Picfair Theatre

This theatre opened in spring 1941. It was built and leased along with the other property by Joe DeBell who was a general contractor who built the theatre, stores, and upstairs apartments for investment income. As a kid I used to go here in the early 50’s (along with the Picwood, Stadium, Lido, Palms, Culver, & Meralta – all of which I worked when I became a projectionist in the early 60’s.) This is the theatre where I was trained in ‘59-'60 by George L. Roth (1905-1978). It had a checkered operational history with several independent operators until Statewide Theatres (Fred Stein)got it in 1963 – later selling it to Loew’s who was the last chain operator. Again resuming independent operators until it died a sad death in 1979 – becoming Albert’s appliances until it was torched in the 1992 riots as described above.

Here’s the Picwood’s listing.

I saw the movie WOLFEN at the Picwood when it first came out. The Picwood was a first run theater, showing 70mm films, as WOLFEN was. The seating was kind of annoying, your ass would sink into the reclined seats: the seat separated from the backing.

This spot is not a shopping mall at the corner of Pico and Westwood, just down the street from 20th Century Fox Studios.

I remember seeing an Abbott and Costello ghost movie and it was scary and and funny at the same time. also a movie with a white guy and black guy (can’t remember their names) singing and dancing the song “Me and My Shadow” which wouldn’t be politically correct in our times. Seems we never saw a bad movie at the Picfair and remember seeing “Story of G I Joe” there too. We went to the Meralta, Culver City City Hall (after the Meralta burned down) and Palms Theater and went to the grand opening of the Culver Theater in ‘47. And now the Kirk Douglas Culver Theater just had another grand opening.
Would like to remenisce with people about that era and city.

My brothe and sister and I went to the Picfair Theater many times in the late 50’s and early 60’s. We attended the Saturday matinees which cost 25 cents admission. The shows consisted of several cartoons, a Three Stooge short with Joe Besser, a newsreal and one or two B features. At intermission there was a drawing for several prizes so we held on to our stubbs. Many of us used to fold up our popcorn boxes and fling them at the screen like a frisbee. We don’t do that anymore.
I miss the Saturday afternoons at the Picfair. Today’s theaters simply don’t put on such an interesting programs. Now it’s commercials followed by the previews and then the feature. No newsreel, no 3 Stooges and no drawings. Too bad.
The theater building was torched during the April 29-30, 1992 riots and only the shell remained. That was later torn down.