Alex Theatre

The website for the Alex can be found at:http://theatre.glendale.ca.us/alex/index.html

I just went to a live theater performance here and they've done a great job of restoring it. There's also an interesting display in the lobby. Did you know this was the smallest theater on the Orpheum Circuit?

This theatre opened as the Alexander theatre in 1925. The Alex seated at the time 2030 people. Fox West Coast theatres ran this theatre for many years, in it's District 2 area. Mann Theatres was the last chain to run it. The only other theatre left in Glendale. Is about 2-3 blocks north of the Alex. It's known as the Star now. But it was called the Roxy theatre. If you go into the Star, it's like going into the Mann's Bruin from Westwood Ca. before Mann messed up the inside. The side wall lights are there. The lobby is different from but the inside the same.

The Alex was one of my childhood movie haunts. For some time in the late 1940's we lived in North Hollywood, so Glendale was fairly convenient.

I particularly remember the forecourt, which indeed was like that of the Egyptian, my mother's favorite.

Almost always, in conjunction with our moviegoing, we ate at a chicken pie restaurant across the street and a couple of blocks down from the Alex.

As a teenager in Glendale in 1937-38 I watched the Alexander Theater newspaper ads for the words: "Tonight: Major Studio Feature Preview", which signaled that a studio would screen a new picture to gauge the public's reaction. Usually, the studio sent cars to pick up cast members of the picture along with producers, etc. Postcard-size questionnaires were handed to customers after the screening, asking for written comments on the film. I obtained many autographs on those evenings--some stars, some contract players who became stars. Sometimes the stars (Alice Faye and her then husband Tony Martin) would sneak out a side door, but we tried to be waiting for them. They usually were good natured about signing for us. One night a studio guest was the great silent screen star Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., with his wife Lady Sylvia Ashley who later married Clark Gable. Mr. Fairbanks and his wife both graciously signed our books. I recall only a few who refused to sign autographs--Darryl F. Zanuck, Don Ameche, Brian Donlevy and Man Mountain Dean, a famous wrestler of the day.

Check out the Alex Film Society at the Alex. We love to do shows just like your mother saw as a kid in the Alex. A cartoon, short or newsreel and a pristine print of a classic feature film. www.AlexFilmSociety.org

Not long after the Alex Theater was remodeled I saw a live performance of the musical "Sayonara" here. The musical was not very good but the venue was nice. I have attended screenings by the Alex Film Society which are very nice. Sadly I never made it here when it was first run movie house.

The original architects of the Alexander Theatre in 1924-25 were Arthur G. Lindley and Charles R. Selkirk.

I would like to purchase a poster or print of the Alex Theater. Would anyone know where I could buy this picture?

This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as "Skouras-ized For Showmanship" which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the 'Skouras style' in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as 'Art Moderne meets Streamlined Rococo.' The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also shows in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either "Marquee" or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link "PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List" and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The "Marquee" magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall ('portrait') format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long ('landscape') format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]

Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.

Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at: execdir@historictheatres.org
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)

Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM--4PM, CT)

A photo of the Alex (at the time still called the Alexander) before its remodeling by S. Charles Lee can be seen here.

According to the magazine "Southwest Builder and Contractor" of 5/9/1924, the construction cost of the Alexander theater was $216,000. That was a considerable sum for a suburban theater in those days, even if that figure included furnishings and equipment.

A later issue of SB&C, on 9/3/1948, tells that there had been a fire at the Alex Theatre, causing an estimated $150,000 loss.

The exterior of the Alex is highly visible in a new commercial for the Nissan Murano.

1937 view of the Alex (then Alexander) stage. LAPL collection.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014445.jpg

This theatre has certainly made national news with it being mentioned on the ABC Primetime show, Fallen Idol! The style is listed as 'unknown', but it appears to have an atmospheric interior.

To St. Louis, MO:

You can buy a print at this link
you'll need to scroll back to the home page for ordering information.

http://www.retrovisions.com/images/_theaters/theater05.jpg

Pics here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/santabarbarian/16193475/in/pool-cinemasignage/

Night time photo of the Alex and the Box Office and Entrance.
AlexTheatre148AKAAlexanderNightPhot.jpg
AlexTheatreBOEntranceGlendaleCa.jpg

This is an early 1940's photo of the Alex Theater.

Restoration information & photos:
http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/alex042404.html

Talk about Phallic symbols. LOL!

More photos of the Alex Theater can be seen here.

From the LA Library, the first two are from 1969 and the last is from 1979:

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014442.jpg

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014441.jpg

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014438.jpg

Took one of the official tours of the theater today and it was a good two hours of information and well worth seeing. The theater is in great shape. They have made some changes to the original auditorium: in order to expand rest rooms and provide handicapped access, they changed the rake of the main floor and in the process lost several hundred seats. Ditto for the balcony which also has been reconfigured so the total seating is about 600-700 less than the Alex's original capacity.
The guide also told us that the Alex was supposed to be home to the pipe organ saved from San Francisco's famous Fox theater. They had purchased the organ and had planned to put it in when they discovered it was too large for the space they had available and so they subsequently sold it to Disney where it now plays at the El Cap.
The Alex is just about the only survivor of what used to be theater row in Glendale. As late as the 1980's they used to have "dollar Tuesdays" at all the theaters: Roxy, Glendale, Capitol, Alex, etc. At least they saved the best one.

