Alex Theatre
216 N. Brand Boulevard,
Glendale,
CA
91203
216 N. Brand Boulevard,
Glendale,
CA
91203
32 people
favorited this theater
Opened on September 4, 1925 with Jay Hunt in John Ford’s “Lightnin” plus vaudeville on the stage. The Alexander Theatre had a seating capacity for 1,460 and was modeled after the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, having an open courtyard in front. It was designed by architects Arthur George Lindley and Charles R. Selkirk in a Greco-Egyptian style, with the auditorium designed in a Greek Atmospheric style.
In 1940, noted theatre architect S. Charles Lee was commissioned to update the look of the Alex Theatre and the result was a complete overhaul of the marquee including the addition of a fabulous neon pole that illuminates this street in downtown Glendale.
In 1993, the theater was renovated again to become a live performance hall and has been used almost exclusively for shows and live theater.
It did, however, host the opening extravanganza for Disney’s “Mulan”, in place of their usual venue, the El Capitan Theater. The Alex Film Society hosts classic film screenings inside the Alex from time to time.
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Recent comments (view all 61 comments)
1981 Photo
1981 Photo
1983 Photo
The film playing in the 1983 photo was “The Dead Zone”.
I’ve got some photos that I still need to edit and post from last year(sigh), showing the Alex together with its floral “Mini-Me,” but JustGlendale posted this video walk-around of the 2009 Rose Parade float version of the Alex parked in front of the actual Alex.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQhTYEP0Lkk
Article about improvements being made to the Alex, starting with reupholstering the seats:
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I am Linda Gayle Langley. My father was Claude Alexander Langley, for whom the Alexander (Alex) theater was named in Glendale CA. I would very much like to hear from the person who posted as Johnny Vegas – I believe he is my cousin! Please send any further information about the theater and my father and grandfather that you have. Thank you so much!!
Linda
Hope it can stay open.Great theatre,you guys should be proud of it.
There’s a great video documentary that airs now and then on the local cable access channel GTV6. I can’t get the MS Silverlight plugin to work right now, but it might be found somewhere here. You might have to wait for the next time “Exploring Historic Glendale: Alex Theatre” comes up on the schedule and watch it off the live feed:
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http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/stream.asp
Alex neon and marquee for a live performance of IRMA LA DOUCE:
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Please feel free to visit my FLICKr album of vintage theater photos, ads, and memorabilia. Mostly includes theaters in Pennsylvania and Los Angeles but also a few international cinemas. Thank you.
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Photos of the Alex Theatre.
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