Galway Theatre
514 South Main Street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90013
514 South Main Street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90013
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I ran across this while perusing Something Weird Video’s “60’s Go-Go Chicks Vol. 5”. There was a short clip of South Main Street in L.A. and this was the only theatre I could identify.
The Galway Theatre was operating as an adult movie theatre in the 1980’s
Contributed by
Michael Page
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Recent comments (view all 70 comments)
You might want to check out Hill Street Blues as well. Filmed on Main Street and surroundings circa 1981.
Here are 1983 and 1986 photos, respectively:
http://tinyurl.com/crvwd6
http://tinyurl.com/ckvcht
Here is the Hotel Leonide in 1939, long before the Galway:
http://tinyurl.com/d2eqso
Here is the theater building in a photo taken yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/ow2fcr
The Galway, as seen in 1972 in this newly unearthed clip of the Rolling Stones shooting the cover for Exile on Main Street
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I remember the Galway; never was inside though. I worked for Walnut Properties/Pussycat Theatres for a long time and serviced the projection equipment at the Optic several times. It seems to me that it was across the street and a few doors away but I can’t remember in which direction. That was back in the ‘70s through the '80s and those memories are getting dim (a stroke didn’t help much either). I always found that old part of town really interesting. A lot more history down there than folks realize.
In the 1959 Universal-International release “Too Soon To Love” we get Jennifer West and Richard Evans on Main Street. They’re looking for an abortionist. Note the bottoms of the illuminated “Galway” letters above the “open all night” banner.
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for Ken McIntyre:
It was an interesting comment about a theatre to be called the Sherman mentioned in the 1915 LA Times article you quote in your 2007 post.
Did it give an address as 514 or 518?
Also: Henry’s Theatrical Guide for 1907-08 lists #514 as the location of the La Petite Theatre #5.
Zimas gives a 1905 date for the building that later housed the Galway at #514.
Two more data points for the Sherman Theatre:
It’s listed in the city directories for 1916 and 1918 as being at 518 S. Main.
A shot of this theatre appears in the film “Parts: The Clonus Horror.” The film later got the MST3K treatment and Mike and the bots make reference to it.