Brayton Theatre

I see that Jacob already posted the links in July 2008, so thanks to him for the program.

My mother took me to the Brayton Theater in the late 1940’s( around 1947 or 1948) We lived a half a block away from it. My recollection is it may have closed as early as 1949. For years it sat vacant. Then in 1966 it opened as a Teen Post. My mother was assistant director there serving under Bob Hunt who was the director. During the summers of 1966 and 1967, I hung out there. One staff member who I only knew as “Brownie” sold pills from there. It was, however, by then in terrible shape. I recall seeing old man Brayton coming by in the summer of 1966 to look things over. The demolition date given above is not correct. I recall that taking place in the earliest during 1975 and at the latest by 1977. As far as the church goes, at first it was African-American, then, by the late 1990’s, Hispanic and only by the turn of the century did it become Phillipino. During the last two years everything on the eastside of Atlantic Avenue from 20th Street to Hill Street was demolished to make way for some units.

In January 1967, the Long Beach Independent reported that a teen theater troupe would use the Brayton for performances:

The Magnolia Theater has completed ts subscription series and does not plan to resume activities until fall; The New Theater, a Teen Post operation of the Office of Economic Opportunities, has opened in the old Brayton Theater on Atlantic.

2157 is a vacant lot.

A copy of this photo may be purchased from the Long Beach Public Library (main branch Ocean/Pacific). I think they charge around $30 for each print.

Good luck!

After closing, the Brayton Theatre was used as a church for a period of time. The name ‘Brayton’ was taken from the surname of the owners. Film Daily Yearbooks, 1950 and 1952 give a seating capacity of 956.

the brayton was originally a silent movie house built in early 20’s…the photo shown here with the art deco exterior opened in 1935…after the theater was rebuilt following the 1933 long beach earthquake…I worked for the city of long beach,ca in those days….and walked through the place one last time days before it was leveled in 1972 for an apartment building…it had been vacant for at least 15 years…but the orchestra pit from earlier days was actually still there…doug sarvis