State Theatre
703 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90014
703 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90014
23 people
favorited this theater
The former Loew’s State Theatre was the first broadway picture palace to convert to Spanish-language films in 1963.
The theater became the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God after riots, recession and earthquakes doomed downtown Los Angeles and most of the Broadway theaters in the 1990s. During this turbulent period, the State could no longer afford to show movies and was shuttered.
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Recent comments (view all 156 comments)
Great old pictures, and chill out larry2 at least it has not been torn down.
Here are some photos taken today:
http://tinyurl.com/yjk7g93
http://tinyurl.com/yhgp6y9
http://tinyurl.com/yh8u7ft
The marquee of the State can be seen in this 1952 photo from USC:
http://tinyurl.com/2vg92kx
Great photo ken mc I quess every city had a least 1 Woolworths also.
I’m an East Coast guy, but I’m an enormous classic film fan and movie palace enthusiast, so I have a sad question. Is downtown L.A. really “doomed,” as I read above? I’ve never been there, but I know it like the back of my hand.
Rafaelstorm, in terms of these theaters ever operating solely as movie theaters again, maybe. In the near-term picture, no. There’s a larger, more diverse population living there now. They’re cleaning up the buildings, fixing the sidewalks, and talking about putting in a streetcar. For a certain type of person (single, interested in an urban lifestyle), downtown is very attractive. And businesses are moving in to support them. The Belasco and Palace have recently reopened as a multi-purpose entertainment venue and a theater, respectively. Of course, the Orpheum, Globe, Mayan and Million Dollar have been operating for a while now in various capacities. The UA may open a new chapter in its history, if the right buyer can be found.
Thanks for your answer, Don. I keep seeing an interstitial on Turner Classics that several times a year the downtown L.A. movie palaces open their doors to the public and show vintage movies.
Yes. Mainly that’s the Los Angeles Conservancy’s big fundraising event, Last Remaining Seats. Starting on the last Wednesday in May, we show six classic movies, usually in the downtown theaters, but sometimes branch out to other parts of LA.
By the way, my understanding is that the State has a drop-down ceiling over the stage which precludes lowering the screen or closing the curtains. So even if the church was receptive to the idea of allowing movie fans in, it wouldn’t be practical…
Pictured in this 1938 trade ad: Boxoffice