables," serving to reopen Miller's Theater, on Main street, that getaway was an exception to the rule of thrills. And that it was an auspicious opening for both was proven by the crowds which packed the house both afternoon and evening, and who evinced the greatest delight at the performance. Mr. Miller and his friends likewise did honor to the lovely little star, the former by the manner of the presentation of the picture, with the house redecorated a new organ installed and the latter with floral decorations, enught to smother the young lady, if handed out to her personally when she appeared in person to make her brilliant little speech.

(Jul 12, 1924)
Another theater passed into control of Loew's Inc., and the Metro-Goldwyn Distributing corporation yesterday in Miller's Theater, of which the controlling interest has been purchased by the new consolidation. Miller's will be operated in connection with the California Theater, it is announched, which was taken over when the combination was formed.

Of course, Mary Miles Minter's career went down the tubes after she was involved or allegedly involved in the murder of William Desmond Taylor, a noted director, in 1922. It may have been Mary's mother that actually pulled the trigger. Looks like we'll never know.

The "glass screen" may have referred to a screen covered in glass beads. Various types of movie screens are described on this page at \"How Stuff Works\". Still, a ton and a half seems pretty heavy. Maybe there was a bit of publicity hype involved.

As you have found the address of Miller's Theatre, you might as well go ahead and add it to the Cinema Treasures database, along with the other four Main Street theatres (Estrella, Lark, Novelty and Principal) you've discovered, as well. I'm sure that the last four have all been demolished, but there's a possibility that the building in which Miller's Theatre was located still exists. I'm pretty sure the building was still there in the 1980's. I crossed Main on Ninth Street several times in that period, on my way to and from the garment district, and I have a vague memory of an old, three-story building on that part of the block, but at the time I had no idea that there had ever been a theatre in that location.

I've never added a theater on here....I'll read the instructions and do it.

I wonder if I should add the Gem Theater on Washington Blvd. and the Gayety Theater on Central Ave. There is plenty of evidence that both existed.

The Gem on Washington is already listed here under its later name, the Maynard Theatre.

I'm not sure about the Gayety on Central Avenue. It might be here under another name, but I haven't had time to check.

vokoban: I am thinking now that the building in which the Estrella was located might still exist. The address of the Plaza Church is 535 N. Main, and I believe there are some very old buildings just south of the church, where the Estrella's address of 515 N. Main would put it. It might have been a small, storefront theatre in one of those commercial buildings.

It's the Estella, no R....I added the theater on CT, but I guess it takes a few days to show up. I've only found one other mention of it other than the 1923 advertisement. This was in 1926, so the theater must have been around for at least 3 years. Here's the (abridged) article:

(March 26, 1926)
.....The film was produced, it was announced, to offset by a true picture some of the evil and mischief that Mexicans say is being done by certain newspaper interests that give Americans a sordid and distored idea of Lower California as a hotbed of vice, corruption and worthlessness.

The show's premiere will take place at the Estella Theater, opposite the Plaza, next Sunday, and will continue there through the week. It is appearing here under the direction of the Pacific Coast Theaters, Inc., and was made in Mexico under direction of Rafael Corilla of Mexicali.

Mexican Consul Pesqueira, a number of newspaper men and prominent Latin Americans attended a preview of the film at the Res Theater, Third and Figueroa streets, yesterday and pronounced it a most instructive and educational film intended to show Lower California as it is.

Sorry, that article should have said 'Rex Theater', not 'Res Theater'.

The Rex was the small neighborhood theatre later called the Lux. I recall seeing it a few times before it was demolished as part of the Bunker Hill urban renewal project.

Been taking photos of Broadway, Main and Spring street (including theatres) This map was handy and answers some location questions on this board as to Main Street Theatres.

http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/subwayarea.htm

I watched the first season of the Rockford Files on DVD yesterday. The opening montage does show the red and white marquee of the Optic, circa 1974. The current attraction was Point Blank, a 1967 film by John Boorman starring Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson.

More evidence of other (live) theaters on Main Street

http://digarc.usc.edu/cispubsearch/sidview.jsp?object_name=chs-m1436&ORN=CHS-5124

http://digarc.usc.edu/cispubsearch/sidview.jsp?object_name=chs-m1432&ORN=CHS-5103

someonewalks: Fischer's Theatre (your first link) had its entrance on First Street just west of Main. It became a movie house called the Spanish Theatre before being demolished in the 1920's. Your second link, the Belasco, is listed at Cinema Treasures under its final name, the Follies.

