Tihs is excerpted from the Los Angeles Times, 10/26/45:
Rubbing his knuckles across his forehead as if to banish what seemed like a nightmarish dream, Pfc. Curtis Legerton, 21-year-old soldier, yesterday in Central Jail groped for an explanation of how he shot and critically wounded Philip Plude, 37, stage doorman at the Burbank Theater, late Wednesday. Plude is in General Hospital with a German Mauser automatic pistol bullet wound in his abdomen. Surgeons fear he may die. Legerton is being held on suspicion of attempted murder.
According to police reports, Legerton, who returned home two months ago from duty in Europe with the 99th General Hospital unit, attempted to enter the theater stage door at 548 S. Main Street, and was blocked by Plude. Legerton drew a .635 mm pistol from a field boot and fired once. Legerton said he had taken several drinks of whisky during the evening, and passed the theater foyer a couple of times in his wanderings.
“I looked the billboards over in front” he said, “and laughed at the pictures of the Follies dancers because I had seen the Follies Bergere in Paris. These dames wear necklaces. In Paris they don’t even wear that”.
Legerton said he’d been drinking since he was 17, and frequently had to ask friends what happened when he was intoxicated. “When I’m stiff”, he said, “I don’t know anybody, not even my relatives or closest friends.”
Legerton said his 45-day furlough was up last night and he was supposed to report to Ft. MacArthur for transfer to Camp Siebert, Ala., where he was expected to receive a discharge.
ORANGE, CALIF.-Construction got underway in early August on American Multi Cinema’s first sixplex in California, the Mall of Orange, on Tustin Avenue at Heim in Orange. The fourth AMC multi-theater in California, the Mall of Orange will have three 300-seat auditoriums, two 196-seat auditoriums and one 293-seat auditorium. American Multi Cinemas has scheduled a December 22 opening date for the entertainment complex.
Looking at some old Inquirer articles, the closing was in December 1987. In March 1988, the Inquirer reported that the Cheltenham Twin and a PSFS bank had been demolished to make way for a new seven-screen theater.
Boxoffice magazine reported in May 1943 that Eastland Theaters had recently opened a new house, the Wilhall, in Wilmington, CA. The three theaters listed for Wilmington so far, Avalon, Capitola and Granada, all existed in the 1920s, so the Wilhall may have been shortlived due to the war or perhaps never got underway at all.
ALBANY-Ralph Porter has been appointed assistant manager of Warner Bros.‘ Ritz, which Jules Curley manages. Porter was discharged from the army for physical disability. James Malone, former Ritz assistant manager, is a Marine and recently visited here on furlough.
NEW YORK-Martin J. Lewis and Erwin Lesser, operators of a chain of art houses here, and Goldberg Brothers, operators of the Studio Theater, Philadelphia, have jointly purchased the Little Carnegie Theater, West 57th St., from Jack Davis, former British theater operator. The new management will take possession at once and will operate it as a first-run art theater.
Robert C. Spodick has resigned as manager of the Ascot, first-run foreign film house in the Bronx, to become manager of the Little Carnegie. Spodick has been manager of the Yorktown and publicity man and assistant at various Loew houses.
When I moved to LA in the early 80s, several of the Broadway theaters were still showing films, namely the State, Palace and Los Angeles. Probably some others as well that I can’t recall off the top of my head. I stayed in a seedy hotel at 13th and Olive the first two weeks I was in LA, and I spent some time walking around Broadway and environs as I was assimilating. I remember the neon quite vividly.
I actually don’t have to go out of my way, since I go downtown for work probably once a week. Today I had to park at 6th and Main as all of the lots on 4th and 5th were being hogged by film shoots, so I hoofed down Broadway on my way back to the car.
Here are a couple of photos taken today. I hadn’t seen the Morosco Theater sign behind the marquee, but I assume it’s been there all along. It was more visible live than on these photos, unfortunately. http://tinyurl.com/bthvft http://tinyurl.com/awm96l
Tihs is excerpted from the Los Angeles Times, 10/26/45:
Rubbing his knuckles across his forehead as if to banish what seemed like a nightmarish dream, Pfc. Curtis Legerton, 21-year-old soldier, yesterday in Central Jail groped for an explanation of how he shot and critically wounded Philip Plude, 37, stage doorman at the Burbank Theater, late Wednesday. Plude is in General Hospital with a German Mauser automatic pistol bullet wound in his abdomen. Surgeons fear he may die. Legerton is being held on suspicion of attempted murder.
According to police reports, Legerton, who returned home two months ago from duty in Europe with the 99th General Hospital unit, attempted to enter the theater stage door at 548 S. Main Street, and was blocked by Plude. Legerton drew a .635 mm pistol from a field boot and fired once. Legerton said he had taken several drinks of whisky during the evening, and passed the theater foyer a couple of times in his wanderings.
