State Theatre
703 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90014
703 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90014
24 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 130 comments
You’re welcome, Bill. You can easily go inside and walk around as long as you don’t start taking pictures. Then you get chased out.
If you can’t tell the diffrence between between a theater and a theatre you’ve got not class that’s all I can say.
Ken, thanks for taking those photos last summer. In January I walked down Broadway and saw the outsides of all the great theaters, but was too scared to actually try going inside any of them. Maybe I should have, if you got into the State. Anyway, thanks again for posting pictures of where “Forbidden Planet” opened in 1956.
stevebob, that small vertical sign before it was blanked out said “Seiko” and was blue in color for the watch store at the corner at one time. The store was LeRoys. The State has not had any other signage other than the marquee for decades on the building. When it had a Big A feature playing the companies sign department put up a large display above the marquee.
It would be great for entertainment to return to the Loew’s State. The emphasis on spelling of theater vs theatre is annoying.
ken mc’s photo of 3/23 seems to show a grey metal vertical sign, apparently blank, hanging on the very edge of the building at Seventh and Broadway. I don’t recall seeing that before, and am guessing that it’s connected with the “Catedral” in some way.
What does it — or did it — say?
Here is a March 2008 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yqczk2
Like he said.
Here is a January 1935 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/23sge8
It’s a convention here at Cinema Treasures to list a theater by the name by which it’s currently, or was most recently, known. (Not everyone agrees with the sensibility of this policy; a post on the Loew’s Capitol page points out, for instance, that it was known simply as the Capitol for most of its life until the final few years.)
Consistency, though, would seem to suggest that this theater be listed here as “The State” and, secondarily, also known as “Loew’s State.” It passed into Metropolitan’s hands nearly 50 years ago, after all, and at that time all indications of the former association with Loew’s were removed. Signage from that point forward read “The State,” and — so far as I am aware — it became generally known thenceforth as “The State.”
While those who share our special interest know this theater was once Loew’s State, there are generations of people now who never knew it by that name and quite possibly never even heard it referred to as such.
In the current issue of Reminisce there is a letter on the Reminisent page that talks about this theatre. It reads as follows: “Clayton Durbin, a Los Angeles native now living in Wichita Kansas, added that the Loew’s State Theatre on the left of the photo (photo in the Aug/Sept issue) and the KRKD radio tower on the right are still on Broadway. He noted that many dignitaries were honored in parades through that intersection.”
Here is a 1954 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/25mvlx
At different times during it’s history the State Theatre was operated by different chains while being known as the Loew’s State. Fox West Coast Theatres operated and booked other UA Theatres during the 30s & 40s till the 1950’s. The United Artists Theatre Downtown was operated by Publix Chain.
Here is a 1953 ad showing the State as part of the UA chain:
http://tinyurl.com/265sz3
Here is a July 1957 ad for the United Artists State from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2crl3l
It looked to be in good shape when I was in there last month.
I heard it through the grapevine that when the Cult’s, er, I mean Church’s lease it up, the Owners do not intend to renew it. Rumor has it that the owners intend on a major restoration/renovation on this theatre to make it a major road house for touring musicals……
Hmmmm……………
OK. There are some errors in the database.
Ken,
Spellbound was made in 1945. The photo has to be from at least 1945.
Here is a 1937 photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics21/00045320.jpg
Here are some photos from July 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/2sdaop
http://tinyurl.com/2nwebk
http://tinyurl.com/2tkene
http://tinyurl.com/34jykn
http://tinyurl.com/2w8wbh
http://tinyurl.com/2l78bl
http://tinyurl.com/3389a5
http://tinyurl.com/2ohm5x
http://tinyurl.com/33xwjd
http://tinyurl.com/2lez2d
http://tinyurl.com/2rkq7k
http://tinyurl.com/37x9zy
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 11/13/32. Mr. Wright’s age at his passing hit a little too close to home, for me at least:
Homer Wright, Former Theater Manager, Dies
Stricken with a sudden heart seizure and hour or so after he had retired for the evening, apparently in excellent health, Homer B. Wright, 46 years of age, former manager of Loew’s State and Chinese Theaters, died early yesterday at his home. He was a Mason and a Shriner.
I was inside this theater today. I tried to ask permission to take photos, but no one spoke English. I took that as a negative affirmation. The theater is very well kept inside. My camera has a weak flash, but hopefully the pictures will be OK when I post them later.
The information accompanying this photo gives the date as 1955, but looking at the cars on the street I’d guess it’s as much as a decade earlier- probably the early post-war years. Anyway, here’s a view of Broadway with the Loew’s State vertical sign prominently featured.
Here is a blurb from the LA Times on the State’s opening, dated 11/12/21:
DOORS TO OPEN TONIGHT.
State Theater Will be Honored by Presence of Many Stars of Stage and Screenland. STATE THEATER OPENS TONIGHT. Distinguished Guests, Will View First Program
Screen Stars to Appear in Impromptu Stunts
“Liliom” in Film Version is Headliner. Playing Leading Roles in Housewarming. STATE THEATER OPENS TONIGHT.
With Gov. Stephens in one box and Mayor Cryer in the other, and Marcus Loew, together with at least thirty noted motion-picture stars in the audience, Loew’s State Theater will open its doors tonight. A feature program is announced, to be preceded by many clever impromptu stunts in which some of the most prominent members of the local theatrical world will appear.