A subsequent article about the theater owners' appeal of the jury verdict states that the last film was shown at the Plaza on December 31, 1964. The last ownership group bought the theater in 1965 but never re-opened it to show films. The Plaza was torn down in 1971.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 3/5/72:
Condemnation Settlement OKd by Jury
A Superior Court jury has made an award of $80,000 in a condemnation suit involving the Community Redevelopment Agency and the owners of the former Plaza Theater. The theater, built in 1928 as a legitimate theater and later converted to a movie house, was located at 4355 Plaza Square and has been torn down.
Owners of the land produced expert testimony that the land was worth $400,000. Agency experts placed the value at $73,200. The site is included in a 36 acre, $11 million redevelopment project near Hawthorne and El Segundo Boulevards. Planned for an eventual commercial regional shopping center, the project is expected to include a Montgomery-Ward store, a J.C. Penney store and a third department store.
Here is an excerpt from an LA Times story dated ¾/68:
For years a huge sign overlooking Exposition Park stood out as a familiar Los Angeles landmark. It towered above the Figueroa Theater at Santa Barbara Avenue. “Figueroa Theater” was emblazoned on a massive steel frame, luring moviegoers to such films as “Stanley and Livingston” and “Boom Town” in the years just before World War II.
Now the theater, built in the mid 1920s but dark for many years, is being torn down and a gas station will go up on the site.
Here is an excerpted article from the LA Times dated 12/21/54:
Historic Mason Opera House to Come Down
Passing of a famous Los Angeles landmark was revealed yesterday with the announcement that the Mason Opera House at 127 S. Broadway will be torn down. Frank Fouce, owner of the theater, said it has been sold to the state. He said the state had acquired title to a major portion of the block for expansion of the Civic Center.
The Mason’s star began to fade in the early 20s, when the Biltmore theater became the leading legitimate theater. In recent years the Mason has been a Mexican film theater. Final presentation before the state takes possession will be the showing of a Mexican film “Pueblerina”, starring Columba Dominguez.
Here is an LA Times excerpt about the demolition. The story is dated 3/17/41.
OLD LYCEUM THEATER SOON TO BE TORN DOWN
The Lyceum Theater, on Spring Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets, is to be torn down to make way for a parking station. To a modern generation of showgoers this may mean less than nothing, but to old timers who remember, it is an event to be chronicled in letters huge as life itself, because this marks the passing of a landmark in the world of entertainment.
There is an interesting article in the LA Times dated 9/23/84 concerning the demolition of the theater. If you have access to the LA Times archives, there are numerous photos of the demolition. The accompanying story is too long to reproduce here. It does state that the theater opened in 1935 and was closed in 1972. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The county bought the site from the estate of car magnate Errett Cord for 10.45 million dollars in 1979. The plan at that time was to use the space for a park.
Here is a condensed (ahem) version of an LA Times story dated 5/17/96:
The Winnetka Drive-in Theater in Chatsworth, one of only two left in the San Fernando Valley, will be torn down later this year to make way for one of the largest indoor movie theater complexes in the state. On the site of the drive-in at Prairie and Winnetka avenues is to be a multimillion-dollar megaplex with shops, restaurants and 26 movie screens capable of seating 5,500 viewers, Pacific Theatres announced Thursday. It is scheduled to open in June 1997. The demise of the Winnetka Drive-in, which the company said was built in the 1970s, will leave the San Fernando Valley with only one outdoor movie theater, the Van Nuys Drive-in, also owned by Pacific Theatres.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 7/6/42. I was glad to see that the projectionist did not get flambeed this time as they seem to have when the film would routinely explode, compelling them to leap from the projection booth.
THEATER MANAGER AVERTS FIRE PANIC
Cool, quick action of a theater manager yesterday averted a possible panic among 450 spectators at the Central Theater, 314 S. Broadway, when a small fire sent clouds of smoke billowing through the auditorium. Manager Louis Levine stepped up to the stage and announced to the audience that there was no danger and the patrons filed out of the theater in an orderly fashion.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 8/1/32:
Struck by an exploding stench bomb which was hurled at the stage of the Arcade Theater, 534 S. Broadway, while she was dancing, Miss Henrietta Peterson, 21, was undergoing treatment at the Georgia Street Receiving Hospital for severe cuts and other injuries. The bomb was thrown by an unidentified man late Saturday night.
There was another fire on 3/31/28 which started in the Arcade and eventually destroyed over twenty buildings, including two theaters and a hotel. Maybe they should get a smoke detector.
I stopped by this theater yesterday. The church is just a tiny storefront. I would guess not more than 20 chairs inside. The theater proper seems to be some kind of warehouse. I will stop by during business hours to see what’s going on inside.
A subsequent article about the theater owners' appeal of the jury verdict states that the last film was shown at the Plaza on December 31, 1964. The last ownership group bought the theater in 1965 but never re-opened it to show films. The Plaza was torn down in 1971.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 3/5/72:
Condemnation Settlement OKd by Jury
A Superior Court jury has made an award of $80,000 in a condemnation suit involving the Community Redevelopment Agency and the owners of the former Plaza Theater. The theater, built in 1928 as a legitimate theater and later converted to a movie house, was located at 4355 Plaza Square and has been torn down.
