Cine Cienega Theatre
755 N. La Cienega Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90069
755 N. La Cienega Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90069
3 people
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Located South of West Hollywood, the Cine Cienega was small theater that ran independent films in the 1970’s and some adult fare as well. It later became a playhouse.
Demolished by 1987, a new building on the site houses an up-market bar/restaurant known as STK.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
Here is a 1970 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2rtc2t
Jenny with Marlo Thomas and Alan Alda was released in January of 1970.
This link shows a bar/lounge at this address.
The County Assessor’s office says that this parcel now contains a building erected in 1987. The building that housed the Cine Cienega must have been demolished, and the bar and restaurant must be in the new building that replaced it.
Since adult fare is mentioned in the description, this must be where I recall either “The Devil in Miss Jones” or “Deep Throat” playing before they settled in (forever and ever) at the Pussycat.
The Cine-Cienega was never a Pussycat Theater. You are thinking of the Pussycat on Santa Monica or the one on Hollywood Blvd. (formerly the Nu-View, among others). The Cine-Cienega started as an art house, then began running hardcore gay films, one of which was “Heavy Equipment” in – get this – 3D, containing, as John Waters said, “life itself” coming directly at the viewer.
The Cine-Cienega also had a notorious ‘back room’ where patrons could obtain physical relief or exposure to a then new illness which was infecting gay men and promptly ending their lives.
At one point, the Cine-Cienega had been transformed into a trendy restaurant. I went there after one of the gay pride parades, and the food was very good. I got a good look around inside but could not see any evidence of a theater.
I’m not confusing it with a Pussycat. I said I believe I saw one of those films here, don’t know which one, BEFORE they took up permanent residence at the Pussycat. This was in 1972 or 1973, when it was suddenly all the rage to “openly” go to a “mainstream” (well, sorta) porn flick, for the fancy new ticket price of $5.00, and it was the only time I was in the Cine-Cienega.