An LA Times article on 1/12/27 noted an explosion and fire at the Pasadena Photoplay. The explosion blew the theater’s metal front doors off of their hinges.
There was a fire at the Laurier Palace theater in Montreal in January 1927. I don’t know if that is an aka for this theater. A news story called this an east-end theater.
I was in a building in Dead Cat Alley a few years ago. There were a lot of pre-war buildings in that area, but I can’t recall if any of them looked like a former theater.
On 9/17/57, the Syracuse Post-Standard reported that the Brighton had been sold to the United Development Co. of Binghamton. Plans were to turn the theater into a bowling alley or skating rink.
Cliches come to life, from the LA Times on November 24, 1909:
FIRE PANIC AVERTED
CHICAGO, Nov. 23 – Fire in a hotel adjacent to the Grand Operahouse tonight caused the audience to leave the theater. A panic in the theater was averted by theater employees stopping a policeman, who ran into the building shouting “Fire, fire, there’s a fire in the building”.
Here is an LA Times article dated March 5, 1908. It looks like the new theater was going up on the Pike, but the theater itself is not named.
SURFEIT OF THEATERS
The city, after a famine, is to have a surfeit of playhouses. A deal for a third theater was closed today between the Seaside Water Company and the E.C. Edmundson and R.C. McDonald, former manager of the Long Beach Theater. The site leased is a 58x200 foot lot between the bath-house and the Majestic Rink, and heretofore has been used as a children’s playground. Mr. McDonald has the plans and capital for a modern theater which will be erected at once and will cost $40,000. Meanwhile, the new Tarrytown, a block west, is being built, and the Naples Construction Company today signed contracts to begin work on the Bentley Theater, west of the Majestic Rink.
A masked bandit, speaking in Spanish and armed with an icepick, held up the cashier and manager of the Million Dollar Theater, 307 S. Broadway, last night and escaped with $200, police reported.
Two bandits yesterday robbed the Boulevard Theater at 4549 Whittier Boulevard, of $270 and fled on foot. Cashier Elsie Lovato, 21, told police that the men asked for two tickets and then produced guns.
SOUTH PASADENA – The Ritz Theater was held up last night by an armed bandit, who escaped with $53.10. Cashier Ruth Shroder and the doorman were threatened with a revolver.
A nervous bandit late last night held up the box office at the Fox-Arlington Theater, and escaped with $127, taken from the cashier, Mrs. Alice Thuresson. The bandit shoved a note through the grating, reading, “Turn over all your money or I’ll drill you”.
INGLEWOOD, Oct. 31 – Two bandits held up the box office of the United Artists Theater during the second performance last night, effecting the robbery while the motor of their roadster was kept running at the curb. Less than $100 was obtained.
OMAHA, Oct. 7 – Ten thousand dollars, the weekend receipts of the Paramount Theater, were taken from Glen McDaniel, assistant manager, at the point of a pistol early today. The robber compelled McDaniel to put the money in a sack and then fled in an automobile.
The Auto Drive-In Theater, which Rian James, producer, and Karl Freund, director, are to sponsor, will probably be located in Santa Monica. The theater which they plan is patterned after the one in Camden, NJ, and is graded in such a way that persons parked in everycar in the parking space may see the show.
In April 1942 the theater was running 2 a.m. shows, presumably for second shift workers during the war. I recall that the State was staying open all night at that time as well.
An LA Times article on 1/12/27 noted an explosion and fire at the Pasadena Photoplay. The explosion blew the theater’s metal front doors off of their hinges.
There was a fire at the Laurier Palace theater in Montreal in January 1927. I don’t know if that is an aka for this theater. A news story called this an east-end theater.
There was a story in the LA Times dated 12/4/18 about a man charged with arson at the Omar Theater. Address was 521 ½ S. Main Street.
LA Times reported a major fire at the Burbank on June 5, 1897. The theater was gutted, but plans were made to rebuild the structure with improvements.
It was operating as the Liberty in 1950, as a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article in July of that year noted a fire in the theater.