Owners of the land produced expert testimony that the land was worth $400,000. Agency experts placed the value at $73,200. The site is included in a 36 acre, $11 million redevelopment project near Hawthorne and El Segundo Boulevards. Planned for an eventual commercial regional shopping center, the project is expected to include a Montgomery-Ward store, a J.C. Penney store and a third department store.
Here is an excerpt from an LA Times story dated ¾/68:
For years a huge sign overlooking Exposition Park stood out as a familiar Los Angeles landmark. It towered above the Figueroa Theater at Santa Barbara Avenue. “Figueroa Theater” was emblazoned on a massive steel frame, luring moviegoers to such films as “Stanley and Livingston” and “Boom Town” in the years just before World War II.
Now the theater, built in the mid 1920s but dark for many years, is being torn down and a gas station will go up on the site.
Here is an excerpted article from the LA Times dated 12/21/54:
Historic Mason Opera House to Come Down
Passing of a famous Los Angeles landmark was revealed yesterday with the announcement that the Mason Opera House at 127 S. Broadway will be torn down. Frank Fouce, owner of the theater, said it has been sold to the state. He said the state had acquired title to a major portion of the block for expansion of the Civic Center.
The Mason’s star began to fade in the early 20s, when the Biltmore theater became the leading legitimate theater. In recent years the Mason has been a Mexican film theater. Final presentation before the state takes possession will be the showing of a Mexican film “Pueblerina”, starring Columba Dominguez.
Here is an LA Times excerpt about the demolition. The story is dated 3/17/41.
OLD LYCEUM THEATER SOON TO BE TORN DOWN
The Lyceum Theater, on Spring Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets, is to be torn down to make way for a parking station. To a modern generation of showgoers this may mean less than nothing, but to old timers who remember, it is an event to be chronicled in letters huge as life itself, because this marks the passing of a landmark in the world of entertainment.
There is an interesting article in the LA Times dated 9/23/84 concerning the demolition of the theater. If you have access to the LA Times archives, there are numerous photos of the demolition. The accompanying story is too long to reproduce here. It does state that the theater opened in 1935 and was closed in 1972. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The county bought the site from the estate of car magnate Errett Cord for 10.45 million dollars in 1979. The plan at that time was to use the space for a park.
The LA Times reported the demolition of the Meralta on 12/31/78. However, the address was given as 10912 S. Downey Avenue.
Here is a condensed (ahem) version of an LA Times story dated 5/17/96:
The Winnetka Drive-in Theater in Chatsworth, one of only two left in the San Fernando Valley, will be torn down later this year to make way for one of the largest indoor movie theater complexes in the state. On the site of the drive-in at Prairie and Winnetka avenues is to be a multimillion-dollar megaplex with shops, restaurants and 26 movie screens capable of seating 5,500 viewers, Pacific Theatres announced Thursday. It is scheduled to open in June 1997. The demise of the Winnetka Drive-in, which the company said was built in the 1970s, will leave the San Fernando Valley with only one outdoor movie theater, the Van Nuys Drive-in, also owned by Pacific Theatres.
There is a photo of the Dane on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/yrtqxn
I think it was a bar.
http://tinyurl.com/ysj7wj
Here are two photos of the bus terminal at 6th and Main in 1941. I think the Lark was long gone by then:
http://tinyurl.com/yun7dx
http://tinyurl.com/ysymou
You can see ad for the Forum in this 1951 photo from the USC archive:
http://tinyurl.com/38wsle
You can also see the 613 address over the door.
Well, it does say Lark on the left side of the picture.
This was known as the Crest Theater in 1963.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 7/6/42. I was glad to see that the projectionist did not get flambeed this time as they seem to have when the film would routinely explode, compelling them to leap from the projection booth.
THEATER MANAGER AVERTS FIRE PANIC
Cool, quick action of a theater manager yesterday averted a possible panic among 450 spectators at the Central Theater, 314 S. Broadway, when a small fire sent clouds of smoke billowing through the auditorium. Manager Louis Levine stepped up to the stage and announced to the audience that there was no danger and the patrons filed out of the theater in an orderly fashion.
Here is the PSTOS page regarding the Burien:
http://tinyurl.com/29ulqz
The LAPL states that this is the Lark, photo is undated:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015349.jpg
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 8/1/32:
Struck by an exploding stench bomb which was hurled at the stage of the Arcade Theater, 534 S. Broadway, while she was dancing, Miss Henrietta Peterson, 21, was undergoing treatment at the Georgia Street Receiving Hospital for severe cuts and other injuries. The bomb was thrown by an unidentified man late Saturday night.
There was another fire on 3/31/28 which started in the Arcade and eventually destroyed over twenty buildings, including two theaters and a hotel. Maybe they should get a smoke detector.
OK, I stand corrected. Thanks.
That should be engineer, of course. It’s kind of early.
We have an oil painting of the Flanders in our house back in Absecon. My dad was an angineer at the Flanders in the 40s.
I stopped by this theater yesterday. The church is just a tiny storefront. I would guess not more than 20 chairs inside. The theater proper seems to be some kind of warehouse. I will stop by during business hours to see what’s going on inside.
This is the correct place for such comments. We’re all interested in renovation and reuse, as opposed to parking lots.