“I looked the billboards over in front” he said, “and laughed at the pictures of the Follies dancers because I had seen the Follies Bergere in Paris. These dames wear necklaces. In Paris they don’t even wear that”.
Legerton said he’d been drinking since he was 17, and frequently had to ask friends what happened when he was intoxicated. “When I’m stiff”, he said, “I don’t know anybody, not even my relatives or closest friends.”
Legerton said his 45-day furlough was up last night and he was supposed to report to Ft. MacArthur for transfer to Camp Siebert, Ala., where he was expected to receive a discharge.
This is from Boxoffice magazine in August 1971:
ORANGE, CALIF.-Construction got underway in early August on American Multi Cinema’s first sixplex in California, the Mall of Orange, on Tustin Avenue at Heim in Orange. The fourth AMC multi-theater in California, the Mall of Orange will have three 300-seat auditoriums, two 196-seat auditoriums and one 293-seat auditorium. American Multi Cinemas has scheduled a December 22 opening date for the entertainment complex.
The correct address is Mechanic Street, without the s on the end. If you plug that in the address will map correctly.
There aren’t any references to this address on the Youth Musical Theater website:
http://www.ymtc.org/
Here is a December 2007 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ct8qpg
You did a nice job on the website. Too bad this theater is now a parking lot.
Looking at some old Inquirer articles, the closing was in December 1987. In March 1988, the Inquirer reported that the Cheltenham Twin and a PSFS bank had been demolished to make way for a new seven-screen theater.
Sorry, I was driving. This listing should be incorporated into the Lux per Joe’s info.
Faie enough.
Did it take seven days to build?
This is from Boxoffice magazine in May 1943:
LOS ANGELES-The Vinnicof Theater circuit has taken over the American Theater, 500-seat South Broadway showcase, from E.A. Thompson and K.C. Manny.
Given the shortage of materials, I think there was a general moratorium on construction of non-essential buildings during the war.
So that round building across the street on 6th and Hill would be the predecessor to the Paramount/Metropolitan, right?
Boxoffice magazine reported in May 1943 that Eastland Theaters had recently opened a new house, the Wilhall, in Wilmington, CA. The three theaters listed for Wilmington so far, Avalon, Capitola and Granada, all existed in the 1920s, so the Wilhall may have been shortlived due to the war or perhaps never got underway at all.
This is from Boxoffice magazine, May 1943:
ALBANY-Ralph Porter has been appointed assistant manager of Warner Bros.‘ Ritz, which Jules Curley manages. Porter was discharged from the army for physical disability. James Malone, former Ritz assistant manager, is a Marine and recently visited here on furlough.
This is from Boxoffice magazine in May 1943:
NEW YORK-Martin J. Lewis and Erwin Lesser, operators of a chain of art houses here, and Goldberg Brothers, operators of the Studio Theater, Philadelphia, have jointly purchased the Little Carnegie Theater, West 57th St., from Jack Davis, former British theater operator. The new management will take possession at once and will operate it as a first-run art theater.
Robert C. Spodick has resigned as manager of the Ascot, first-run foreign film house in the Bronx, to become manager of the Little Carnegie. Spodick has been manager of the Yorktown and publicity man and assistant at various Loew houses.
If you check the Palace page, there should be a youtube video I posted last year that was taken from a car driving down Broadway at night, circa 1988.
When I moved to LA in the early 80s, several of the Broadway theaters were still showing films, namely the State, Palace and Los Angeles. Probably some others as well that I can’t recall off the top of my head. I stayed in a seedy hotel at 13th and Olive the first two weeks I was in LA, and I spent some time walking around Broadway and environs as I was assimilating. I remember the neon quite vividly.
I actually don’t have to go out of my way, since I go downtown for work probably once a week. Today I had to park at 6th and Main as all of the lots on 4th and 5th were being hogged by film shoots, so I hoofed down Broadway on my way back to the car.
Broadway is always full of people, so it’s sometimes hard to move them out of the way to take pictures of the sidewalk.
Here are two photos taken today. I was trying to get a shot of the booth but the proselytizers were swarming today, so it’s a little blurry.
http://tinyurl.com/bjps6b
http://tinyurl.com/bj24s4
I parked on the bones of the Burbank today:
http://tinyurl.com/c5nerj
What about 7/28/07?
Here is a February 2009 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cr2gud
Here are a couple of photos taken today. I hadn’t seen the Morosco Theater sign behind the marquee, but I assume it’s been there all along. It was more visible live than on these photos, unfortunately.
http://tinyurl.com/bthvft
http://tinyurl.com/awm96l