Apollo Theatre

It’s interesting how the Apollo and the Century burned to the extent that both were destroyed. The Apollo didn’t appear to be a firetrap, and I was there just about every week from 1972 to 1974.

I was in a bar one Saturday night and it was packed. At around 10:30, they stopped the music and said that they were closing for the evening. An hour later, a fire destroyed the whole building.

Kinda makes you wonder.

Does the Cinne Arts adult theatre a block or two away from the Apollo count as a movie theater?
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fscscott, the polished concrete on the sidewalk is called terrazzo.

My father was assistant manager there sometime in the early 40s. He painted the posters that went in the frames on each side of the box office as well as placards for the lobby. At age 3, they tell me I used to play out front. Nice to see so much about the old theatre.

Soft Skin on Black Silk was first released in Spain in June of 1959.

Here’s a great picture of the theatre in the December 3, 1976 Los Angeles Times with the following caption:

“THEATER BURNS—Firemen battle fire burning through collapsed roof of the Star Theater, 5446 Hollywood Blvd. No one was injured but the fire, visible for miles, snarled morning rush-hour traffic. Building was a total loss, with damage estimated at $250,000.”

The link is:

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Here is a 1950 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2c5oy2

Here is an expanded view of the photo in the caption:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014449.jpg

The Apollo/Star burned in December of 1976. Here’s a photo of the event from the L.A. Times.

I am currently looking for any Old Theatres in which to lease or possibly buy in Reseda, Van Nuys, Hollywood or North Hollywood. It has been my Long life Dream to renevate and own my own Theatre/ Venue. Please e-mail me at or call me at 310-597-9398 if you live here!! Thanks.Rick

P.S. If you also live in the areas in which I am looking and want to help please contact me as well!!

Hollywood’s APOLLO Theatre auditorium is almost identical to that of Oklahoma City’s (900 seat) PLAZA Theatre.

The newspaper Hollywood Citizen, on January 14th, 1921, informed readers that West Coast Theaters had leased the Apollo.

I have been struck by the remarkable resemblance between the Apollo’s facade and that of the Cooper Building in the eastern Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra, which contained a theater then called the Granada, which later became the Coronet, and then (c1964) the Capri, before it was demolished following an earthquake in 1971. Many Los Angeles commercial buildings of the era were similar, but the similarity between these two is remarkable enough that it seems as though they might have had the same architect.

Great comments. This was indeed an unusual theatre. In 1971, I saw a double bill of “Z” and “Lawrence of Arabia” for 49 cents!