Here is a story about the Highland from the LA Times dated 9/12/91:
The 67-year-old Highland Theatre, the last of a group of 1920s theaters that once formed the heart of Highland Park, has been designated a historic-cultural monument by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission. Members of the Highland Park Heritage Trust, the historical preservation organization that nominated the Highland as a monument, described it as one of the outstanding examples of Moorish theater architecture in the Los Angeles area.
Designed by theater architect L.A. Smith, the Spanish-style Highland at 5600 N. Figueroa St. features arched openings, decorative tile walls and wrought-iron work on its exterior. The once-elegant interior had an orchestra pit, a working stage for vaudeville acts, large ceiling frescoes, and elaborate moldings in the shape of Spanish arches. If approved by the Los Angeles City Council, the monument designation would mean that any plan to alter or demolish the building could be delayed for up to one year, while preservationists seek a means of saving it.
But while the outer walls of the theater are virtually the same as they were when the structure was built in 1924, the interior had already been substantially altered when it was divided into a triplex theater in 1983. The once-outdoor lobby was enclosed and the original walls in the lobby and in the theater were covered with other material. Today, the balcony, where the frescoes and moldings are still exposed, is filthy and closed to the public. The grand chandelier that once hung over the house is lying on the floor there, covered in dust. The seat cushions have been pulled up and stacked in piles.
But Charlie Fisher, a member of the board of directors of Highland Park Heritage Trust, said the building “is restorable.” “The original interior is still there,” he said. “Down the road, if economic conditions merit it, you could convert it back.”
Greg Akarakian, whose father has owned the theater since 1975, said his family has no plans to restore the theater to its original condition. He said that the historical preservationists who want to save the building have come into the picture too late. “Maybe 10 years ago, they would have had a chance,” he said. “If they had shown interest before we remodeled, maybe we could have done something.”
But Fisher said the monument designation will preserve the chance that the building could be refurbished in the future. “You don’t know what’s going to happen in 10 years,” he said. “They may be able to convert it back.”
In documentation submitted with its nomination, the Heritage Trust said the Highland was the largest and most elegant of a cluster of six theaters that formed the cultural heart of Highland Park. Its opening was a grand occasion, with an appearance by the silent film star Norma Shearer. “This technically was probably the finest building for a theater that Highland Park ever had,” said Tom Owen, a local history specialist for the city’s Central Library downtown. “This would have been the major point in town for entertainment.”
Later though, the theater and others in Highland Park fell on hard times as movie attendance dropped. Gradually, the others closed and, by 1963, the Highland was the only one left. In their struggle to keep the Highland open, the operators briefly showed pornographic films and Spanish-language movies, Akarakian said. The triplex now shows first-run feature films.
In the latest blow to a downtown struggling to revive itself, Oxnard’s cornerstone movie house has closed. Poor attendance and a recent drop in the production of Mexican films caused the demise of the Teatro Boulevard, the only Spanish-language theater in Ventura County, owners said. “It’s a tired old theater and there’s not much product anymore,” said general manager Jose Romo. “People just stopped coming.” In its heyday, the 65-year-old brick and stucco theater on Oxnard Boulevard drew large crowds of recent immigrants and migrant workers, Romo said. “We had romance, comedy, mariachi-oriented pictures,” said Romo, who managed the theater for 25 years. “For many people, it was the main source of entertainment.” Daniel Masias, 42, remembers going to the theater as a child. “Me and my friends would ride our bikes from El Rio every Saturday,” he said. “We loved seeing the cowboy movies in Spanish.” Although Masias said he is sad to see the theater close, he said he prefers watching movies on his videocassette recorder at home. “It’s cheaper and more convenient,” he said. “I don’t come downtown that much anymore.” A few blocks away, Bernardo Castellanos, owner of Fifth Street Video, said his business is up 20% since the theater closed a week ago. “Almost all of my business is Spanish,” he said. “Since the theater closed, everyone is coming here.” Metropolitan Theaters Corp., which operated the 750-seat Teatro, runs about 15 Spanish-language theaters throughout the Southland, Romo said. The Oxnard theater shutdown is the most recent in a string of half a dozen closings over the last several years, Romo said. The company is seeking a tenant to sublease the property until its lease expires in January, 1995. Oxnard Councilman Andres Herrera, who remembers dancing the polka in a performance onstage at the theater as a child, said the closing hurts the ailing downtown area. “Things are difficult everywhere, but the closing is especially unfortunate for that area,” said Herrera, who runs a business near the theater. “It’s another space we need to fill as we work to bring business back downtown.”