Very good Joe. Thanks.

I was watching the first season of Hill Street Blues on DVD last night. Quite a few episodes were filmed in downtown Los Angeles. I noticed the Optic twice, and the Regent once. At one point, two cops were filmed talking in their car as they drove north on Main. If you slow down the speed, you can see every business on Main between 7th and 4th circa 1981.

This may be a cool project to make a map of Main Street.

Season 2 of Hill Street Blues, first episode, had an extended scene in the hotel next to the Optic. The marquee was green and white, as opposed to red and white as seen in the opening credits of the Rockford Files. There was also an adult book store next to the theater.

Take a look at these two photos. The first is from 1907, and the second is from 1917. I posted the second one a while ago, but the link expired. The buildings on South Main between 5th and 6th are the same, but the Optic sign has not yet been added to the theater building. Presumably the building pre-existed the theater. There is a sign on the Optic building, but I can't make out what it says.

http://tinyurl.com/g6ctx
http://tinyurl.com/mr7fo

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.

Here is a blurb from the Oxnard Courier, 4/2/15:

"Persistent rumors that Charlie Chaplin had retired from the movie business because of failing mind and health were set at rest yesterday by Seth Perkins, manager of the Woodley and Optic Theaters in Los Angeles...

'Seth Perkins, Optic Theater, Los Angeles
Dear Seth: Any and all rumors, other than that they say I am turning out better pictures than I ever have, are erroneous. Thanks for your consideration. CHARLES CHAPLIN'"

There was an interesting photo in the LA Times today, from the LAFD historical society. The photo was dated 1913 and showed the Optic as a small one story building. Presumably that preceded the larger building that we see in the photos above. The smaller building was clearly labeled "Optic Theater".

ken mc: When I compare these photos from the 1970s with the 1913 pictures I linked to on October 13th, the Optic looks much the same size in all of them to me. In the 1970's pictures you can even still make out the outline of the old entrance arch, which has been partly enclosed above the added marquee. The theatre's cornice line looks as though it's in the same place relative to the taller building next door in all these pictures.

I just checked the pictures you linked to on October 4th, and the Optic building doesn't show at all in the second of them. All we can see is the first three letters of its blade sign, which was attached to the building next door to the theatre. The low building in the first of those photos is probably not the Optic building at all, but a lower building demolished to make way for the theatre. The cornice line of the Optic was always about mid-level of the second floor windows of its next door neighbor to the north.

You're right, after looking at the 1975 photo.

One of the photos you posted on 10/13 is the one that was in the LA Times today.

The Optic would be on the far left of this January 2007 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y5yxb2

The 1967 LA city directory advertised the Optic as open from 9 am to 6 am. I guess they needed a few hours to clean up. Call 623-6434 for shows and times.

My 1909 Panoramic map of Los Angeles shows a "People's Theater" in the middle of the block, west side of Main between Fifth and Sixth. If the building holding the Optic/Moon was in fact constructed in 1910, then this could be a vaudeville theatre that predated the Optic. But, there's no address so I'm not sure what address the People's Theater had. It is definitely in the middle of the block. Could have been where the Star Theatre was. That 1907 photo above is no help. None of the signs are legible. Too bad you can't zoom in on them anymore. Anyone know anything else?

This is a 1922 photo. Unfortunately it stops mid block. You can expand it by clicking on the bottom right corner:
http://tinyurl.com/ypfql4

Here is the People's Theater, circa 1907. I don't know if this has been posted on one of the other pages already:
http://tinyurl.com/yv9n7l

Here is the same view in 1904 - no People's marquee that I can see:
http://tinyurl.com/yu8vtp

In the film "Uptown Saturday Night" a few of the theatres located on Main Street can be seen. The marquees theatres making a cameo in the film are the Burbank, Follies, Optic and the Regent.

People's Theater address was 523 S. Main, per an ad in the LA Times dated 11/29/08. Another ad on the same page touts Long Beach as "The Atlantic City of the Pacific", which I liked. Nobody touts my hometown any more except compulsive gamblers.

ScottS & ken mc: People's Theatre was yet another name of the theatre known as as the Olympic/Alphin/Omar/Moon/Gayety.

This was the lineup in LA in 1908. As you can see, the Optic was then across the street, or maybe that was an earlier Optic:
http://tinyurl.com/2bnoph

It places the Optic at 446&1/2 S. Broadway.

It also give the address of Tally's New Broadway as 254 S. Broadway, but given the evidence of historic photos confirming that it was at 554 S. Broadway, I'd guess that the newspaper listing probably has a typo.

