I went and investigated the former World/Marcal Theatre this week. The original facade has been removed (or covered over) and is now cinder-blocked and plain. There was a side exit doorway open so I went a peeked inside what was the former auditorium. There is nothing remaining inside of original decorative detail from its theatre days. It has been gutted back to its exterior walls and roof beams and the floor has been leveled.
This theatre was known as the Paramount in 1928, so it could have opened with that name. It had been re-named Loma Theatre by the early 1940’s, operated by Fox West Coast Theaters.
A small shopping centre has now been built on the site.
This opened as the Danilo Cinema on 7th August 1939. The opening programme was a double bill; Sydney Toler in “Charlie Chan in Honolulu” and Jane Withers in “Always in Trouble”.
The architect was E.S. Roberts with Andrew Mather inputing some plans.
The original seating capaity was 1,598. The cinema was tripled in 1973.
savage;
I will be away for 4 weeks, so e-mail me mid February (e-mail address on my profile) and I will scan the photo for you. That’s if you haven’t already purchased it from THS.
The only example of a ramped access to upper parts of a building I have seen (having never been inside the Raymond Theater, Pasadena) is the ramped access to the Casino Ballroom which is located above the Avalon Theater, Avalon, Catalina Island CA.
Patsy;
I know there are so many wonderful theaters in the USA, I have visited many of them over the years. I just haven’t had time to sit here and contemplate which are my real favourites, I spend far too much time on here updating and adding comments! LOL I will share my USA favourites with you all one day soon, I promise.
Now I am off to CA for four weeks (doing some theater research) so you wont be seeing me online for a while, but I Will Be Back!
Patsy;
Well it’s the only one in the USA on my favourites list>>>so far>>> lol
The Avalon Theater is a beautiful movie palace which has been lovingly restored to its original 1929 appearance. Plus, its a magic moment when you enter the auditorium to the strains of ‘I Left My Heart in Avalon, Beside the Sea’ being played on the mighty Page organ.
MikeRa;
Thanks for the update on the status of the Circle Theatre. It is good to know the building still stands, I wonder what condition it is in nowadays?
I will go back and check my source regarding it’s demolition which I ‘think’ I got from a Theater Historical Society of America document.
This ‘could’ have been known initially as the Strand Theater but there is no reference to a theater of that name in the book I have on the history of the Casino Building.
The Riviera Theater is mentioned several times;
‘that it was only open during the summer season, once the Avalon Theater opened in 1929. Tom White, a Hollywood promotor who held the lease on Avalon’s Riviera Theater, leased the new Avalon Theater in 1929 and also signed on as general manager of the Casino operation. His lifestyle proved to flamboyant, and his association with the Casino ended in December 1929. Art LaShelle, who had managed the Riviera and Avalon Theater’s for Tom White, stayed on to manage both theatres and facilities until 1939.
Over the years Avalon had enjoyed the offerings of a number of summer resident theatrical groups on the stage of the Riviera or the Bandbox Theater in El Encanto.
Western Amusement Company, which operated a number of theaters on the mainland, obtained a lease on both the Avalon and Riviera Theater’s in 1949. The company closed the Avalon Theater during the winter but kept the Riviera Theater open all year until it was converted into a bowling alley in 1961.
The Avalon Theater is still open and operating and is on Cinema Treasures /theaters/22/
Don;
I was with ABC’s rival circuit The Rank Organisation in the mid to late 1960’s. After doing relief manager work mainly in the Midlands; Birmingham area I get to be Manager at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Liverpool, built as a variety theatre in 1896, bcame a cinema in 1929 and seated 3,000. It is now demolished.
I have lived in London for 36 years! I did get to know managers and assistant managers from other circuits when travelling around, but as time goes by you loose contact. I didn’t know Kevin or Derek, just have references to them in a book I have on Eccles cinemas and thought it might stir a memory for you!
From the 1937 photo I have of the exterior, I would say the style was Restrained Classical. (I wish we could get the add-a-photo back up and working on the site)
Charles;
Thanks for clarifying the licence/permit issue. I agree that seating capacities which are given in ‘any’ source must always be taken with a pinch of salt. Theater owners always exagerated capacities. We have the same problem here in the UK with our trade book The Kinematograph Yearbook.
Keep up the good work, it is always a pleasure reading input from you and many of the other ‘theatre-buffs’ on the site. If you are not sure about any info on your Baltimore research, send me an e-mail and I will consult with my sources here.
Chuck;
The last licence could have run for a year after the Feb 1936 date, which means a closure of Feb 1937. But this is conjecture, basing my facts on what happens here in the UK when a licence is taken out in advance for a year. Does that happen in the USA?
The “Exit” book is a little vague on a few dates and facts like ‘opened late 1909’, when it has also stated ‘that a permit was granted for a cinema in September 1909’.
The opening production at Asher Hamburger’s Majestic Theater was the Shubert production of “The Land of Nod”.
In 1912 adverts stated that Sarah Bernhardt in “Camille” and Mme. Gabrielle Rejane in “Mmn. Sans-Gene” were billed as being shown ‘on screen’.
A correction to my Dec 14th post;
The Eastern-Columbia Building was not built on the site of the Majestic, it is located immediately next to it.
A sign in the poster frames outside the cinema states that it has been open since 1968.
Jeff;
The correct street address we found today was 6820 La Tijera Blvd.
That’s what I wrote down on my sheet as we stood outside the former theatre.
I went and investigated the former World/Marcal Theatre this week. The original facade has been removed (or covered over) and is now cinder-blocked and plain. There was a side exit doorway open so I went a peeked inside what was the former auditorium. There is nothing remaining inside of original decorative detail from its theatre days. It has been gutted back to its exterior walls and roof beams and the floor has been leveled.
