Magnolia Theatre
4403 W. Magnolia Boulevard,
Burbank,
CA
91505
4403 W. Magnolia Boulevard,
Burbank,
CA
91505
1 person
favorited this theater
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2bloto’s link
The Magnolia Theater, 1944.
http://wesclark.com/burbank/magnolia_theater.jpg
Shawn (Juronimoo), what can you tell us about the building since you’ve acquired it? I have to assume that the floor is leveled and there’s little left to suggest it had been a theatre, but are there any artifacts left? Wall hangings, light fixtures, sconces, anything?
As a resident of Burbank, I would love to see this terrific old theater restored to its former glory and used as a revival house/live venue.
Roy,
I was inquiring about the items that you have for the Magnolia Theatre. I am the new owner of it and would be interested in the items that you have. Could you please contact me at . Thank you…. Shawn
P.S. If anyone has any great pictures of this theatre I would be interested in purchasing those as well…..
The top photo is a still capture from the 1954 Fred MacMurray/Kim Novak film Pushover, which aired a couple days ago on Turner Classic Movies – there was also a nice shot of the original marquee (which was totally different from the one in the ElectraWoman and DynaGirl episode).
I posted back in 2008 that I have the original box office plate glass, four sides, with art deco scrolls from this theatre. I’ve been considering donating the the Burbank historical society, but if someone is interested in making me an offer, contact me. I also have an original art deco mirror from the lobby.
The CSUN photo linked by -DB in May 2010 as the Avenue Theatre “Northeast San Fernando Valley” is actually the Avenue Theatre in Cebu City, Phillipines.
The CSUN photo:
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A blog post featuring a Cebu City souvenir booklet:
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The booklet photo showing the Avenue:
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The Magnolia Theater appears in this YouTube clip of an episode of “Electrawoman and Dyna Girl”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PAgr36Fg5o
Now for sale for $6.5 million: View link
-DB: That photo has been posted at Cinema Treasures before, but I can’t remember which page it was on. I don’t think anybody was able to identify the theater.
This old photo of and Avenue Theater that’s vaguely identified as being in “Northeast San Fernando Valley” looks very similar to the Magnolia. Could it have been remodeled in 1940 from an existing theater? Anyone know anything about this one?
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Here is a link to the California Index card citing the May 17, 1940, Southwest Builder & Contractor article identifying Clifford Balch as the architect of the new theater to be built at the northwest corner of Magnolia Boulevard and Valley Street. It’s misidentified as the Major Theatre in the caption, but that is the location of the Magnolia Theatre.
I stopped by this theatre for the first time last Friday to see if the terrazzo sidewalk was worth photographing. I was not disappointed. Dispite the fact that the part of it closest to the building has been cut through to make a planting area for some palm trees, there is much fine patternwork remaining. Most of the design is simple striping, with contrasting bands and Moderne curls. In the center part leading to where the theatre entrance and box office once were, there is a fine pattern of curving leaves and—no surprise—a “bouquet” of several magnolia blossoms.
Those are not as clear and concise as all your black & white photos.
Here is the other photo. I forgot that I took two.
http://tinyurl.com/ykqa3wl
Here is a photo taken yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/yhqlunr
The L.A. County Tax Assessor lists the address as 4403 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505
This is an image from the Arthur Penn movie NIGHT MOVES. Is this the same Magnolia?
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Thanks Lost memory for the photo of the Magnolia. I always wondered where the original box office had been. When I worked there from 74 to 1979 you could see in the terrazzo floor a shape that seem to indicate the BO was in the center of the entry way but no one who worked there then knew for sure. BTW, the theatre did not close due to lack of patrons as posted by GerryC above. The old man who ran the Magnolia and its sister theatre in Van Nuys called the Airport, lost his lease to the Magnolia from the family who owned the property. They decided in 1979 to sell. We heard even back then that Striesand was was the buyer and the building was to be converted to a recording studio. I found that ironic as I has seen numerous showing of her version of A Star is Born at the Mag. I believe that she and/or other investors were the original buyers as we learned when the studio was first completed it was called Evergreen. man, I sure miss those days!
Here is a 1944 photo of the Magnolia Theater. Photo comes from the book “Theatres in Los Angeles”. The text mentions architect Jacques de Forest Griffin.
Is this the same Magnolia theater that was used in a scene from the 1954 movie Pushover with Kim Novak and Fred MacMurray? I saw the movie on TCM last night…….
Two things: I’ve dug up some information about the Magnolia Theatre, and the address currently listed for it is wrong. The theatre is at 4403 Magnolia, on the north (odd numbered) side of the street. There is no 4430 Magnolia in Burbank, as the numbers only go up to 4420 at the corner of Clybourn Avenue, and beyond that is the 10300 block of Magnolia in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles.
A mistake in either a card from the L.A. Library’s California Index, or in the article from Southwest Builder & Contractor that the card cited, prevented me from realizing before now that this theatre was designed by Clifford Balch. The card says that the May 17, 1940, issue of SwB&C named Balch as the architect of the “Major Theatre” in Burbank, but it gives the location of the new house as the northwest corner of Magnolia and Valley Street. The Major Theatre was actually at 333 San Fernando Rd., and already existed in 1940. The information on the card must apply to the Magnolia. The L.A. County assessor’s information for the parcel confirms a construction date of 1940 for the building at 4403 Magnolia Blvd.
The confusion must have arisen from the fact that the Magnolia was being built for Al Minor, who was the owner of the Major Theatre. There’s a (very little) bit of information about Al Minor on the Magnolia Theatre page of “Bijou Memories”, a website about Burbank’s movie theatres.
Incidentally, Google Maps has decent photos of all four sides of this building via its Street View feature, thanks to a wide, block-through lot behind the theatre being vacant.
I worked at the Magnolia Theatre from 1974 until it closed in 1979 as the Assistant manager. What an amazing place and boy do I have some fond late night partying stories. When the theatre was getting ready to be closed (because it lost its least, not due to lack of business) lots of stuff was being thrown out. I salvaged the original art deco etched glass (all four sides) of the original box office and two original art deco light sconces. I may be interested in selling these items. Anyone have any ideas on what it anything this stuff may be worth and where to sell it?
Thanks Roy
The Magnolia is up for sale, there is a bit of its history about its life as a recording studio
View link
Still a work of art