Lots of other interesting stuff in that ad, though, including the address of the first Metropolitan Theatre at 257 E. Fifth, and of the second Los Angeles Theatre, at 340 S. Spring.

It would be nice if it differentiated between movie theatres and stage theatres, though. It's going to be hard to tell which ones ought to be added and which ones don't qualify.

I don't think you can differentiate between the two based on the ads alone. You're right about the first Optic being on Broadway - I overlooked that yesterday.

The LA city directory in 1925 lists the Virginia Theater at 529 S. Main. This would be between the Gaiety on the north and the Optic on the south. It's not on Vokoban's list of 12/20/05, but those were theaters that were advertising in the LA Times. Perhaps the Virginia has not been accounted for as of yet. The heading in the directory says "motion picture theaters" so it wasn't a live playhouse.

Virginia must be an AKA for the Star Theatre.

I noted the aka for the Star. Thanks.

These are instances where the Optic shows up in print with a date and an address. LAT=Los Angeles Times, LASAD=Los Angeles Street Address Directory and the rest of the dates are Los Angeles City Directories:

1915, 1916, 1923 LAT, 1925, 1930, 1936, 1942, 1962 LASAD, 1968 LASAD

That's a pretty long history on Main street.

In 1963, Popkin & Ringer, 306 W. 3rd Street LA, operated the Optic, Art, Gayety, Hippodrome, Regent, Star and Banner, according to the 1963 motion picture almanac. It appears that they cornered the market on Main Street grind houses. The one thing I don't understand is that the Hippodrome had ceased to be as a movie theater in the late forties or early fifties.

Behold the original location of the Optic Theatre on the east side of Broadway between 4th and 5th Streets.

There's a big billboard over it on the larger picture for the Belasco....did he have something to do with the Optic or was he just being a jerk?

I don't know if Belasco had any interest in the first Optic. It's a possibility that he took a shot at exhibiting movies, though by 1906 I think he was spending most of his time in New York City, from which he directed his far-flung theatrical enterprise. It seems more likely that the building in which the Optic rented space was a conveniently low edifice which provided an ideal location for a billboard, easily seen by the passing throngs on Broadway, and for which the owners of the property undoubtedly received a handsome rent. That it sported an ad touting the Belasco at the time this photo was made may have been mere chance.

I love the store right next to it: "Ye Post Card Shop."

Here is a 1911 photo that Larry Harnisch posted on the LA Times' Daily Mirror" blog. The building advertising vaudeville is similar to the photos of the Optic building posted above, at least for the links that still work. All my USC archive links have expired, again.
http://tinyurl.com/5mrusg

Believe it or not, Walnut Properties either owned or leased the Optic Theatre in its last days. It was running as a grindhouse and was not showing x-rated. I was there a few times for service calls and repairs. By that time (some time between 1978 and 1981) it was in bad shape and had some scary clientele (and I don't scare easily). The projector heads were Simplex E7s, the lamphouses were Peerless Magnarc xenon conversions done by Leonard Pincus and the pedestals were those old, heavy cast-iron Simplex 5-point pedestals. The screen had been torn so many time that Mr. Miranda and Mr. Tate had pegboard installed and painted white. On one of my calls, I remember an episode of that awful "T. J. Hooker" show with William Shatner was being shot in a nearby parking lot. I was told that the Optic was one of the first houses in Los Angeles to install sound; I have no idea if that's true or not.

Someone above mentioned a house with a glass screen. One of my projection mentors, a Mr. William Rankin, told me many years ago of a house in Los Angeles that had a sandblasted mirror for a screen and that it weighed several tons. I sure can't remember what house he said it was.

Here is a good view of the Optic in 1983:
http://tinyurl.com/dmo9vm

My USC links have all changed again, too, so here's the current link to the wide view of the original Optic Theatre on Broadway (located at lower right of the photo.) There is also this cropped version with the Optic in close-up.

Note that just up the street the Broadway Central Building, later to become the location of the Broadway Theatre, is under construction.

Here is a nice view of the Optic in the late 1930s. The Star is next door. There is another theater a bit north.
http://tinyurl.com/d6c6uo

Here is Woodley's Optic, circa late 1930s:
http://tinyurl.com/obtejv

Does anyone remember an article I posted about someone jumping from the roof of a building and crashing through the roof of a theater? I thought it was this theater, but I don't see it on here. I thought it was on Main.

Nevermind....I found it. It happened at the Lark.