Vintage photo on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/57gk4p
Here is a September 2000 article:
http://film.laramie.wy.us/nelson.html
I was in a building in Dead Cat Alley a few years ago. There were a lot of pre-war buildings in that area, but I can’t recall if any of them looked like a former theater.
There is a photo of the theater on the church site:
http://www.fgichurch.org/
The Hartford Courant reported that the State was sold to a church group in June 1974.
On 9/17/57, the Syracuse Post-Standard reported that the Brighton had been sold to the United Development Co. of Binghamton. Plans were to turn the theater into a bowling alley or skating rink.
Cliches come to life, from the LA Times on November 24, 1909:
FIRE PANIC AVERTED
CHICAGO, Nov. 23 – Fire in a hotel adjacent to the Grand Operahouse tonight caused the audience to leave the theater. A panic in the theater was averted by theater employees stopping a policeman, who ran into the building shouting “Fire, fire, there’s a fire in the building”.
Here is an LA Times article dated March 5, 1908. It looks like the new theater was going up on the Pike, but the theater itself is not named.
SURFEIT OF THEATERS
The city, after a famine, is to have a surfeit of playhouses. A deal for a third theater was closed today between the Seaside Water Company and the E.C. Edmundson and R.C. McDonald, former manager of the Long Beach Theater. The site leased is a 58x200 foot lot between the bath-house and the Majestic Rink, and heretofore has been used as a children’s playground. Mr. McDonald has the plans and capital for a modern theater which will be erected at once and will cost $40,000. Meanwhile, the new Tarrytown, a block west, is being built, and the Naples Construction Company today signed contracts to begin work on the Bentley Theater, west of the Majestic Rink.
From the LA Times, dated July 21, 1960:
A masked bandit, speaking in Spanish and armed with an icepick, held up the cashier and manager of the Million Dollar Theater, 307 S. Broadway, last night and escaped with $200, police reported.
From the LA Times, dated May 11, 1953:
Two bandits yesterday robbed the Boulevard Theater at 4549 Whittier Boulevard, of $270 and fled on foot. Cashier Elsie Lovato, 21, told police that the men asked for two tickets and then produced guns.
Here is an LA Times article dated 12/13/36:
SOUTH PASADENA – The Ritz Theater was held up last night by an armed bandit, who escaped with $53.10. Cashier Ruth Shroder and the doorman were threatened with a revolver.
From the LA Times, November 18, 1931:
Santa Barbara Theater Robbed
A nervous bandit late last night held up the box office at the Fox-Arlington Theater, and escaped with $127, taken from the cashier, Mrs. Alice Thuresson. The bandit shoved a note through the grating, reading, “Turn over all your money or I’ll drill you”.
From the LA Times, November 1, 1931:
INGLEWOOD, Oct. 31 – Two bandits held up the box office of the United Artists Theater during the second performance last night, effecting the robbery while the motor of their roadster was kept running at the curb. Less than $100 was obtained.
Advertised as the New Imperial in September 1973, per the LA Times.
From the LA Times, 10/8/29:
THEATER ROBBED
OMAHA, Oct. 7 – Ten thousand dollars, the weekend receipts of the Paramount Theater, were taken from Glen McDaniel, assistant manager, at the point of a pistol early today. The robber compelled McDaniel to put the money in a sack and then fled in an automobile.
From the LA Times, July 29, 1934:
The Auto Drive-In Theater, which Rian James, producer, and Karl Freund, director, are to sponsor, will probably be located in Santa Monica. The theater which they plan is patterned after the one in Camden, NJ, and is graded in such a way that persons parked in everycar in the parking space may see the show.
In April 1942 the theater was running 2 a.m. shows, presumably for second shift workers during the war. I recall that the State was staying open all night at that time as well.
Advertised in the LA Times on 4/22/42. Double feature was “Wolf Man” and “Vanishing Virginian”.
Advertised in the LA Times on 4/22/42. Double feature was “Gay Falcon” and “Jungle Cavalcade”. Admission was fifteen cents.
Function should be changed to retail.