Embassy Theatre

The Los Angeles County Assessor’s office says that the building on this site was built in 1921. In Google’s satellite view, the auditorium roof appears to be partly intact. Comparing it with a 1948 view at Historic Aerials, it looks as though only about the rear third of the building has actually been demolished.

In 1933 it was known as the Embassy Theatre.

Listed as the Fox Embassy in the 1942 city directory. Address was 329 S. Western Avenue.

The Wilshire theater is on the left in this 1924 photo from the USC archive:
http://tinyurl.com/ysyfpx

A large percentage of the cards in the L.A. Library’s California Index do refer to this theatre as the Wilshire Theatre. The name Fox was not used though. The West Coast Circuit did not become Fox-West Coast until several years after this theatre opened, and the Fox name was not put on any of the circuit’s theatres until 1929. I don’t know in what year the Wilshire was renamed the Embassy, but it must have been before 1930 when Fox opened its new Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills.

I think this was called the Wilshire or Fox Wilshire at the opening on 10/20/21, per the LA Times. Uncle Fester was the emcee.

THE WILSHIRE OPENS

Neighborhood house will be dedicated by Jackie Coogan

An attractive neighborhood theater of the West Coast Theaters, Inc. will throw open its doors to an audience which will represent the picture industry and the neighborhood tonight, at Western and Third Avenues. The occasion will be given interest through the presence of Jackie Coogan, who will press the button that will release the curtain folding over the screen.

“My Fair Lady” was still in it’s Roadshow engagement at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. till about March of 1966. It played there for 68 weeks starting Oct. 29th. 1964 before going into General release. So it had to have been around spring of 1966 that you saw “My Fair Lady” at the Embassy Theatre.

The only theatre I remember as being north of Santa Monica on Western was the Cinema. The Embassy was on the west side of Western, just below 3rd Street. The Clinton was about midway between them, on the east side of the street. Those are the only theatres I remember on Western Avenue north of the Wiltern.

L.A. Smith was probably the architect of this theater. I have found two references to it in the Southwest Builder and Contractor, issues of ¾/1921 and 4/22/1921. Both give the location of the planned theater, designed by Smith, as on Western Avenue between 3rd and 4th streets, though the exact address is not given. The project is described as a two story brick building, 110 by 150 feet, with theater and two shops on the ground floor, and three offices on a small second floor.

I remember seeing the Embassy while passing by, many years ago, but can’t remember if it fits that description. If it did, and was the only theater on that block, then it probably is Smith’s work.

Does anyone remember when this theater used to show Tagalog-language movies?

I remember going to this theater as a kid with my family to watch Filipino movies in the late 1970s. I hadn’t thought about this theater in a long time. I don’t remember the theater looking like anything special, but stumbling upon the mention of it on this website sure did bring back a flood of memories! :–)

Makes me wanna drive by the location to see what the area looks like now (this is a part of LA I rarely ever go through nowadays).

Another Robert L. Lippert Theatre.

The Embassy theatre a standard marquee, but when National General theatres in the mid 60’s did the remodel. They tried a new different design for the marquee. No other theatre used this design.