actually…the correct address is 5870, and it is 9 miles from ocean blvd to the north city limits…ocean is 100 block north and the city ends at atlantic place…which is the 7100 block north
The conversdations about these theaters are great…I lived in North Long Beach in 50’s and the Towne was one of my favorites…It had a large pane glass window to the right of the boxoffice(which was a stand-a-lone booth).The entrance was the same, several large panes of glass about 15 feet long and 10-12 feet high.Immediately inside the entrance the rectangular snack bar looked really out of place.
The lobby was enormous, probably 30-35 feet wide, and about 125 feet long(it ran north south the width of the entire building) There were several places in the lobby that they eventually placed vending machines, and entrance into the theater itself was made through
several doors that were all located on the west side of the lobby.
The interior wasn’t really fancy, but had long curtains on the interior walls. There was a stage, and they sometimes had special entertainment on Friday and Saturday matinees. there were no loges or balconies, and the seats were very comfortable
tracy thank you again for your response…my dad was in the navy in lb in 35 and remembers the place the way you decribed it…a wonderful place…I walked around inside it a lot just days before it came down…sure wish I had taken pics of the interior…doug sarvis
Tracy…thank you so much for those memories and that info….i grew up in Long Beach…and was a police officer on the day shift when they tore the place down….I had been there several times with my parents and seem to remember it had an orchestra pit left ove rfrom live shows or maybe silent movie days…doug sarvis(another St. Anthony Grad
One of the real unique features that the Towen had for its first few years was a sit down fountain type snack bar…that was abandoned in the early 50;s and replaced with a more conventional snack bar
the state was a great place…first remember seeing Here Come the Nelsons(1951)with my family there….it had an odd set up…the front had offices that faced the street…and it was necessary to go up a flight of stairs to reach the entrance to the seating part of the theater..after passing the snack bar
The palace was a place that showed all night movies to cater to the sailors stationed in Long Beach until the 70’s when the Long beach Naval Station was greatly downsized.
I was with the Long Beach police Department on night shift and often got called there.
My parents tell me it was a very nice place in the 30’s…it finally disappeared in the early 70’s when the City began a multi billion dollar redevelopment program
I’m beginning to wonder if I’m the only person who remembers the LaShell..it was a small place that probably never did really well.
My parents tell me that it had been there since the mide 1930’s…but it was closed in about 1955…sat vacant for years before being turned into a furniture store..
The only thing i remember seeing there was The Fighting O'Flynn(1949) with Doug Fairbanks JR.
The Lakewood wasn’t much of a theater in terms of design…but it was exciting to discover the place when I though I had been to all the theaters in the Long Beach area.
It was about 2 blocks from Long Beach City College, and a lot of us spent time there instead of studying
this place was great because it was located so close to the North long Beach YMCA..kids could go to the Y and shoot a game of pool while a couple of people saved their place in line.
They had a regular feature called crazy races…each kid would be given a raffle ticket…and a keystone cop like short(really slap stick) would be shown)…if a kid had a ticket that matched the winning number of the race winner they got prizes like a box of popcorn.
Remember seeing the Creature from the Black lagoon in 1954 with a place that was so packed some of us were sitting in the aisles.
It’s been a Christian Church for about the last 15 years…the tower still survives
the rivoli had already passed its prime by the late 50’s…but earlier than that they did special shows that attracted a lot of kids….Halloween shows with 3 horror movies…..New Years Eve shows that ran until 1 in the morning(fun when your only seven, getting to stay up that late with your parents is great.
When 20,000 Leagues under the Sea came out in 1954 we all stood in a line that wrapped around the block to see the next show.
even by the 50’s the strand…which was on the midway of the Pike(an old amusement park)had seen better days….in thos edays Long beach was a Navy town…and a lot of sailors sobered up in the strand9or passed out after visiting places like the New Yorker bar…it showed mostly b-movies…and was long gone by late 60’s when major elements of the fleet left Long Beach and the Pike gradually faded into memoy and gave way to redevelopment
this is for susan selvey…I think I get obtain some info on the place…you might try the historical society of Long Beach at 562…492-1510…Jennifer Stevens is a great person and might be able to help you//I’ll look through my stuff
i love the comments just above…i grew up in long beach and spent a lot of time at the crest…my brother and I lived to go there and the Towne..which was just 2 blocks away…Crest was unique for a lot of reasons…I recall that it had very plush red carpeting…and that the theater area was accessible from curving walkways aisles that led into the seating area.
