Dorkel Theatre

The Dorkel has been replaced by low income housing.

The Merryland Theater was advertised in the LA Times on 9/2/23 at 1015 E. 7th Street. This is probably an aka for the Dorkel.

Listed in the 1942 city directory:
http://tinyurl.com/2p2vzo

Listed as the Columbia at 1013 E. 7th in the 1939 directory, so that's another aka.

Operated as the Columbia through 1945 at least.

There's another reference to the Merryland in 1930, per the LA Times, so it was probably the Merryland first, then changed to Columbia sometime in the thirties, and then lastly the unfortunately named Dorkel Theater, probably in the early forties.

Here is the 1930 LA Times ad:
http://tinyurl.com/2erxqx

Hard to imagine a movie theater in this depressing part of downtown. Things must have been very different back then.

Breaking news from Boxoffice magazine, January 1938:

Min Orthel is Columbia's new cashier, replacing M.J. Dodge, who resigned last week to start a chicken ranch in Arcadia.

Anything more trivial in Boxoffice?

No, that's probably the winner. I hope the ranch was a success.

A Merryland Theatre is listed at 1015 E. Seventh Street in the 1915 L.A. City Directory.