Vine Theatre

This theatre opened around the mid-40's as the "Admiral" theatre. It is about 1/2 block from the Pantages Theatre at Hollywood & Vine. The theatre was remodeled in the late 70's by Pacific theatres. It spent the early 80's as a spanish house. Later Pacific ran The Vine as a 2 dollar theatre. Before Pacific dropped the house.

Another example in the Streamline Moderne style by noted theater architect S. Charles Lee, opened in 1940.

Currently this theater shows double features at a reduced rate. The inside is easily the dirtiest theater I have ever been in. Smelly and disgusting. Would be wonderful if someone would revive this poor place.

In 1969, Trans-Beacon remodeled the Vine Theatre for the cost of $200,000. In this cost they redesigned the exterior which included a new lower facade, marquee, signature sign and box office. The auditorium was redesigned to eliminate previous ramps and increasing seating to 603 people and improved sightlines.

This opened as the Admiral Theater pre 1939 (anyone know when?) It was re-modelled by architect S. Charles Lee in 1939-40 for the owner Julius Stern.

Pacific Theatres were operating the Vine Theater as a 2 movies for $2 admission policy before closing it in about 1994. It re-opened in 1998 showing recent movies in double bills and has a current seating capacity of 600.

During a visit to L.A. in March of '96, the Vine was open for business, showing double features at a $5 admission rate, and has been, according to the listings published in L.A. Weekly, as I recall, open since.

Thanks br91975;
I know for sure it was closed on one of my visits in the mid 1990's and was open again on my next visit in 1998. Maybe it closed in 1994 and had re-opened by March 1996.

It is still currently operating, and I hope to go see a movie there when I visit LA in a couple of weeks time (depending whats on offer, that is!).

Hey, Ken - is there going to be some kind of Cinema Treasures meet-up at some point when you do visit? Southern California's a lot more clement than England this time of year!

That would be kewl. S. CA's climate is one reason I will be there. I will be in LA from 12th Jan until 30th Jan and San Francisco from 31st Jan until 7th Feb.

e-mail me (link on my profile) if interested in meeting up anyone?

Ken:

The only information on the Admiral Theater in the LAPL regional history database is a card referencing a January 19th, 1940, issue of Southwest Builder and Contractor. The abstract says that the owner of the theater was Julius Stern, that Henry Aurbach had been awarded the construction contract, and that S. Charles Lee was the architect. The building was to be built of brick and reinforced concrete, would have 700 seats, and would cost $21,280. Given the low costs of construction in the pre-war period, that seems like an entirely new building, rather than a remodeling job. It's possible that there was an earlier theater on the same site which was demolished to make way for the Admiral, though. I'm sure that central Hollywood had no vacant lots at that late date.

I have posted a photo of Hollywood Boulevard taken around 1947 of the Vine Street Theater (then called THE ADMIRAL). The view looks like it was taken from an upper floor of the Pacific 1,2,3 (then the Warners Theater) building just to the west and looking down towards Hollywood and Vine Streets...

http://www.rchristiananderson.com/hollyvine.jpg

The movies on the marquee of the Admiral are "The Razors Edge" with Tyrone Power (1946) and "Housekeepers Daughter" with Joan Bennett and Adolph Menjou (made a few years earlier in 1939).

I am curious about the mirror-like sign at the far left that contains three letters ("P", "U" and "I") in reverse. Can anyone take a guess at that?

A more recent photo of the Vine Theater can be seen here:
http://you-are-here.com/theatre/vine.html

Here's a picture of the old Admiral Theater:
http://sclee.library.ucla.edu/001/02/m0010201.jpg

And a postcard (circa 1939-40):
http://sclee.library.ucla.edu/001/02/m0010202.jpg

Visited the Vine for a documentary screening over the weekend - decent enough, considering its condition. Sign at the boxoffice says it is rentable for $200 per screening.

This is an updated link for the one I posted on Feb 27, 2005.

Here's an aerial view of the Vine Theater:

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=pph7r1545fmj&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=6892255

Here are a few items from the LA Times. Thanks ken mc for directing me to the right page for this theater.

