Mayan Theatre
1040 S. Hill Street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90015
1040 S. Hill Street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90015
34 people
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The Mayan opened on August 16 1927 as a playhouse, not first as a movie theater (per the top of the page).
To quote the Los Angeles Times (July 31): ‘The property will be devoted solely to the presentation of musical comedies.’
and in an Aug 17 review of the opening night:
‘Messrs David, Butler and Belasco have done well in presenting such a sparkling general production, to open their new theater, which is to cultivate the lighter muse, as an adjunct to their already successful playhouse, the Belasco.’
Evidently they’d changed their plans within the first couple of years of operation (per Ken’s Nov 1 posting).
A rather glib description of the theater from the latter article:
‘The Mayan casts an agreeable warmth over the spectator. It is abundantly decorative, but the effects are well blended, and typical of an architectural scheme that has never previously been expressed in any playhouse in this locality. It is a building that in its richness and detail elicits a curious as well as a pleased interest, because it is in every sense a novelty.’
Thanks for the responses, Chas, Joe. I have the Conservancy’s theater district walking tour book, and under “other theaters” it has a photo of the Belasco. The marquee reads “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” but according to Wikipedia the novel was turned into a stage musical in the late 40s. That probably explains that.
Don S: The Hill Street Belasco isn’t listed at Cinema Treasures because nobody’s presented any evidence that it was ever used as a movie theatre. In short, it’s a theatrical treasure but not a cinema treasure. In fact I’m not sure it even has a projection room.
However, the Main Street Belasco is listed here under its final name, the Follies.
I tried to list the Belasco, however it did not list as Cinema Treasures lists only theaters that have shown movies and the Balasco was a legit house for live theater and never ran any movies. It was home of the Metropolitan Community Church at one time.
Chas, I was looking for your entry on the Belasco and couldn’t find it. Is it under another name? I also looked under Morgan, Walls & Clements and couldn’t find it that way. Strange…
Here is a July 1931 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/2o6y8x
Here is a September 1929 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/34klz7
Here is a September 1948 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/2nmffs
Here is a January 1958 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/2p2ln5
Here is an early 70s ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2kdkrk
Then why the church sign?
ken mc, that 1950’s shot is the Mayan and that other vertical sign is on the theatre next door, the Belasco Theatre (Legit, no movies).
Was the Mayan ever used for a church? There’s a sign on the theater in this 1950 photo that says “Immanuel”:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics07/00013103.jpg
You can see a different type of marquee on the left in this 1928 USC photo:
http://tinyurl.com/36snmk
Here are some July 2007 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/ypgvtw
http://tinyurl.com/25pl3e
http://tinyurl.com/2gcplq
http://tinyurl.com/273ddw
http://tinyurl.com/2677hv
http://tinyurl.com/2f2xb8
http://tinyurl.com/2fntgh
Here is a photo from the Library of Congress:
http://tinyurl.com/2vskfq
On 11/28/47, the Mayan was already showing adult-oriented films, which surprised me. The features that day were “Daughter of Ra – Life Among the Nudists (Adults Only)” and “The Strange Story of Man’s Way with Woman (Swedish Film)”. For anybody whose knowledge of Egyptian mythology is rusty, Ra was a sun god. He was a big deal in those days.
On 9/15/72, the Mayan was advertising “The Vice Girls” plus “Secret Infidelity”, both rated X. The ad also promises free popcorn, which I thought was a nice touch. Other theaters showing the same program (but without the free popcorn, I guess) were the Fine Arts in San Bernardino, the Ritz in Ontario, Savoy in San Diego, Roxy in Long Beach and Wilshire in Fullerton.
The Mayan was showing Spanish films in January 1958.
Here are some undated photos from the LAPL:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015384.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015385.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015388.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015389.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015392.jpg
Just a note that this film/DVD is actually titled REFINEMENTS IN LOVE (not Reflections…). Besides the historical footage – also including behind-the-scenes shotsof Tobalina shooting a sex movie — be aware this is a very entertaining film —– darn near wacky.
A just released DVD called Reflections in Love (a film by Carlos Tobalina made in 1971, he operated the Mayan then) has lovely pictures of this theater’s exterior at night (including neon sign & marquee)—This would be when the Mayan was offering X-rated fare. There are also shots of the Las Palmas theater (another Tobalina house, marquee was showing “I Am Curious Tahiti”) with a crowd in front and some fire dancers performing in front of the theater. There is also filmed footage of the X 1 & 2 (exterior & lobby areas) showing a “filmed obscenity bust” which I suspect was a re-enactment. Tobalina himself does appear in the film being interviewed. The film is a cross of a “mondo” film with XXX marterial & some “educational” stuff.
Here is a circa 1970s photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics18/00028740.jpg
I have just added the Belasco to Cinema Treaure. Strange that it had not been listed before. Some photos can be see at this web address: View link
Next door to the Mayan is the “Belasco Theater” (1050 S. Hill). It doesn’t show up in the Cinema Treasures listing for Los Angeles under that name. Is it documented under another name? Real Estate signs indicate it’s available for rent as a nightclub.