Galway Theatre

514 South Main Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90013

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Galway Theatre exterior

Viewing: Photo | Street View

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

Recent comments (view all 70 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 17, 2008 at 9:09 am

You might want to check out Hill Street Blues as well. Filmed on Main Street and surroundings circa 1981.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 26, 2009 at 1:14 pm

Here is the Hotel Leonide in 1939, long before the Galway:
http://tinyurl.com/d2eqso

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on May 15, 2009 at 10:11 am

Here is the theater building in a photo taken yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/ow2fcr

chrisepting
chrisepting on October 28, 2009 at 9:59 am

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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danwhitehead1
danwhitehead1 on September 18, 2010 at 3:18 pm

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.

BillCounter
BillCounter on March 14, 2011 at 11:33 am

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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BillCounter
BillCounter on March 21, 2011 at 4:47 pm

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.

BillCounter
BillCounter on March 30, 2011 at 4:49 pm

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.

mjprigge
mjprigge on May 11, 2012 at 9:45 pm

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.

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