The old tourist brochure (which seems to be from the 1920’s) shows the Athens Theatre (top left), the New Dreka Theatre with 710 seats (top right) and the interior of the New Dreka Theatre (center middle).
Film Daily Yearbooks 1940 and 1943 give a seating capacity of the Athens Theatre as 550 and it was operated by Paramount in 1943. The 1950 F.D.Y gives a seating capacity of 1,138. It could have been modernised or even re-built.
I spent 2 days walking up and down S. Main, Spring, Broadway and Hill Street, locating theatre sites and what’s there now (and loved every minute of it!). I still have to update listings on this site for Spring, Broadway and Hill St’s in downtown. Currently S. Main is pretty well up to date now>>>unless anyone knows more?
If you get stuck on solving any of the 50+ mystery theatre’s let me know, I may be able to help, besides I love solving mystery’s and will be back in LA in June.
Thanks MagicLantern, that puts it on the opposite side of the street of the block occupied by the Optic (#523) the Star (#529), the Gaiety (#533) and the Art (#551). It was on the same side of the street as the Morosco (Burbank) which was at #548.
That is 6 theatres in the 500 block of S. Main St.
Did the Galway Theater ever show movies? I have no record of a theatre of that name in the Film Daily Yearbooks, or on the database currently being set up by the Los Angeles Conservancy (theatre sub-committee).
No, sorry, the LA Conservancy Tours only cover the downtown Broadway theatres in LA (Tours every Saturday morning). San Pedro is several miles away south, closer to Long Beach.
This opened as the Monica Theatre in the late 1930’s with a seating capacity of 638 on one level (no balcony). It was a regular local neighborhood movie theatre to begin with, screening general release movies. During the 1960’s it went over to ‘art house’ programming.
When this failed it was taken over by the Pussycat chain and became a straight porn theatre in the 1970’s and was re-named Pussycat Theatre. With the demise of the Pussycat chain it went over to showing gay male porn, being re-named Tomkat Theatre. It has served the gay community of the City of West Hollywood very well for over 20 years now.
I was recently staying with a friend in West Hollwood and went along a couple of times to check out the Tomkat. As you state the exterior is very well kept and looks very smart at night outlined in purple neon. Check out my previous post of Jan 6, 2005 for furthur details of the condition of interior. Entry is gained through a turnstyle in the foyer. It still remains the same, ok, maybe dirty conditions prevail due to it’s non-stop 24/7 opening policy (the house lights never came on to see the interior properly). The chairs are rockers which must date from the 1970’s and can recline quite a way back. DVD is the presentation format now and not VHS video or even 35mm film. There must have been an average of 100 guys in there during the couple of hours I spent there on a Friday evening, but no more than 25 on a Tuesday evening. It seems to be doing good business though.
The building was being used as a shoe shop a couple of years ago. Currently it is a temporary home to the Christian Scientology sect who normally operate out the former Christie Hotel on Hollywood Blvd, which is currently being renovated. The former Holly theatre is called the Scientology Learning Centre!
Did the ‘Cinemiracle’ “Windjammer” ever play the New Fox (Music Box)? I thought it just played an exclusive 36 week run at Graumann’s Chinese Theater. Would the 900 seat New Fox be large enough, or even have a proscenium opening wide enough for the Cinemiracle screen?
Yes, both Film Daily Yearbook’s have it listed as Grand (S. Main) 700 seats, so it is the 110 S. Main St location of Child’s Opera House/Grand.
However, although the F.D.Y. gives great information, not all of it is accurate. I presume for the theatre listings in each edition, they took their lists from film renters/distributers and sometimes it could have taken a few editions for clusures and openings, or even name changes to work their way through into the next edition.
Therefore, your source of information that it was demolished in around 1936/7 could be correct. We could find out more later this year when the Theatre Historical Society of America publish their 2005 Annual, which is covering the history of the four Los Angeles Orpheum Theaters.
The Film Daily Yearbook’s 1941 and 1943 list the Jade as having 340 seats. A 250 seat capacity is given in F.D.Yearbooks in the 1950’s. The site of the Jade Theatre is now used as a parking lot.
The Gaiety, together with the Optic Theatre, 523 S. Main St. and the Art Theatre, 551 S. Main St. were all located on the same block on the West side of S. Main Street.
All have been demolished and a huge parking structure now takes up most of the block.
Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 list this as the Folly Theatre (this of course could be a misprint/spelling error). By the 1950 edition and beyond the listing has disappeared so it could have gone over to live strip venue use.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of the New Madera Theater as 900 seats. By 1950 it was known as the Madera Theater and in that edition and the 1952 edition of F.D.Yearbook the seating capacity had increased to 1,320. seats.
