Balboa Theatre
8713 S. Vermont Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90044
8713 S. Vermont Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90044
5 people
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Showing 26 - 34 of 34 comments
Here is a link with some photos by Ken Roe:
http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/25484.html
This theater is now occupied by the Nation of Islam.
When the Balboa Theatre opened it was operated by Fox West Coast Theatres.
This is a comment for RICHARD SLEEPER who posted the above comments.
My apologies to you and the management of the Balboa, a theater where I saw many a swell monster movie in the late 50’s. The Balboa still allowed patrons in the balcony long after other theaters at roped theirs off. Sigh*** Punks like me were probably the reason balconies were off limits by the end of the ‘50’s.
One afternoon, during a showing of IT CONQUERED THE WORLD, I and a friend manged to slip up to the balcony with an open can of Campbells condensed cream of mushroom soup. At a graphic part of the movie (where you first see the worm creature underwater, I think), we leaned over the edge and blurted out, “I’M GONNA BE SICK!” Then we dumped the condensed mushroom soup over the side and ran like hell.
Sorry, Richard, you probably had to clean it up. But it honestly, truly was only soup.
BTW, I met a girl at the Balboa. A Catholic school girls, who went to St. Michael’s, which was right around the corner. We got married several years later. Still are — married I mean.
Thom E
I remember this theater for seeing a double feature of “Donovan’s Reef” starring John Wayne and Lee Marvin and “King Kong vs. Godzilla” in 1963. I was nine-years-old at the time. This was recounted in G-FAN magazine in 2000. This was one fine movie house!
When the Balboa Theatre opened it had a Robert Morton 2 manual 10 rank Theatre organ.
I worked at the Balboa during my high school days, from 1957-2/59. The theatre Mgr. was Mr. Leonard, Asst. Mgr. was Mr. Marchon (spelling). A fellow usher was Louis Avila, also from Washington H.S. at 108th and Denker Ave. Intermission music: “People of Paris” and “Canadian Sunset”, I think.
Located at 8713 South Vermont Avenue, just south of Manchester, the Balboa was a very nice theatre. I don’t know where this photo came from, and it was obviously taken long before the 1950’s, in some ways it does look like the theatre I remember, but in other ways it doesn’t. I worked there as an Usher for about a year. In the picture, where the first row in the balcony ends away from camera, is where I used to stand so that I could see most of the theatre. I do not remember a door there. I also do not remember a bird-cage type seat in the wall. I would guess the door is the entrance to go to that seat. But, I sure don’t think there was a door there in the Balboa Theatre I worked in. One of the last movies I saw there was “The Ten Commandments.” I believe this is a good point to ponder:)
This former movie palace at 87th & Vermont opened on April 6, 1926 in a Spanish style motif. Architect was L.A. Smith.