There are some recent photos of the Alex theater at this link. Click each photo to expand it.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996

Alexander Theatre (added 1996 - Building - #96000102)
Also known as Alex Theatre
216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Architect, builder, or engineer: Et al., Lindley & Selkirk Associates
Architectural Style: Classical Revival, Moderne, Art Deco
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Local Gov't
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Theater

As posted by William on Jan 9, 2004, the 1925 theater building architects were Arthur G. Lindley & Charles R. Selkirk. The 1940 marquee & tower architect was S. Charles Lee.

Halloween Spooktacular at the Alex Theater.

Here is a recent night view of the Alex Theater.

A recent close-up of the marquee can be seen here.

This is a more recent photo of the Alex Theater.

Another recent photo of the Alex Theater can be seen here.

Here is an October 1938 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/38de44

This is circa 1941 view of the Alex marquee.

Here is a more recent night view.

Exterior lit up at night, 2007
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexiperplexy/1573199685/

Daytime: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharishkrishnan/1427368023/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/claimsman1/1023713478/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/btmeacham/799819212/

ticket booth:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/btmeacham/799842858/

LA Conservancy, Scarface: http://www.flickr.com/photos/btmeacham/799845538/

Exterior lit up at night, 2007
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexiperplexy/1573199685/

Daytime: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharishkrishnan/1427368023/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/claimsman1/1023713478/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/btmeacham/799819212/

ticket booth:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/btmeacham/799842858/

LA Conservancy, Scarface: http://www.flickr.com/photos/btmeacham/799845538/

Last night, on the CBS crime program "Criminal Minds," the Alex was featured in one segment. The show was supposed to be taking place in Chula Vista, yet the teen girls in it had gone to this movie theater, which was shown in a couple of shots.

Pretty ambitious to travel 135 miles to Glendale just to see a movie and meet some boys.

I was watching a movie once that was supposed to be set in Cleveland. It was El Segundo. I even spotted a few palm trees, which are kind of rare in Cleveland.

I always got the names Alex and Aero confused!

Another recent photo can be seen here.

This theatre was in an episode of Criminal Minds last night.

This place was awesome. I flew out there in Sept of 2005, for a 25th Anniversary screening of Xanadu.
I had no idea it would be in such a classic theatre. Fitting to say the least. The old ticket booth is now just kind of a prop. To the left is a window that now operates as the point of sale.

Beyond the first set of glass doors behind the booth, is an open air courtyard. Complete with some small palms as I remember. The view of the neon spire & it's glow was breathtaking, even for this dude. They'd set up a small wine stand in the courtyard prior to opening the main doors.

Inside was equally as classic. You almost couldn't tell what was original or restored. This event was hosted by Ralph or something Hueck. Movie geek from TV's "Beat The Geeks".
They had a memoribilia display, costume contest, memories from one of the original film's dancers, and live dancers re-enact a sequence in front of the film.

The Alex Theatre was an absolute perfect fit for this kind of show. I heard from a friend in LA that they now do similar sing-a-long type shows there.

I too have seen the Alex in the background of various TV shows. Surprisingly, the surrounding area was peppered with vacant store fronts back then. It had an eerie, film backlot kind of a feel to it. There would be like 3 empty stores, then a major chain steakhouse or something. It was like a college town during the off time.

The Alexander Theater was built and owned by C. L. Langley. His company was West Coast Theaters, Inc. which he owned until 1929 when he sold the company to Fox. William Fox simply added his name to the front of West Coast.

C.L. Langley full name was Claude Leroy(which he changed to Leon). He didn't like his name much so he went by his initials. His only son was Claude Alexander, for whom this theater was named.

C.L. died in 1943. Claude Alexander died in a car accident in 1963 in Phoenix, AZ.

The Alex is where the live "finals" episodes of several seasons of the NBC show "Last Comic Standing" were filmed.

Four photographs of the Alex from October 2008 at my Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/achangeinscenerymovies/?saved=1

Here is another 2008 photo.

Just read an interesting blog posting about how the Alex (and before that the Alexander) hosting many Disney sneak previews and test screenings. http://www.2719hyperion.com/2009/02/disneys-hollywood-alexander-theatre.html

What's going on with the neon on the tower? First some of it was burnt out for the last few months without being repaired, but well over 75% of it was still working. Now, since around February 13th, the whole tower above the "leafy" shape at the bottom has been totally dark. The marquee and the tower base are fine, but it's as if they gave up on the tower part completely. I hope it's not a permanent cost-cutting measure. When it was lit, you could see that tower at night for quite a distance.

Well neon cost money to maintain. It cost Pacific Theatres $10,000 a year on a contract to mainain the Hollywood Pacific's neon marquee and radio towers.

Here are some photos taken a few days ago:
http://tinyurl.com/cua2n6
http://tinyurl.com/d376vn
http://tinyurl.com/c6ncs2
http://tinyurl.com/d9uprb
http://tinyurl.com/cffecf
http://tinyurl.com/ccuz38
http://tinyurl.com/dzkplz
http://tinyurl.com/cbgqwz
http://tinyurl.com/cjs65d
http://tinyurl.com/c298um

1981 Photo

1981 Photo

1983 Photo

The film playing in the 1983 photo was "The Dead Zone".