Avenue Theatre
11022 Downey Avenue,
Downey,
CA
90241
11022 Downey Avenue,
Downey,
CA
90241
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Functions: Restaurant
Previous Names: Downey Theatre, Victory Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Opened in 1922 as the Downey Theatre. It featured a beautiful arch on its brick facade. This was later hidden by a new facade. The theatre was equipped for live shows and has around 15 dressing rooms located beneath the stage.
It was later renamed Victory Theatre and on April 30 1949, it was renamed Avenue Theatre. Eventually by the 1970’s it was a second run movie theatre.
It was closed in 2004, and apart from occasional use for some b-movie shoots, it remained unused.
The Avenue Theatre was owned by the City of Downey who wanted to demolish the theatre and build condos and low rent housing on the site. Local citizens were opposed to these plans and would have liked to see the building restored for use as a classic movie venue, live performances and community events.
Contributed by
William Gabel, Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 31 comments)
http://saveave.org/
Saw “Dog Day Afternoon” & “The Happy Hooker” here in 1975,I was only 6 years old at the time.
sign our petition to save the Avenue Theater here.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-the-historic-avenue-theater-in-downey-california/
Saw “The Little Shop Of Horrors” and “The Garbage Pail Kids” here around 1986 or so when I was 5. :)
Saw Body Heat around 1981 at the Avenue. It was a good alternative to the shoebox mutiplexes of that time.
A pre-school and an adjoining(via shared parking lot in the middle)US Bank office now sit where the Avenue Theatre was.
Sorry, It hasn’t been torn down yet. The Meralta has been, but the Avenue still exists. Are you certain about the dates? I worked in the Meralta, and can confirm it was an old Vaudville Theater. But I can’t say for the Avenue Theater…`
The Avenue Theatre was certainly still there when Google’s camera car last passed by. The marquee remains over the former theater entrance, and you can see the back wall of the auditorium with its two emergency exit doors on the south side of Third Street.
I moved to Downey, CA in 1971 at age 7 from NC. Been to 100’s of movies here over the years between 1971 to 1991. Then, moved to Apple Valley, CA in 1991. After moving to the high desert, I would still drive my family back to Downey to visit the Avenue. Last movie I saw was The 6th Day and Unbreakable. I also remember seeing Friday the 13th part 1 in 1980 here. This site says the Avenue was opened in 1922, That makes it older than the Chinese Theater May 18, 1927. When I met my wife in 1985 she worked at the Chinese Theatre. :)
This reopened as the Avenue theatre on April 30th, 1949. Tiny grand opening ad posted.