Linda Lea Theatre
251 S. Main Street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90012
251 S. Main Street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90012
8 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 170 comments found
It was NOT demolished. But it did it undergo a major reconstruction since there was nothing worth saving other the the concrete walls which are original. And it is now the Downtown Independent Theater which has a separate listing on this site that needs to be either combined with – or linked to – this listing.
Here's a color photo from 2006.
A photo from January 2002:
View link
Checking the data page for the photo I just linked to, I see it is dated 1939. As the photo is from the Dick Whittington Studios, which usually kept good records, it’s probably correct.
I don’t see it linked in any comment above, so here’s another photo of the Arrow from the USC Digital Archive. The newest cars on the street appear to be from about 1940. The theater was showing Spanish language movies, and there was a sign reading “Stage Show” above the marquee.
Here is the old sign:
http://tinyurl.com/y2njrcr
Does anyone recall seeing films here (when it was the Linda Lea, of course)? Any of the projectionists work here?
That sounds like a great deal. Too bad that I missed it.
Here is a February 1942 item from the LAT:
Tracy LaValle, statuesque dancer at the Aztec Theater on Main, offers to give free lessons to dancers who aspire to learn the technique of burlesque dancing.
Here is part of a December 21, 1956 article in the LA Times:
Another of those Japanese cinematic objets d'art in the superb tradition of “Rashomon” and “Gate of Hell” was previewed Wednesday night at the Linda Lea Theater. Entitled “47 Ronin”, the film-in that prize-winning Eastman color-is based upon Jiro Osaraga’s novel of feudal Japan in the 18th century.
The photography is as delicate as watercolor but there is nothing pastel about the performances. “47 Ronin” will begin its run at the Linda Lea on New Year’s Day.
The map link might be current:
View link
The Google photo is not exactly current:
http://tinyurl.com/kprj29
Here is a July 1956 item from the Pasadena Independent:
The other night I drove down to the Linda Lea Theater on S. Main Street in Los Angeles, bent on seeing the movie “Seven Samuraiâ€. Parking in the theater’s free lot, I was accosted by a grizzled ancient who wanted to charge me for parking because he wouldn’t believe that I was really going to see a Japanese film. Well, I didn’t believe he was employed there, so I muttered my entire Japanese vocabulary of twelve words to him and walked away.
The manager of the Linda Lea is a genial, red haired chap who used to manage the old Tower Theater in Pasadena. I used to work in a movie house myself, so while waiting for the break we chatted about the crazy business. In the meantime a large crowd was accumulating in the lobby and the foyer. The manager, cognizant of my early theatrical training, asked if I would help to control the people until the auditorium was cleared. I said sure.
The audience disgorged, I helped usher in the new mob. When they had all been seated, I got the best seat that was leftâ€"first row, next to the wall. Seeing a three-hour movie with English subtitles from this angle is somewhat of a strain, but I managed to move back to a good seat during the intermission, readjusted my eyeballs to their normal sunken position and began to really enjoy the picture.
This is a 1951 color photo that shows the businesses between the theater and the Higgins building at 2nd and Main. No theater visible in this photo, but still an interesting view of Main Street at that time.
http://tinyurl.com/pwylop
Another interesting street photo.
Here is a 1939 photo from USC:
http://tinyurl.com/dkxtqj
Here is a 1983 photo.
http://tinyurl.com/dz2bv6
http://www.downtownindependent.com/
“a new film and event facility located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.”
Hmm. :–/
I hope its dead after they destroyed the Linda Lea.
Is ImaginAsian dead or what? How come the theatre is now called the Downtown Independent?
Silly me, I guess I should have read the “Add A Photo” criteria first.
I wasn’t critiquing Cinema Treasures, just curious that if accurate photos were already posted in discussion, why couldn’t they just be chosen & moved to the top. I had no idea of the volume of additional photos CT receives.
Like I should talk with my lowly WebTV.
Wow, that 1939 photo posted by tkpepper seems the perfect picture to post at the top of this Linda Lea CT page. Maybe blow it up a tad, and crop off all but the theatre. It also seems the oldest representation of The Arrow in reference to it’s original opening.
I’ve often wondered why of all the theatres profiled on Cinema Treasures, CT doesn’t just use one of the many photos posted during discussions, as the main header establishing photos.
Instead of keeping the “No Photo Available” image up.
Is it a photo copyright’s issue or something? Just wondering.
I no longer crack on that high F over middle C.
What key would that be in?
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain, now once again….