The owners of the vaudeville-era Carlsbad Theater indicated this week that they have dropped plans to demolish the 63-year-old building and are negotiating to reopen it as a movie house showing classic films.
The Normandins threatened to seek a city demolition permit, believing that state law required all unreinforced masonry buildings like theirs to be strengthened by next year. The family argued that they couldn’t afford such expensive earthquake renovation and would lose their liability insurance on the property if they didn’t comply with the law.
Historic Theater Slated to Be Razed Glendale: Site built in the 1920s, now a target for vandals, is scheduled to make way for $25-million downtown shopping center next year.
But today, the Glendale Theater is a dilapidated, stripped-down building frequented by vandals. City officials said Monday that the theater and several other aging buildings are tentatively slated to be razed early next year to make way for a $25-million redevelopment project.
Several years ago, when the Glendale Redevelopment Agency began planning the project now known as the proposed Glendale Marketplace, the historical society asked city staffers to consider saving the theater and other old buildings and incorporate them into the development. But because the Glendale Theater’s architectural features had been drastically modified over time, the society instead focused its efforts on a well-preserved nearby office building, which it helped save from the wrecking ball.
The owners of the California Theatre-real estate investors and brothers Steve, Mark and Dennis Needleman-contend that they cannot rehabilitate the theater. They said they plan to convert the theater grounds at Main and 8th streets into a parking lot.
[Hillsman Wright]’s group disagrees. The foundation, which envisions the theater as part of a revived downtown entertainment district, argues that a rehabilitated California Theatre could spur economic growth in the surrounding neighborhood.
The California Theatre, the beaux-arts movie palace that was once a gem of the city’s downtown theater district, is to be razed late this week and the site used for a parking lot. Some preservationists believe the owners are not trying hard enough to save the structure at Main and 8th streets, above. But the owners contend it cannot be rehabilitated.
I don’t have a library card, but I will get one if I can use the archives for free. $150 for 200 articles is no bargain. I will get back to you once I get the card. Thanks for the tip.
Technically, I guess. The theater was converted into a parking garage. The building stood until 1984, however. That’s why I was thinking about a different place as the headline implies demolition. I would pay the $3.95 for the rest of the article if I wasn’t so cheap.
It had a mixed history in its 23 years. And last week it closed its doors as a movie house. The Salvation Army had taken over the property at 5941 Hollywood Blvd. and the Hawaii Theater ceased to be.
This is an excerpt from an LA Times article on 5/30/20. I presume they are referring to the theater that was razed in the mid 70s:
Immediately at the close of the current theatrical season the old Burbank Theater, Main street, near Sixth, birthplace of legitimate production in Los Angeles and for many years under the management of Oliver Morosco, one of the leading American stock houses, will be razed, according to an announcement made yesterday by Fred Wolfe, manager of the house, for Gore Bros., lessees.
This is from an LA Times story on 10/27/52. I didn’t buy the rest of the article. It may not refer to the theater on Main Street:
The last wall of the Hippodrome Theater, onetime vaudeville house of Los Angeles, crumbled to earth yesterday in a cloud of powdery concrete to make way for a new parking lot.
They had a “for lease” sign out front a few months ago. I didn’t know all this renovation was going on inside. Who is paying for all this?
Here is another photo of the Roxy:
http://tinyurl.com/242aqm
There is another photo of the Avenue on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/2gnxur
Never been to Oil City. Sounds like a fun place, though.
There should be a limit on how many hyphens you can put in one address. Darn Canadians.
From the LA Times, 3/3/90:
Carlsbad Theater Won’t Be Razed
The owners of the vaudeville-era Carlsbad Theater indicated this week that they have dropped plans to demolish the 63-year-old building and are negotiating to reopen it as a movie house showing classic films.
The Normandins threatened to seek a city demolition permit, believing that state law required all unreinforced masonry buildings like theirs to be strengthened by next year. The family argued that they couldn’t afford such expensive earthquake renovation and would lose their liability insurance on the property if they didn’t comply with the law.
From the LA Times, 8/8/95:
Historic Theater Slated to Be Razed Glendale: Site built in the 1920s, now a target for vandals, is scheduled to make way for $25-million downtown shopping center next year.
But today, the Glendale Theater is a dilapidated, stripped-down building frequented by vandals. City officials said Monday that the theater and several other aging buildings are tentatively slated to be razed early next year to make way for a $25-million redevelopment project.
Several years ago, when the Glendale Redevelopment Agency began planning the project now known as the proposed Glendale Marketplace, the historical society asked city staffers to consider saving the theater and other old buildings and incorporate them into the development. But because the Glendale Theater’s architectural features had been drastically modified over time, the society instead focused its efforts on a well-preserved nearby office building, which it helped save from the wrecking ball.
From the LA Times, 9//5/90:
The owners of the California Theatre-real estate investors and brothers Steve, Mark and Dennis Needleman-contend that they cannot rehabilitate the theater. They said they plan to convert the theater grounds at Main and 8th streets into a parking lot.
[Hillsman Wright]’s group disagrees. The foundation, which envisions the theater as part of a revived downtown entertainment district, argues that a rehabilitated California Theatre could spur economic growth in the surrounding neighborhood.
The California Theatre, the beaux-arts movie palace that was once a gem of the city’s downtown theater district, is to be razed late this week and the site used for a parking lot. Some preservationists believe the owners are not trying hard enough to save the structure at Main and 8th streets, above. But the owners contend it cannot be rehabilitated.
I don’t have a library card, but I will get one if I can use the archives for free. $150 for 200 articles is no bargain. I will get back to you once I get the card. Thanks for the tip.
I don’t have any other info besides the name and the town.
Technically, I guess. The theater was converted into a parking garage. The building stood until 1984, however. That’s why I was thinking about a different place as the headline implies demolition. I would pay the $3.95 for the rest of the article if I wasn’t so cheap.
My grandparents lived at 32nd & Asbury. I remember the hippies very well that summer.
The LA Times noted the closing of the Loyola on 4/22/82:
“Gone With the Wind” was the weekend feature at the Loyola Theater, last of the baroque-style movie palaces still operating in the Los Angeles area.
The LA Times noted this on July 28, 1963:
It had a mixed history in its 23 years. And last week it closed its doors as a movie house. The Salvation Army had taken over the property at 5941 Hollywood Blvd. and the Hawaii Theater ceased to be.
The LA Times reported the demolition of the Follies on May 31, 1974.
This is an excerpt from an LA Times article on 5/30/20. I presume they are referring to the theater that was razed in the mid 70s:
Immediately at the close of the current theatrical season the old Burbank Theater, Main street, near Sixth, birthplace of legitimate production in Los Angeles and for many years under the management of Oliver Morosco, one of the leading American stock houses, will be razed, according to an announcement made yesterday by Fred Wolfe, manager of the house, for Gore Bros., lessees.
This is from an LA Times story on 10/27/52. I didn’t buy the rest of the article. It may not refer to the theater on Main Street:
The last wall of the Hippodrome Theater, onetime vaudeville house of Los Angeles, crumbled to earth yesterday in a cloud of powdery concrete to make way for a new parking lot.
Here is a photo circa 1939:
http://scmovietheaters.com/chas_glo.html
Here is a 1/12/07 article that follows up on the possible sale of the Castle:
http://tinyurl.com/2zevrx
Here is another photo from a few years ago:
http://tinyurl.com/27bouz
Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/29xfao
There is a photo of the marquee on this page:
http://www.driveinmovie.com/TN.htm
Here is another 2007 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/35smzg
Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/34ry4l
Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/34ry4l