Although the theater falls within the bounds of a 50-block area of Oxnard targeted for urban renewal, the city has “no immediate plans for that building,” said Dennis Matthews, administrator of the city’s Redevelopment Agency. Meanwhile American Family Theatres plans to reopen a three-screen movie house at the Esplanade Shopping Center in May. The theater will show second-run movies at a reduced price, said company president Tom Brand.
A 1905 ad in the LA Times listed the Novelty theater at 523 S. Main. We already have that as an aka for the Liberty at 136 S. Main, but it should be added as an aka for this theater as well.
This appears to be the theater in 1925, but I am not 100% due to some differences in the architecture. LAPL says it’s Pacific Boulevard in HP. It might be the old Park: http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics31/00050189.jpg
A report of May 1960 in the St. Joseph Independent mentioned that a printing company on Dixie Street had taken the place of the Harlo, or Harlow as the case may be. I can’t tell you much more than that.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 3/1/32:
Theater Owner Sues, Asserting Trade Restraint
An order to show cause as to why an injunction should not be issued to restrain them from continuing an asserted conspiracy to prevent Jack Berman, owner of the Meralta Theater at 2035 East First Street, from contracting for and purchasing films in the open market, was issued yesterday by United States District Judge Cosgrave against three individuals, a theater corporation and five motion picture distributing agencies.
Those named are Harry Popkins, Ray M. Robbins and Peter Lasher, the P.R. & L. Theaters Ltd, and Fox Film Corporation, RKO Distributing Corporation, RKO-Pathe Distributing Corporation, Vitagraph, Inc. and First National Distributing Corporation. These were the defendants in a bill in equity filed in the Federal Court on Saturday by Berman in which he charged them with conspiracy in restraint of trade.
I should point out that MESA stated on 9/1/02 that he saw films at the Mesa from 1956 to 1970. As the theater was supposed to be demolished in 1965, MESA is either talking about a different theater or has simply misremembered the dates he attended. If he is correct, I would wonder when the actual demolition date was.
Here is a church ad from the LA Times dated 11/17/28:
UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH
Services in Angeles Mesa Lodge Room, 5805 Angeles Mesa Drive, adjoining the West Coast Mesa Theater. Rev. Jesse W. Ball, in charge.
Another article dated 11/5/31 desribes a robbery of the Mesa Theater at Slauson and Crenshaw Avenues. I think we can safely change the address to 5807 Crenshaw. It also means that I have to go back down that street as I previously found nothing at 8507.
When a frightened group ran out of a theater at 322 S. Main St, Mrs. Rosa Canada, 65, was swept from her feet in the aisle and suffered a broken ankle. She was treated at Georgia Street Receiving Hospital.
In 1947, the LA Times advertised a Mesa Theater at Crenshaw and Slauson. I used Lost Memory’s tip on previous name searches, and came up empty. As the Mesa listed here was at Crenshaw and Manchester, this may have been an error on the part of the Times.
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.
Here is a story about the Highland from the LA Times dated 9/12/91:
The 67-year-old Highland Theatre, the last of a group of 1920s theaters that once formed the heart of Highland Park, has been designated a historic-cultural monument by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission. Members of the Highland Park Heritage Trust, the historical preservation organization that nominated the Highland as a monument, described it as one of the outstanding examples of Moorish theater architecture in the Los Angeles area.
Designed by theater architect L.A. Smith, the Spanish-style Highland at 5600 N. Figueroa St. features arched openings, decorative tile walls and wrought-iron work on its exterior. The once-elegant interior had an orchestra pit, a working stage for vaudeville acts, large ceiling frescoes, and elaborate moldings in the shape of Spanish arches. If approved by the Los Angeles City Council, the monument designation would mean that any plan to alter or demolish the building could be delayed for up to one year, while preservationists seek a means of saving it.