(May 14, 1940)
"His Majesty's Mistress," starring Danielle Darrieux and John Loder, will open Thursday night at the Admiral Theater in Hollywood. This is the film version of Princess Bibesco's story, "Katia."

(Nov. 23, 1966)
Chaplin understood whims and restaurants. He had been walking one night when he discovered a delicatessen where the owner didn't have enough money for proper refrigeration. So he built a restaurant for him-Henry's, where the Admiral Theater now is.

(Oct. 2, 1968)
The Vine Theater, at 6321 Hollywood Blvd., will be Hollywood's newest showplace. The Vine will feature new seating, carpeting, refrigerated air-conditioning, the latest projection and sound systems and a modern building. The Vine occupies the site of the old Admiral Theater.

Yesterday:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/hwdVineTheaterMay18200701.jpg

theater for lease $42.00 ft

Went in a few weeks ago. A real mess. The old projection guy was living in the projection booth. He is no longer the projection guy. The sound is the worst in any theatre. They advertise Dolby Stereo but it is so bad with a hum and scrathy sound. The light on the screen is about 30%. A long wire hangs from the uper left part of the screen. The same guy has been in the little boxoffice booth for years. The manager is very bad news. I complained about the sound and screen. He told me it was his theatre and if I didn't like it I can leave. To bad with a little clean up and screen cleaning and some color lights they can make this into a tourist grindhouse and show films from the 50's and 60's. They don't even light the neon stars under the marquee any more. The worst thing when you go in on the right ramp you are greated with a mop and bucket with Clorox smell. Mr Tarintino needs to by this place, as he goes to the Vine from time to time. Clean it up and bring back the action, horror Grindhouse only with a clean picture and sound. This theatres days are numbered. It will be another night club with no parking. Like what is going into the Fox Hollywood and they tried to put into the Vogue Hollywood. The film people need to check this place out before they book the second run prints. The movie is so dim you can't tell anything on a dark scene. Enter at your own risk. Check it out and see all what goes on before it is closed. Behind the candy counter (drinks are all carbon) you will see the old boat wheel from the Admiral days long gone. All this going on near The Broadway Hollywood fancy new condos about to open. PS If it's hot outside in Hollywood wait till you feel the heat at the Vine. The air is not working or they won't turn on. Take a look at the big curtains above the screen. Looked great at one time when they worked, they are the waterfall type. Now covered in so mutch dust. Go and check it out and have some fun. You won't find another place like it in California.

Here is a photo, circa 1994:
http://tinyurl.com/2fwpcg

Terry Wade,
re your August 8th account -- I didn't realize the Vine was showing films lately. When did you go and what film(s) did you see? Was this a regular film screening or a special film fest or what? Just curious because I was in the area a few months ago and saw the place looking like no one had opened it in months if not years.

Woa - sorry -- I was mixed up --- thinking of the Vogue. the vine still shows double features, right? Yeah, I was there a few years ago and it was a true grindhouse -- smelly and with crazy people in the audience...

Yes I was down in Hollywood just a few weeks ago on a HOT Sat afternoon for my bad/good time at the Hollywood Vine Theatre. I suggest going with some fun friends and going by the Frolic Room for some tropical drinks then hit the Vine for some fun. Check this Grindhouse out. It is so bad you will have fun. Don't anger the candy/manager he will ask you to leave. Wait till you hear the projector grinding away from the booth with no glass hole. The bad hum and pop sounds on the Dolby system they have is worth the $7 to get in! The place even has surround sound. Watch out for dark filmed scenes in the movie you go to see; you won't see much on the dirty screen at 30% light level. Check it out Shatter and let me know what you think. Watch your wallet! Don't go on a hot day. Good place to hit on a rainy weekend. If it ever rains in Hollywood go visit the Vine. One of the only Theatres still showing second run double bills. Next time I am bringing 6 friends from Northern CA around Xmass time; they can't believe the stories I tell them about this place. It may be bad but for some reason It has a dumpy charm. Enjoy It why you can; the night club people will be moving in soon! Then only three movie theatres will be left on Hollywood Blvd.