It also had a really plush lounge..sunken and accessible down several stairs that had a tv in it…It seemed strange for the theater to have a tv…but it was a really nice place at one time.
The first film I remember seeing there was Howard Hawks The Thing From Another World(James Arness)in 1951..Scared the heck out of me..
the cabart was a reallly nice neighborhood theater that closed around 1960…the original building is still there….but has undergone several remodels….and is now a large office buliding
The tower closed in 1960’s…it was a regular meeting place for everyone my brother and I knew growing up close to the place…recently I went by there when I was in the area on business…and although the original facade is gone…and occupied by stores….the original structure of the theater is still distinct and discernable
the ebell hasnt existed for decades….the building had been used by the ebell womens club after it was closed as a theater in 1960’s….I remember seeing the Robe(1953)there with my dad, grandma and brother in in 1953…The theater was very comfortable
the brayton was originally a silent movie house built in early 20’s…the photo shown here with the art deco exterior opened in 1935…after the theater was rebuilt following the 1933 long beach earthquake…I worked for the city of long beach,ca in those days….and walked through the place one last time days before it was leveled in 1972 for an apartment building…it had been vacant for at least 15 years…but the orchestra pit from earlier days was actually still there…doug sarvis
the location given for this theater is an error…west american ave was about three miles north of the Rivoli…it was located at 525 American ave….before American Ave was changed to Long Beach Blvd in 50’s.
manwithnoname..hey we should correspond more often…i’m in the same boat..never get tired of this stuff
certainly not quibbling about distance…nice to see other people remember this stuff
actually…the correct address is 5870, and it is 9 miles from ocean blvd to the north city limits…ocean is 100 block north and the city ends at atlantic place…which is the 7100 block north
the towne was being demolished in the late 70’s when the roof collapsed, i think a few people were hurt none seriously
the roxy had been the Home Theater…the old Lee threater on 4th St became and still is the Art
The conversdations about these theaters are great…I lived in North Long Beach in 50’s and the Towne was one of my favorites…It had a large pane glass window to the right of the boxoffice(which was a stand-a-lone booth).The entrance was the same, several large panes of glass about 15 feet long and 10-12 feet high.Immediately inside the entrance the rectangular snack bar looked really out of place.
The lobby was enormous, probably 30-35 feet wide, and about 125 feet long(it ran north south the width of the entire building) There were several places in the lobby that they eventually placed vending machines, and entrance into the theater itself was made through
several doors that were all located on the west side of the lobby.
The interior wasn’t really fancy, but had long curtains on the interior walls. There was a stage, and they sometimes had special entertainment on Friday and Saturday matinees. there were no loges or balconies, and the seats were very comfortable
tracy thank you again for your response…my dad was in the navy in lb in 35 and remembers the place the way you decribed it…a wonderful place…I walked around inside it a lot just days before it came down…sure wish I had taken pics of the interior…doug sarvis
Tracy…thank you so much for those memories and that info….i grew up in Long Beach…and was a police officer on the day shift when they tore the place down….I had been there several times with my parents and seem to remember it had an orchestra pit left ove rfrom live shows or maybe silent movie days…doug sarvis(another St. Anthony Grad
One of the real unique features that the Towen had for its first few years was a sit down fountain type snack bar…that was abandoned in the early 50;s and replaced with a more conventional snack bar
the state was a great place…first remember seeing Here Come the Nelsons(1951)with my family there….it had an odd set up…the front had offices that faced the street…and it was necessary to go up a flight of stairs to reach the entrance to the seating part of the theater..after passing the snack bar
The palace was a place that showed all night movies to cater to the sailors stationed in Long Beach until the 70’s when the Long beach Naval Station was greatly downsized.
I was with the Long Beach police Department on night shift and often got called there.