Tim;
Yes, the Canoga Theater was called the Park Theatre when it was operated by the Pussycat chain of theatres. I am not sure if this name change occured before the take-over though.
In a newspaper advert I have (dated November 26, 1976) it is listed in the Pussycat Theatres guide as the Park, so maybe it never fully took on the Pussycat name, despite being part of that chain of theatres.
In the mid-1920’s press adverts show the Coliseum Theater being operated by the Samuel H. Levin chain of neighborhood theatres, San Francisco Theatres Inc.
The Balboa Theatre was built for the Samuel H. Levin chain of neighborhood theatres known as San Francisco Theatres Inc. It opened on 7th February 1926.
In a newspaper report (currently on display in the lobby of the Balboa Theater and built by the same promotor and architects) it states that the Harding opening night was May 8th 1926 (not April as given the opening header above). All other details, movie, star and builder/architect are correct.
When I was recently in San Francisco, I passed by the Nob Hill Cinema several times, both in day time and after dark. There were always customers entering, so it must be doing ok.
The S.F. Visitor Information Center at Market and Powell St’s has glossy Nob Hill Theatre leaflets on display in their racks. I’m sure only a tolerant city such as San Francisco would allow a gay entertainment venue the shelf space to promote diverse attractions such as this.
Looking at their web site wwww.nobhilltheatre.com, in programme schedules, it seems that mainly live performances take place during the day time and evening and xxx rated movies are shown last thing in the late evening/early morning.
The Raymond Theater opened on 5th April 1921 with Wallace Reid starring in “The Love Special”. A seating capacity of 2,350 was given at opening in newspaper reports.
It was re-named the New Crown Theatre, opening on 13th February 1948 with Larry Parks starring in “The Swordsman” (A Columbia Picture)
The old tourist brochure (which seems to be from the 1920’s) shows the Athens Theatre (top left), the New Dreka Theatre with 710 seats (top right) and the interior of the New Dreka Theatre (center middle).
Film Daily Yearbooks 1940 and 1943 give a seating capacity of the Athens Theatre as 550 and it was operated by Paramount in 1943. The 1950 F.D.Y gives a seating capacity of 1,138. It could have been modernised or even re-built.
I spent 2 days walking up and down S. Main, Spring, Broadway and Hill Street, locating theatre sites and what’s there now (and loved every minute of it!). I still have to update listings on this site for Spring, Broadway and Hill St’s in downtown. Currently S. Main is pretty well up to date now>>>unless anyone knows more?
If you get stuck on solving any of the 50+ mystery theatre’s let me know, I may be able to help, besides I love solving mystery’s and will be back in LA in June.
Thanks MagicLantern, that puts it on the opposite side of the street of the block occupied by the Optic (#523) the Star (#529), the Gaiety (#533) and the Art (#551). It was on the same side of the street as the Morosco (Burbank) which was at #548.
That is 6 theatres in the 500 block of S. Main St.
Did the Galway Theater ever show movies? I have no record of a theatre of that name in the Film Daily Yearbooks, or on the database currently being set up by the Los Angeles Conservancy (theatre sub-committee).
No, sorry, the LA Conservancy Tours only cover the downtown Broadway theatres in LA (Tours every Saturday morning). San Pedro is several miles away south, closer to Long Beach.
This opened as the Monica Theatre in the late 1930’s with a seating capacity of 638 on one level (no balcony). It was a regular local neighborhood movie theatre to begin with, screening general release movies. During the 1960’s it went over to ‘art house’ programming.
When this failed it was taken over by the Pussycat chain and became a straight porn theatre in the 1970’s and was re-named Pussycat Theatre. With the demise of the Pussycat chain it went over to showing gay male porn, being re-named Tomkat Theatre. It has served the gay community of the City of West Hollywood very well for over 20 years now.
I was recently staying with a friend in West Hollwood and went along a couple of times to check out the Tomkat. As you state the exterior is very well kept and looks very smart at night outlined in purple neon. Check out my previous post of Jan 6, 2005 for furthur details of the condition of interior. Entry is gained through a turnstyle in the foyer. It still remains the same, ok, maybe dirty conditions prevail due to it’s non-stop 24/7 opening policy (the house lights never came on to see the interior properly). The chairs are rockers which must date from the 1970’s and can recline quite a way back. DVD is the presentation format now and not VHS video or even 35mm film. There must have been an average of 100 guys in there during the couple of hours I spent there on a Friday evening, but no more than 25 on a Tuesday evening. It seems to be doing good business though.
The building was being used as a shoe shop a couple of years ago. Currently it is a temporary home to the Christian Scientology sect who normally operate out the former Christie Hotel on Hollywood Blvd, which is currently being renovated. The former Holly theatre is called the Scientology Learning Centre!