But while the outer walls of the theater are virtually the same as they were when the structure was built in 1924, the interior had already been substantially altered when it was divided into a triplex theater in 1983. The once-outdoor lobby was enclosed and the original walls in the lobby and in the theater were covered with other material. Today, the balcony, where the frescoes and moldings are still exposed, is filthy and closed to the public. The grand chandelier that once hung over the house is lying on the floor there, covered in dust. The seat cushions have been pulled up and stacked in piles.
But Charlie Fisher, a member of the board of directors of Highland Park Heritage Trust, said the building “is restorable.” “The original interior is still there,” he said. “Down the road, if economic conditions merit it, you could convert it back.”
Greg Akarakian, whose father has owned the theater since 1975, said his family has no plans to restore the theater to its original condition. He said that the historical preservationists who want to save the building have come into the picture too late. “Maybe 10 years ago, they would have had a chance,” he said. “If they had shown interest before we remodeled, maybe we could have done something.”
But Fisher said the monument designation will preserve the chance that the building could be refurbished in the future. “You don’t know what’s going to happen in 10 years,” he said. “They may be able to convert it back.”
In documentation submitted with its nomination, the Heritage Trust said the Highland was the largest and most elegant of a cluster of six theaters that formed the cultural heart of Highland Park. Its opening was a grand occasion, with an appearance by the silent film star Norma Shearer. “This technically was probably the finest building for a theater that Highland Park ever had,” said Tom Owen, a local history specialist for the city’s Central Library downtown. “This would have been the major point in town for entertainment.”
Later though, the theater and others in Highland Park fell on hard times as movie attendance dropped. Gradually, the others closed and, by 1963, the Highland was the only one left. In their struggle to keep the Highland open, the operators briefly showed pornographic films and Spanish-language movies, Akarakian said. The triplex now shows first-run feature films.
Here is a story from the LA Times dated 4/10/93:
In the latest blow to a downtown struggling to revive itself, Oxnard’s cornerstone movie house has closed. Poor attendance and a recent drop in the production of Mexican films caused the demise of the Teatro Boulevard, the only Spanish-language theater in Ventura County, owners said. “It’s a tired old theater and there’s not much product anymore,” said general manager Jose Romo. “People just stopped coming.” In its heyday, the 65-year-old brick and stucco theater on Oxnard Boulevard drew large crowds of recent immigrants and migrant workers, Romo said. “We had romance, comedy, mariachi-oriented pictures,” said Romo, who managed the theater for 25 years. “For many people, it was the main source of entertainment.” Daniel Masias, 42, remembers going to the theater as a child. “Me and my friends would ride our bikes from El Rio every Saturday,” he said. “We loved seeing the cowboy movies in Spanish.” Although Masias said he is sad to see the theater close, he said he prefers watching movies on his videocassette recorder at home. “It’s cheaper and more convenient,” he said. “I don’t come downtown that much anymore.” A few blocks away, Bernardo Castellanos, owner of Fifth Street Video, said his business is up 20% since the theater closed a week ago. “Almost all of my business is Spanish,” he said. “Since the theater closed, everyone is coming here.” Metropolitan Theaters Corp., which operated the 750-seat Teatro, runs about 15 Spanish-language theaters throughout the Southland, Romo said. The Oxnard theater shutdown is the most recent in a string of half a dozen closings over the last several years, Romo said. The company is seeking a tenant to sublease the property until its lease expires in January, 1995. Oxnard Councilman Andres Herrera, who remembers dancing the polka in a performance onstage at the theater as a child, said the closing hurts the ailing downtown area. “Things are difficult everywhere, but the closing is especially unfortunate for that area,” said Herrera, who runs a business near the theater. “It’s another space we need to fill as we work to bring business back downtown.”
