Coast Playhouse
8325 Santa Monica Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90069
8325 Santa Monica Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90069
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Listed as Gallery & Quickie 1972-1974 showing gay adult films and listed as Gary 1974 until the LA Times ban on adult entertainment in 1977.
As the Players' Ring Theatre, this house goes back to at least 1949. Players' Ring was one of several professional theater companies that flourished in Los Angeles during the postwar period. I recall seeing the theater’s ads in the L.A. Times into the 1960s. James Arness, Marlo Thomas, Roger Corman, Michael Landon, and Jack Nicholson are among the alumni of the Players' Ring.
I’m not positive, but I think the Gallery Theatre was the name of a second stage in the same building, and it was probably that room which became the second screen of the Gary Theatre when it was a twin movie house.
The building is quite old. The L.A. County Assessor’s office says it was built in 1925, with an effectively built date of 1932. I don’t think it was originally built as a theater.
Also, this theater is located inside the limits of the incorporated City of West Hollywood, not Los Angeles.
The Coast Playhouse was also the Players Ring Theater in the 1950’s and early 60’s. My father Ted Thorpe owned it along with the Gallery Theater just a few blocks away. I have been trying to find info from my past and when many childhood memories have faded its hard. I found this site in my searching and thought you might be interested.
Here is an early 1980s photo.
You learn something new everyday.
A lot of small theaters have 99 seats because 100 or more triggers some kind of payment to the actors' union. These 99 seat places are called “equity waiver” theaters.
I’m happy you posted that photo Ken. These two photos give a location of Los Angeles but the building looks similar to the building in your photo.
1982 Photo
1983 Night Photo
A photograph I took of the Coast Playhouse in January 2005:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/3522379583/
The Coast Playhouse has 99 fixed seats.
aka The Coast Theatre, a legit playhouse now. recently many small new york-bound productions started here.
In a 1973 ad this theatre was a twin. Cinema 1 has an Al Jolson double bill of “Mammy” and “The Singing Kid”. Cinema 2 was showing a second run pairing of “Paper Moon” and “Play it Again Sam”.
The Gary Theatre is located at 8325 Santa Monica Blvd.
Theatre was also known as the Pan Andreas theatre.