My parents tell me it was a very nice place in the 30’s…it finally disappeared in the early 70’s when the City began a multi billion dollar redevelopment program
I’m beginning to wonder if I’m the only person who remembers the LaShell..it was a small place that probably never did really well.
My parents tell me that it had been there since the mide 1930’s…but it was closed in about 1955…sat vacant for years before being turned into a furniture store..
The only thing i remember seeing there was The Fighting O'Flynn(1949) with Doug Fairbanks JR.
The Lakewood wasn’t much of a theater in terms of design…but it was exciting to discover the place when I though I had been to all the theaters in the Long Beach area.
It was about 2 blocks from Long Beach City College, and a lot of us spent time there instead of studying
this place was great because it was located so close to the North long Beach YMCA..kids could go to the Y and shoot a game of pool while a couple of people saved their place in line.
They had a regular feature called crazy races…each kid would be given a raffle ticket…and a keystone cop like short(really slap stick) would be shown)…if a kid had a ticket that matched the winning number of the race winner they got prizes like a box of popcorn.
Remember seeing the Creature from the Black lagoon in 1954 with a place that was so packed some of us were sitting in the aisles.
It’s been a Christian Church for about the last 15 years…the tower still survives
the rivoli had already passed its prime by the late 50’s…but earlier than that they did special shows that attracted a lot of kids….Halloween shows with 3 horror movies…..New Years Eve shows that ran until 1 in the morning(fun when your only seven, getting to stay up that late with your parents is great.
When 20,000 Leagues under the Sea came out in 1954 we all stood in a line that wrapped around the block to see the next show.
the victor was another reallly old theater that had been on the main midway in an amusement park called The Pike…it was gone by the 50’s
even by the 50’s the strand…which was on the midway of the Pike(an old amusement park)had seen better days….in thos edays Long beach was a Navy town…and a lot of sailors sobered up in the strand9or passed out after visiting places like the New Yorker bar…it showed mostly b-movies…and was long gone by late 60’s when major elements of the fleet left Long Beach and the Pike gradually faded into memoy and gave way to redevelopment
this is for susan selvey…I think I get obtain some info on the place…you might try the historical society of Long Beach at 562…492-1510…Jennifer Stevens is a great person and might be able to help you//I’ll look through my stuff
i love the comments just above…i grew up in long beach and spent a lot of time at the crest…my brother and I lived to go there and the Towne..which was just 2 blocks away…Crest was unique for a lot of reasons…I recall that it had very plush red carpeting…and that the theater area was accessible from curving walkways aisles that led into the seating area.
It also had a really plush lounge..sunken and accessible down several stairs that had a tv in it…It seemed strange for the theater to have a tv…but it was a really nice place at one time.
The first film I remember seeing there was Howard Hawks The Thing From Another World(James Arness)in 1951..Scared the heck out of me..
The upper loges were great with a date
the cabart was a reallly nice neighborhood theater that closed around 1960…the original building is still there….but has undergone several remodels….and is now a large office buliding
The tower closed in 1960’s…it was a regular meeting place for everyone my brother and I knew growing up close to the place…recently I went by there when I was in the area on business…and although the original facade is gone…and occupied by stores….the original structure of the theater is still distinct and discernable
the ebell hasnt existed for decades….the building had been used by the ebell womens club after it was closed as a theater in 1960’s….I remember seeing the Robe(1953)there with my dad, grandma and brother in in 1953…The theater was very comfortable
the brayton was originally a silent movie house built in early 20’s…the photo shown here with the art deco exterior opened in 1935…after the theater was rebuilt following the 1933 long beach earthquake…I worked for the city of long beach,ca in those days….and walked through the place one last time days before it was leveled in 1972 for an apartment building…it had been vacant for at least 15 years…but the orchestra pit from earlier days was actually still there…doug sarvis
the location given for this theater is an error…west american ave was about three miles north of the Rivoli…it was located at 525 American ave….before American Ave was changed to Long Beach Blvd in 50’s.
it was a great place…but it was converted to a gym and restaurant called the belmont club around 1984….nothing of the old theater survives