Although the theater falls within the bounds of a 50-block area of Oxnard targeted for urban renewal, the city has “no immediate plans for that building,” said Dennis Matthews, administrator of the city’s Redevelopment Agency. Meanwhile American Family Theatres plans to reopen a three-screen movie house at the Esplanade Shopping Center in May. The theater will show second-run movies at a reduced price, said company president Tom Brand.
You’re talking about the theater, right? The Bradbury is across the street. Not being picky, just clarifying.
I found a 1905 ad for the Novelty Theater at 523 S. Main. I posted a comment on the Gaiety page.
A 1905 ad in the LA Times listed the Novelty theater at 523 S. Main. We already have that as an aka for the Liberty at 136 S. Main, but it should be added as an aka for this theater as well.
Danke.
Fine with me, Joe. You’ll save me a trip down Crenshaw Boulevard.
This appears to be the theater in 1925, but I am not 100% due to some differences in the architecture. LAPL says it’s Pacific Boulevard in HP. It might be the old Park:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics31/00050189.jpg
Here is a 1979 photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics06/00002723.jpg
Those with sharp eyes will see the Boulevard about middle left in this 1979 photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics45/00057089.jpg
This 1990 LAPL photo shows more detail than you will see in my photos from Saturday:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics06/00002651.jpg
I’ve heard the grits in Hominy are first rate.
I did not know that there was a Milwaukie in Oregon. Do you suppose there is a Portlend in Wisconsin?
A report of May 1960 in the St. Joseph Independent mentioned that a printing company on Dixie Street had taken the place of the Harlo, or Harlow as the case may be. I can’t tell you much more than that.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 3/1/32:
Theater Owner Sues, Asserting Trade Restraint
An order to show cause as to why an injunction should not be issued to restrain them from continuing an asserted conspiracy to prevent Jack Berman, owner of the Meralta Theater at 2035 East First Street, from contracting for and purchasing films in the open market, was issued yesterday by United States District Judge Cosgrave against three individuals, a theater corporation and five motion picture distributing agencies.
Those named are Harry Popkins, Ray M. Robbins and Peter Lasher, the P.R. & L. Theaters Ltd, and Fox Film Corporation, RKO Distributing Corporation, RKO-Pathe Distributing Corporation, Vitagraph, Inc. and First National Distributing Corporation. These were the defendants in a bill in equity filed in the Federal Court on Saturday by Berman in which he charged them with conspiracy in restraint of trade.
I should point out that MESA stated on 9/1/02 that he saw films at the Mesa from 1956 to 1970. As the theater was supposed to be demolished in 1965, MESA is either talking about a different theater or has simply misremembered the dates he attended. If he is correct, I would wonder when the actual demolition date was.
Here is a church ad from the LA Times dated 11/17/28:
UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH
Services in Angeles Mesa Lodge Room, 5805 Angeles Mesa Drive, adjoining the West Coast Mesa Theater. Rev. Jesse W. Ball, in charge.
Another article dated 11/5/31 desribes a robbery of the Mesa Theater at Slauson and Crenshaw Avenues. I think we can safely change the address to 5807 Crenshaw. It also means that I have to go back down that street as I previously found nothing at 8507.
It actually looks pretty good. The marquee has held up well.
The Dixie is alive and well at 6520. I took pictures of it yesterday.
I will try to cruise by there the next time I’m coming back from downtown. At least I get off the 110, plus I get to wave at all the prostitutes.
Badabing. LA Times in 1961 advertises the Mesa at 5807 Crenshaw.
Earthquake on 2/20/48, according to the LA Times:
When a frightened group ran out of a theater at 322 S. Main St, Mrs. Rosa Canada, 65, was swept from her feet in the aisle and suffered a broken ankle. She was treated at Georgia Street Receiving Hospital.
How about the Dixie at 6520 S. Normandie? Maybe they got a better deal across the street. The Dixie is two stories and brick.
In 1947, the LA Times advertised a Mesa Theater at Crenshaw and Slauson. I used Lost Memory’s tip on previous name searches, and came up empty. As the Mesa listed here was at Crenshaw and Manchester, this may have been an error on the part of the Times.
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.