Terry, your story cracked me up. Yeah, I should bring some fun friends and cause chaos. Actually, here is something funny -- I was looking for a venue to screen my short film and I called up this manager. What a nut -- he wanted to charge me $700.00 to show my film on a Thursday night AFTER 9:30. Catering, of course, would be extra but he "could arrange that." No way in hell was I going to have my peeps come to this crappy part of Hollywood on a Thursday night and find dubious parking to watch my film after 9:30 (and be out by 11, I think he said). The guy is a real ripoff.

I'm an architecture student and I'm currentlyworking on a project that deals with reactivating the theater I order to preserve it.
I'm looking for floorplans and other drawings of this building.
If you have any info please let me know where to find it.

Thank you
anime00

Isn't there some county office where all that stuff is on file? Dept of buildings and planning, or something like that. I assume that's all public record once the plans are filed. You might want to start there.

I would go to the library in Hollywood and find a nice librarian who will tell you the correct places to find the information. They might even have some of the info at the library or at the Central Library downtown.

The Vine is no longer showing films. A recording says the theater is holding church services and is available for rent for private screenings.

Vine Theater, October 17, 2007:
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/hwdVineOct172007005.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/hwdVineOct172007004.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/hwdVineOct172007002.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/hwdVineOct172007001.jpg

I got some shots off as well before it closed:
http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=2150

Is there additional confirmation that it closed and is no longer showing daily movies?

Call this number for confirmation.... (323) 463-6819 It sounds like the message was recorded in Old Delhi.

Yahoo! Movies lists the Vine as "temporarily closed."

The Vine Theater is still available to lease for $25,000/Month. Details are here.

no wonder it closed

The owner Jimmy thought he was going to make alot of money running a theatre on Hollywood Blvd.. He was the one who took it after Pacific Theatres dropped the house. That price must be for just the theatre, there are two store front spaces he rents out.

I believe the lease is only for the theater portion of the building. You would have to sell alot of tickets just to pay the rent. And that doesn't include other expenses like the fee for the films and a payroll for the employee's. The building owner might be making money but the theater operator might not be as fortunate.

The building owner was the theatre operator. He had one or two people that worked the house. He use to come in the afternoon and stay till 10pm. The other people ran it somewhat. He never owned or ran a theatre before. It was hard enough to get him to add Dolby Stereo ("A") for the theatre and he did not want to pay the full labor cost on the install.

Loopnet still shows the Vine Theatre 'To Lease', yet it is listed as screening 'Enchanted' as of Thursday 22nd November (Thanksgiving). Has it re-opened or even, did it ever close?

i think enchanted is at the el capitan

That is where I would have thought this movie would be playing Mark. It's Disney and First Run. I thought it strange to see the Vine Theatre listed on http://events.la.com/hollywood-ca/venues/show/42027-vine-theatre LA.Com must have it wrong!

Must be an error. Another site is listing enchanted as well:
http://www.hellohollywood.com/shared/theaters/Vine_Theatre_LOS_ANGELES.cfm

I can't confirm this - being in NYC - but it looks as if the Vine has 're-opened', double-running 'Enchanted' with the El Capitan. It's showing today at the El Capitan at 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, and 7 pm, and at the Vine at 4:30, 7 pm, and 9:20.

I called the phone number above and the message said they are under new management and are maintaing the double feature policy. It said they are not showing any films this week but are open for church services and rentals. Amusingly they refer to their Dolby Stereo sound system as one of the best in LA! Who knows if/when they'll start showing movies again.

This is a larger photo of the Admiral and here is another photo of the Vine.

Great photos....it almost looks like everything is still there.

Who knew they were into health food way back when?

I know there was a big health craze with the Victorians. I've seen an old photo of Angel's Flight where there's a Vegetarian restaurant on the north side of the tunnel.