Did the ‘Cinemiracle’ “Windjammer” ever play the New Fox (Music Box)? I thought it just played an exclusive 36 week run at Graumann’s Chinese Theater. Would the 900 seat New Fox be large enough, or even have a proscenium opening wide enough for the Cinemiracle screen?
Joe;
Yes, both Film Daily Yearbook’s have it listed as Grand (S. Main) 700 seats, so it is the 110 S. Main St location of Child’s Opera House/Grand.
However, although the F.D.Y. gives great information, not all of it is accurate. I presume for the theatre listings in each edition, they took their lists from film renters/distributers and sometimes it could have taken a few editions for clusures and openings, or even name changes to work their way through into the next edition.
Therefore, your source of information that it was demolished in around 1936/7 could be correct. We could find out more later this year when the Theatre Historical Society of America publish their 2005 Annual, which is covering the history of the four Los Angeles Orpheum Theaters.
Correction to my previous post;
The 1950 and 1952 editions of F.D.Y. give a seating capacity of 270.
The Film Daily Yearbook’s 1941 and 1943 give a seating capacity of 400 for the Muse Theatre. In the 1950 and 1952 editions on F.D.Y. it is 470 seats.
The site of the Muse, together with its close neighbor theatre the Rosslyn has been developed and a parking structure built on the land.
The Alhambra Theatre opened on 22nd August 1922. It was built as a theatre with full stage facilites, but had provision to show films as well.
In 1931 a new crush hall was added to serve the seperate entrance to the pit and stalls. It had a seating capacity of 1,700.
It closed as a cinema in the mid-1960’s and become a bingo club.
The Roosevelt Theatre is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook’s 1941 and 1943 as having 800 seats and closed.
By the 1950 and 1952 editions of the F.D.Y. it is listed as open and having 340 seats.
The site where the theatre stood now has civic buildings built on it.
The Film Daily Yearbook’s 1941 and 1943 list the Jade as having 340 seats. A 250 seat capacity is given in F.D.Yearbooks in the 1950’s. The site of the Jade Theatre is now used as a parking lot.
The Gaiety, together with the Optic Theatre, 523 S. Main St. and the Art Theatre, 551 S. Main St. were all located on the same block on the West side of S. Main Street.
All have been demolished and a huge parking structure now takes up most of the block.
The Film Daily Yearbook’s 1941 and 1943 have the Grand Theater listed. A seating capacity of 700 seats is given.
Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 list this as the Folly Theatre (this of course could be a misprint/spelling error). By the 1950 edition and beyond the listing has disappeared so it could have gone over to live strip venue use.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of the New Madera Theater as 900 seats. By 1950 it was known as the Madera Theater and in that edition and the 1952 edition of F.D.Yearbook the seating capacity had increased to 1,320. seats.
Was a balcony added to increase capacity?
Tim;
Yes, the Canoga Theater was called the Park Theatre when it was operated by the Pussycat chain of theatres. I am not sure if this name change occured before the take-over though.
In a newspaper advert I have (dated November 26, 1976) it is listed in the Pussycat Theatres guide as the Park, so maybe it never fully took on the Pussycat name, despite being part of that chain of theatres.
In the mid-1920’s press adverts show the Coliseum Theater being operated by the Samuel H. Levin chain of neighborhood theatres, San Francisco Theatres Inc.
The Balboa Theatre was built for the Samuel H. Levin chain of neighborhood theatres known as San Francisco Theatres Inc. It opened on 7th February 1926.
The Portal/West Portal Theatre was built for the Samuel H. Levin chain of neighborhood theatres known as San Francisco Theatres Inc.
In a newspaper report (currently on display in the lobby of the Balboa Theater and built by the same promotor and architects) it states that the Harding opening night was May 8th 1926 (not April as given the opening header above). All other details, movie, star and builder/architect are correct.
The Grand Lake Theater opened on 6th March 1926.
When I was recently in San Francisco, I passed by the Nob Hill Cinema several times, both in day time and after dark. There were always customers entering, so it must be doing ok.
The S.F. Visitor Information Center at Market and Powell St’s has glossy Nob Hill Theatre leaflets on display in their racks. I’m sure only a tolerant city such as San Francisco would allow a gay entertainment venue the shelf space to promote diverse attractions such as this.
Looking at their web site wwww.nobhilltheatre.com, in programme schedules, it seems that mainly live performances take place during the day time and evening and xxx rated movies are shown last thing in the late evening/early morning.
The Raymond Theater opened on 5th April 1921 with Wallace Reid starring in “The Love Special”. A seating capacity of 2,350 was given at opening in newspaper reports.
It was re-named the New Crown Theatre, opening on 13th February 1948 with Larry Parks starring in “The Swordsman” (A Columbia Picture)