I took a couple of photos the other day. The framework is coming along. I also took some pictures of the old Higgins building across the street at 244 S. Main. There was some debate about that site on another page, but I don’t remember which one.
For what it’s worth, here’s an aerial photo. The theater shaped building by the red dot is the theater. I tried to locate theaters on one of the local search engines, but it kept referring me to assisted living facilities. I’m going home. http://tinyurl.com/39nwbc
The CT guys get a lot of posts to wade through every day. Sometimes it takes a while but everything gets updated eventually. Cf: Mesa Theater Los Angeles. Patience is a virtue, as they say.
There was a story in the LA Times about a theater robbery on April 12, 1931. The Triangle Theater was located at 832 S. Main in downtown Los Angeles. As this would wedge the theater in between the California at 810 and Millers at 842, I’m thinking that this may be an aka for Millers.
Carey Wilson and George H. Cowdrey pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery at their arraignment yesterday. Cowdrey is also charged with the murder of Joseph Langley, manager of the Alvarado Theater, on September 20, 1923. Langley was shot down in the street by a man who snatched the theater cash box from his hands. Wilson and Cowdrey stand accused of the robbery of the Sultan Baths, Parsons Garage and a street-railway motorbus.
Safe crackers smashed off the safe door of the Rivoli Theater, 4521 South Western, early yesterday and got $846, according to police. They entered through a skylight and are believed to be the same “skylight burglars” who have entered several places over the past few weeks.
The Symphony and California theaters were advertised in the LA Times as being in Compton in 1924. Without addresses, there’s no way to tell if these were akas or completely different theaters.
One of the most imposing lists of attractions any theater ever had the privilege of offering the public will come into the Criterion Theater, Grand near Seventh, on its reopening as West Coast’s banner long-run popular price house. The Criterion opens on the 18th with the William Fox special “Street Angel” as the attraction.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 12/13/25:
Sol Lesser, secretary of West Coast Theaters,Inc, has announced definitely the opening of the West Coast Uptown on the 29th and the West Coast Manchester Theater on January 5, 1926.
The West Coast Manchester has been designed as a family theater and every modern convenience for the public has been incorporated into the building. Sol Lesser said, “We have built this theater with a view of the future growth of Los Angeles. It has a seating capacity of 1700 people and we exppect that part of the city to grow very fast in the next few years. This theater will permit people living a long way from the downtown section to attend a show as fine as any presented in the larger downtown theaters, and to see it in as fine a house as any theater anywhere”.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 4/4/26:
NEW ADDITION TO SHOWHOUSE CHAIN
Another neighborhood theater, the West Coast Balboa, located at Eighty-Seventh and Vermont, has been completed and will open on the 6th, according to Mr. Gore, heaad of West Coast Theaters, Inc. This is the sixth theater that the organization has opened in the past ninety days. Twenty more are in the course of construction.
The Balboa Theater represents an investment of more than $250,000 and is of Class A construction. The lot is 80x130 feet on the west side of Vermont, just south of Eighty Seventh Street. The building was designed by L.A. Smith, and is of the Spanish type. It will seat 1250, and is designed in an intimate, cozy style which makes it an ideal neighborhood house, and the policy of the management will be to present the finest feature pictures and as complete a program as can be seen at any of the downtown theaters.
The new Balboa Theater, located on one of the most important corners in San Diego, will open its doors to the public tomorrow evening. Officials of West Coast Theaters, under whose banner the theater will be operated, will attend the opening in a body. Arrangements have been made to escort the players in “Lillies of the Field” to San Diego also. This picture will be the initial photoplay to be flashed on the theater’s screen.
I remember the cheesy burlesque posters in the display cases in the early to mid 70s. The dancers all had exotic names like “Lotta Love” and so on. By that time the city was extremely poor shape.
The Meralta is the building casting the large shadow:
http://tinyurl.com/2rk97p
I think the current church took it off. It was there a few years ago.
Here is a 2004 aerial photo:
http://tinyurl.com/287myz
Here is a 2004 aerial photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yra3mr
This is the 6000 block. Aloha on the left and Century on the right, possibly:
http://tinyurl.com/2uf7em
Rest in peace:
http://tinyurl.com/3ynn62
I took a couple of photos the other day. The framework is coming along. I also took some pictures of the old Higgins building across the street at 244 S. Main. There was some debate about that site on another page, but I don’t remember which one.
