El Miro Theatre
1441 3rd Street,
Santa Monica,
CA
90401
1441 3rd Street,
Santa Monica,
CA
90401
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 22 comments
1938 photo in Santa Monica History Museum Facebook page link below.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=569754665156201&set=pb.100063650169166.-2207520000.&type=3
This became Loew’s on the Mall on January 26th, 1971 and Cinema on the Mall on January 12th, 1971 as General Cinemas took over Loew’s in the Southwest and Florida.
El Miro photo in this article.
https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/how-santa-monicas-third-street-became-a-promenade?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=58e06932a167da000a98ca59&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook
An art deco beauty. Love the ceiling decoration. Great.
El Miro at 15:14 in this 1963 “Leave It To Beaver” episode. Copy & paste to view.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM9vdEOQFqo
Wow, I hadn’t looked on this site for a few years, didn’t realize it had been so long, and it is so great to see these old pictures of the El Miro. I worked here when it was a much more dumpy place, the summer and fall of 1977, sitting in the box office of Cinema on the Mall. The walk up balcony was still there but I remember it so much smaller than the way it was when it was El Miro. On weekdays it was a much deserted walking mall but when we would open up for the dollar matinee there would suddenly be a long line, mostly of seniors. Not like the huge line though of the exterior of the El Miro posted above!
Here is a 1936 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/8gz4vj
Here is a repost of the 1963 UCLA photo:
http://tinyurl.com/6jcgcf
In ken mc’s post for the theatre from Oct. 5 2007. That was during the time the theatre was part of the Loew’s chain. Before it was sold to GCC.
I used to love going to this theatre in the 70’s when it was the Cinema on the Mall. My strongest recollection was seeing “Airport 1975” when it opened wide from its Cinerama Dome engagement. My favorite thing about it was the walk up balcony. I also remember seeing “Tommy” and “What’s Up Tiger Lily?” double feature during the Summer of 1975.
“The keyword is "background”. What is the photo showing in the “foreground”?"
Maybe they were resurfacing Santa Monica Blvd…
My first guess was excavating SM Place Mall, but it’s years too early, and at the wrong end of the street!
“Easy Rider” was playing at the El Miro in February 1970, acording to this LA Times ad:
http://tinyurl.com/3cr75b
The El Miro is in the background of this 1964 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/3a4zzy
Priceless photos, so clear in detail, truly a moment frozen in time. Thank you ‘ken mc’ from all of us.
Here are the photos I tried to post in May:
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Here is a 1965 photo from the same collection:
http://tinyurl.com/24bana
Here is a 1963 photo from UCLA:
http://tinyurl.com/ynoftw
There are seven photos on this page from the CA State Library:
http://tinyurl.com/2w33kx
From the Santa Monica Library website:
http://www.smpl.org/archive/4831/IMG0029.JPG
I believe that this theater was showing Spanish language films in its last incarnation before being demolished in 1987.
Don’t forget that innovative balcony, it took up about ¼ of the rear of the auditorium and you reached it by walking through the same two short corridors to reach the main floor seating. If you turned around you’d discover those plush aisle carpets continued up sets of corresponding stairs lit with tiny aisle lights at each landing, there were even single seats for people who came to see the movie by themselves.
The Elmiro Theatre dates back to 1933-34, it’s architect was Norman W. Alpaugh. It had a transitional design with a little of the Streamline Moderne embellished upon the earlier Art Deco Moderne. Though Moderno in detail, the flavor is really quite Beaux Arts.
The Elmiro Theatre closed Oct. of 1987.