Two recent pictures of the Vine, from March 2008:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/achangeinscenerymovies/2348292694/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/achangeinscenerymovies/2347463321

Here are two more photos. I had a good view of the box office, but it contained a scowling man who yelled at me when I was taking pictures. No free pub for him:
http://tinyurl.com/2vnoon
http://tinyurl.com/2kx4jz

Here is a 1942 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2b3e9o

Hellzapoppin, which is a very funny movie, was released in Decemmber of 1941.

This theatre is featured in the film MORGANA aka BLONDE HEAVEN

David Decoteau director of Puppet Master III and countless others? what the heck are you doing posting on the Vine Theater boards? Heh, yea i've thought of using this theatre as a location in one of my films as well

A distant view of the Admiral's marquee, dated 1963:
http://www.shorpy.com/node/3773

If the date is accurate the theater was playing very late run films, as the marquee is showing "Auntie Mame" (1958) and "The Day They Robbed the Bank of England" (1960).

The Ted Mikels movie "Girl in Gold Boots" features a night club called The Haunted House that apparently was on Hollywood Blvd and had a bandstand located in the mouth of an enormous snake head. Someone on IMDB claimed that club is now The Vine. It seems unlikely, since the info here claims the Admiral was operating in 66, and underwent renovation in 68 (the year Gold Boots was released). Anybody know anything about The Haunted House?

Also, Gold Boots has a "driving around Hollywood" montage that includes a nice shot of the Cinerama Dome playing Camelot.

Yes, I went to the nightclub Haunted House, 1967-68. Around that time anyway. I am 58 years old now. Memory not too good. It was a small club. I saw an all black band - don't recall the name of the group. Mostly black people were there that night. I'm white, so that was new for me. I went to all the other clubs too. I was a teenager back then. I wrote some posts on Fox Theater site. I worked at the Fox Theater as a candy girl after graduating high school summer of 1969, then went to beauty school Hollywood College of Beauty also on Hollywood Blvd. I grew up poor and was on the streets of Hollywood age 11-21, then moved to other places.

Here and here are photos of the Vine that I took last week.

Thanks for the photos. I am looking for old photos 1969-71 of Hollywood Blvd. Old photos of Fox Theater and Hollywood College of Beauty that was near Love's Pit Barbecue. Love's was on the corner, the beauty school was next to it. All on Hollywood Blvd.

According to Yelp, somebody rented it out and showed a Morrisey documentary in November.

They're clearly still in rental operation, plus they have a new (equally incoherent) message on the machine.

How much could it really cost them to run second-run shows again? The prints have gotta be next-to-nothing and you could run the place with two guys.

This was the Vine in 1981.

The Vine is going to be the site of the new Laserium
]http://www.mylaseriumtv.com/news.html[/url]

The Admiral can be seen in this 1952 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/rydb3p

The Vine appears to still be in decent condition.

Update on the relocated Laserium:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-laserium25-2009jun25,0,6499755.story

From June 26, 2009:
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/VineJune26200901.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/VineJune26200902.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/VineJune26200903.jpg

Definitely an improvement.

Wow, it looks great!

Here are some photos taken yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/ks2vz2
http://tinyurl.com/n5q5bv
http://tinyurl.com/nppdey
http://tinyurl.com/ndywxw

I remember growing up in Hollywood in the 60s This was called Rectors Admiral it showed Budget 3rd or 4th Run movies it looked a nice house in its hey day back in 40s or 50s but declined and was dusty and shabby

there are 2 many left decaying in L A reverting to Churches only as last resort as Religouse Buildings Have no TAX!

According to their website, the Laserium has now closed. www.laserium.com

That was fast.

From today's LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/y8m72tp

Interesting, I didn't realize this was the same operation that used to do the laser shows at the Grifith Observatory, I had gone to a laser show at the Grifith Observatory about 10 years ago. I was sorry to hear they closed the show at the observatory. What do they use the Observatory for now?

They have shows in the planetarium, exhibits, a 200 seat multi-media theater... For details, to to:

http://www.griffithobs.org/