The Carlton would have been just below the intersection on the left. I don’t recall offhand what’s there now:
http://tinyurl.com/235ony
For what it’s worth, here’s an aerial photo. The theater shaped building by the red dot is the theater. I tried to locate theaters on one of the local search engines, but it kept referring me to assisted living facilities. I’m going home.
http://tinyurl.com/39nwbc
The CT guys get a lot of posts to wade through every day. Sometimes it takes a while but everything gets updated eventually. Cf: Mesa Theater Los Angeles. Patience is a virtue, as they say.
Here is a November 1929 photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics32/00050637.jpg
Placed at 8603 S. Compton in an LA Times story on 7/28/44.
A 1931 LA Times story puts the Mesa at 5803 instead of 5807. Not a big deal.
There was a story in the LA Times about a theater robbery on April 12, 1931. The Triangle Theater was located at 832 S. Main in downtown Los Angeles. As this would wedge the theater in between the California at 810 and Millers at 842, I’m thinking that this may be an aka for Millers.
Bad guys in May 1924, from the LA Times:
Carey Wilson and George H. Cowdrey pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery at their arraignment yesterday. Cowdrey is also charged with the murder of Joseph Langley, manager of the Alvarado Theater, on September 20, 1923. Langley was shot down in the street by a man who snatched the theater cash box from his hands. Wilson and Cowdrey stand accused of the robbery of the Sultan Baths, Parsons Garage and a street-railway motorbus.
It was called the Cinema Theater when a robbery occurred in September 1968, according to the LA Times.
Crime in April 1924:
Safe crackers smashed off the safe door of the Rivoli Theater, 4521 South Western, early yesterday and got $846, according to police. They entered through a skylight and are believed to be the same “skylight burglars” who have entered several places over the past few weeks.
Advertised as the Loring Theater in the LA Times in 1924.
The Symphony and California theaters were advertised in the LA Times as being in Compton in 1924. Without addresses, there’s no way to tell if these were akas or completely different theaters.
The Maybell was advertised in the LA Times in 1924. No other theaters in Bell were listed. Presumably this is an aka for the Bell.
August 8, 1928, from the LA Times:
CRITERION TO REOPEN DOORS
One of the most imposing lists of attractions any theater ever had the privilege of offering the public will come into the Criterion Theater, Grand near Seventh, on its reopening as West Coast’s banner long-run popular price house. The Criterion opens on the 18th with the William Fox special “Street Angel” as the attraction.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 12/13/25:
Sol Lesser, secretary of West Coast Theaters,Inc, has announced definitely the opening of the West Coast Uptown on the 29th and the West Coast Manchester Theater on January 5, 1926.
The West Coast Manchester has been designed as a family theater and every modern convenience for the public has been incorporated into the building. Sol Lesser said, “We have built this theater with a view of the future growth of Los Angeles. It has a seating capacity of 1700 people and we exppect that part of the city to grow very fast in the next few years. This theater will permit people living a long way from the downtown section to attend a show as fine as any presented in the larger downtown theaters, and to see it in as fine a house as any theater anywhere”.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 4/4/26:
NEW ADDITION TO SHOWHOUSE CHAIN
Another neighborhood theater, the West Coast Balboa, located at Eighty-Seventh and Vermont, has been completed and will open on the 6th, according to Mr. Gore, heaad of West Coast Theaters, Inc. This is the sixth theater that the organization has opened in the past ninety days. Twenty more are in the course of construction.
The Balboa Theater represents an investment of more than $250,000 and is of Class A construction. The lot is 80x130 feet on the west side of Vermont, just south of Eighty Seventh Street. The building was designed by L.A. Smith, and is of the Spanish type. It will seat 1250, and is designed in an intimate, cozy style which makes it an ideal neighborhood house, and the policy of the management will be to present the finest feature pictures and as complete a program as can be seen at any of the downtown theaters.
This is from the LA Times dated 3/24/27:
NEW THEATER WILL OPEN IN SAN DIEGO
The new Balboa Theater, located on one of the most important corners in San Diego, will open its doors to the public tomorrow evening. Officials of West Coast Theaters, under whose banner the theater will be operated, will attend the opening in a body. Arrangements have been made to escort the players in “Lillies of the Field” to San Diego also. This picture will be the initial photoplay to be flashed on the theater’s screen.
I remember the cheesy burlesque posters in the display cases in the early to mid 70s. The dancers all had exotic names like “Lotta Love” and so on. By that time the city was extremely poor shape.