Comments from kencmcintyre

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.

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 Samurai”. 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.

Here is a June 2009 view of the theater building:
http://tinyurl.com/le92m2

I think it has been a church since the 80s. Never saw it used for taping, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Maybe the church rented out the space to make some money.

Here is a more recent view. The Enforcer art gallery is at 5932 Market. If you pan across the street to the other side of Market, the vacant lot is where the Crosskeys was.
http://tinyurl.com/qwvk94

The former Benson Theater is now a cellphone store. Function should be retail.

It’s still a post office. The function should be changed accordingly.

The last film I saw that had an intermission was Reds, back in 1982. The first half ended with Warren Beatty embracing someone, maybe Dianke Keaton. Some people thought the film was over, until I told them it was only halftime.

The part about the illegal sign was mentioned on some other 1938 photos. It apparently had something to do with the projection of the marquee over the street past some statutory limit.

Here is another 1976 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/lta2vt

Here is a 1978 interior photo:
http://tinyurl.com/l5asce

This is an October 1943 photo. The marquee has evolved from the 1930s version.
http://tinyurl.com/l5n2pe

Here is a 1929 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/mmuhs3