State Theatre
703 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90014
703 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90014
24 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 130 comments
I immigrated to LA from New Jersey in 1984. On my first night here, I stayed at a fleabag hotel at 13th and Olive, across from a fire station, which of course meant no sleep. The next morning, I perambulated down Olive to Broadway. It was appalling. I almost called a cab and went back to the airport.
Ken mc: By 1966 the State had been part of the Corwins' Metropolitan Circuit for at least a few years. The photo is interesting for other reasons too, though. Look how tidy the street and sidewalk are. There are a couple of scraps of paper in the gutter, but those white spots on the sidewalk are probably from dust specks on the photograph negative. That’s how I remember Broadway and most of downtown being through the 1960s. When I returned in the early 1980s, after more than a decade’s absence, the street was one long strew of trash, most of it from fast food places, and somebody had virtually paved the sidewalks with dried chewing gum.
Here is a 1966 photo. It’s interesting because Loew’s has been taken off the marquee, and it just says “The State”. Perhaps a change of ownership:
http://tinyurl.com/ytgne9
Clifton’s is still open, I think. Their jello is top shelf.
I saw a couple of shows here in its very last days of movies, probably 1995, because the film was MONEY TRAIN with Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. I think they were doing second run at that point. The second feature was ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS, which was so bad I walked out and had dinner at Clifton’s.
I’m very upset that I didn’t come down to downtown more often and take in some more shows while they were still going on. Now I live here, but at that time I lived in the Valley and it was somewhat of a trial to get down here.
At that point, the only other operating theater in downtown was the Palace, who were showing English films with Spanish subtitles. I saw something there at least once, maybe it was “The Net” with Sandra Bullock? The subtitles were really distracting.
Here is a larger version of the photo at the top of the page:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics32/00065592.jpg
Robby the Robot made a personal appearance here in March 1956 to promote “Forbidden Planet”, but to refer to him as a “monster” as it does in this L.A. Times ad is not only inaccurate, but more than a little insulting :)
View link
This is V-J Day in 1945, via the LA Library:
http://tinyurl.com/glqhf
Here is a 1920s photo. The feature is “Cheaper to Marry”. I don’t know if I agree with that:
http://tinyurl.com/guvex
I thought this 1946 photo was interesting as it shows the theater as being open all night. As I have read, many theaters were open 24 hours during the war as the workers were on staggered shifts. This may have been a carryover:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics05/00022471.jpg
On a recent visit to the official web site of the Los Angeles Theatre, when I clicked on the “Other Locations” link at the top of the page, I saw that the State Theatre was listed, along with the William Fox Building. Apparently, these two properties have been added to the holdings of Michael Delijani’s Delson Investment Company. As the Delson Company has been doing an excellent job with the restoration of the Los Angeles Theatre, and has plans to restore the Palace Theatre as well, this seems a very hopeful sign for the State Theatre.
Under the time the Loew’s State Theatre was under operations of Fox West Coast Theatres, they did a remodel in 1945 and Skouras-ized the theatre.
There’s a “for rent” sign on this theatre recently.
Cinematours has a set of color photos that are worth a look:
http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/2144.html
The L.A. Public Library’s photo database includes a number of pictures of Loew’s State under construction, including this one.
1950, from the same viewpoint:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013783.jpg
1930:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013798.jpg
From the LA Library:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics26/00032683.jpg
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics26/00032685.jpg
I walked by the State yesterday. The resident church was having some kind of open house, with refreshments. I wanted to go inside, but I didn’t want to hear the accompanying lecture on my salvation, so I wussed out. Maybe next time.
1938 postcard, from the Pomona Public Library:
View link
Another Reagh photo:
View link
A William Reagh photo:
View link
CALLING ALL THEATRE / MOVIE ENTHUSIASTS!!!
T'he Los Angeles Theatre' on South Broadway, LA is playing host to the UK television show ‘Dead Famous LIVE’. We are currently looking for people who would like to come along as part of the studio audience.
‘Dead Famous LIVE’ is a studio entertainment show all about Hollywood History and the paranormal. We will be welcoming celebrity guests on to the show and investigating famous locations around Hollywood which are rumoured to be haunted including the Los Angeles Theatre itself.
This is an invaluable chance to get access to the Los Angeles Theatre, the place where Charlie Chaplin’s ‘City Lights’ premiered in 1931 and to have a thoroughly great day out! (And its free!!)
We’re transmitting ‘Live’ back to the United Kingdom so expect it to be exciting and fun!
We will be filming on three days from 11th – 13th November between 11.30am – 4pm. If you are interested in coming on one or all of these days then email me for tickets!
.uk
I look forward to your responses!
An interesting color photo from yesterdayla.com:
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/broadway.jpg
After eating lunch across the street at Clifton’s Brookdale Cafeteria (an amazing survivor of a more gracious era in Los Angeles history) the other day, I walked over to look at the State Theater. Of all the movie palaces on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles, this one may have the least impressive exterior, but a visit inside of what is now used as a church reveals hidden treasure. The interior is still incredibly ornate, and is surprisingly well-preserved.
And the folks there are friendly, particularly if you can manage at least a little broken Spanish, as I did to gain entry.