It is currently used as a disco/nightclub.
This theatre was known as the Paramount in 1928, so it could have opened with that name. It had been re-named Loma Theatre by the early 1940’s, operated by Fox West Coast Theaters.
A small shopping centre has now been built on the site.
I have been notified that the Jewel Theatre has now closed and has been for a while. It was seen as closed in December 2004,
A low rise retail unit named ‘8th & Main’ (with parking on the roof) has now been built on the land previously occupied by the California Theatre.
The current status of the Banner Theater needs to changed to Closed/Demolished. The land is currently used as a parking lot.
The Las Palmas Theatre, Hollywood is listed here on Cinema Treasures and did show movies /theaters/2368/
Christian;
I have no records of the Ivar Theatre showing movies but let us know if you fine out more info please.
This opened as the Danilo Cinema on 7th August 1939. The opening programme was a double bill; Sydney Toler in “Charlie Chan in Honolulu” and Jane Withers in “Always in Trouble”.
The architect was E.S. Roberts with Andrew Mather inputing some plans.
The original seating capaity was 1,598. The cinema was tripled in 1973.
The address is La Tijera Blvd, Westchester, CA. Sorry I dont have a street number.
Jim;
Thanks for posting a most interesting account on the history of the building.
savage;
I will be away for 4 weeks, so e-mail me mid February (e-mail address on my profile) and I will scan the photo for you. That’s if you haven’t already purchased it from THS.
The only example of a ramped access to upper parts of a building I have seen (having never been inside the Raymond Theater, Pasadena) is the ramped access to the Casino Ballroom which is located above the Avalon Theater, Avalon, Catalina Island CA.
Headers need updating here to:
Architect: John Roth Jnr.
Seats: 790
Patsy;
I know there are so many wonderful theaters in the USA, I have visited many of them over the years. I just haven’t had time to sit here and contemplate which are my real favourites, I spend far too much time on here updating and adding comments! LOL I will share my USA favourites with you all one day soon, I promise.
Now I am off to CA for four weeks (doing some theater research) so you wont be seeing me online for a while, but I Will Be Back!
cypress;
Can you post that link of the photo of the Circle Theatre onto its page here on Cinema Treasures /theaters/9237/
Thanks
Patsy;
Well it’s the only one in the USA on my favourites list>>>so far>>> lol
The Avalon Theater is a beautiful movie palace which has been lovingly restored to its original 1929 appearance. Plus, its a magic moment when you enter the auditorium to the strains of ‘I Left My Heart in Avalon, Beside the Sea’ being played on the mighty Page organ.
MikeRa;
Thanks for the update on the status of the Circle Theatre. It is good to know the building still stands, I wonder what condition it is in nowadays?
I will go back and check my source regarding it’s demolition which I ‘think’ I got from a Theater Historical Society of America document.
This ‘could’ have been known initially as the Strand Theater but there is no reference to a theater of that name in the book I have on the history of the Casino Building.
The Riviera Theater is mentioned several times;
‘that it was only open during the summer season, once the Avalon Theater opened in 1929. Tom White, a Hollywood promotor who held the lease on Avalon’s Riviera Theater, leased the new Avalon Theater in 1929 and also signed on as general manager of the Casino operation. His lifestyle proved to flamboyant, and his association with the Casino ended in December 1929. Art LaShelle, who had managed the Riviera and Avalon Theater’s for Tom White, stayed on to manage both theatres and facilities until 1939.
Over the years Avalon had enjoyed the offerings of a number of summer resident theatrical groups on the stage of the Riviera or the Bandbox Theater in El Encanto.
Western Amusement Company, which operated a number of theaters on the mainland, obtained a lease on both the Avalon and Riviera Theater’s in 1949. The company closed the Avalon Theater during the winter but kept the Riviera Theater open all year until it was converted into a bowling alley in 1961.
The Avalon Theater is still open and operating and is on Cinema Treasures /theaters/22/
LOL,
Thats’s what you get for getting involved a cinema/theatre buffs. I am a founder member of the CTA from way back in 1968.
Don;
I was with ABC’s rival circuit The Rank Organisation in the mid to late 1960’s. After doing relief manager work mainly in the Midlands; Birmingham area I get to be Manager at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Liverpool, built as a variety theatre in 1896, bcame a cinema in 1929 and seated 3,000. It is now demolished.
I have lived in London for 36 years! I did get to know managers and assistant managers from other circuits when travelling around, but as time goes by you loose contact. I didn’t know Kevin or Derek, just have references to them in a book I have on Eccles cinemas and thought it might stir a memory for you!
From the 1937 photo I have of the exterior, I would say the style was Restrained Classical. (I wish we could get the add-a-photo back up and working on the site)
Charles;
Thanks for clarifying the licence/permit issue. I agree that seating capacities which are given in ‘any’ source must always be taken with a pinch of salt. Theater owners always exagerated capacities. We have the same problem here in the UK with our trade book The Kinematograph Yearbook.
Keep up the good work, it is always a pleasure reading input from you and many of the other ‘theatre-buffs’ on the site. If you are not sure about any info on your Baltimore research, send me an e-mail and I will consult with my sources here.
Chuck;
The last licence could have run for a year after the Feb 1936 date, which means a closure of Feb 1937. But this is conjecture, basing my facts on what happens here in the UK when a licence is taken out in advance for a year. Does that happen in the USA?
The “Exit” book is a little vague on a few dates and facts like ‘opened late 1909’, when it has also stated ‘that a permit was granted for a cinema in September 1909’.
Little by little we build up a complete story Eh!