City Terrace Cinema
3945 City Terrace Drive,
East Los Angeles,
CA
90063
3945 City Terrace Drive,
East Los Angeles,
CA
90063
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This opened on March 26th, 1942. Grand opening ad posted.
Great picture! I went to the show every weekend. I stayed into the evening and watched the movies twice – I loved this show! I saw Gidget there, The Parent Trap with Haley Mills, The Blob, Godzilla, and hundreds more. I took that bus with my Mom so many times. Crossing the street to the right of the theatre, there was a Mom & Pop market, they sold the best hot French bread rolls and sweet bread, next door to that was a laundry-matt where I helped out and stood many hours there on a Saturday washing the family’s clothes. Further down there was a dime store that I loved browsing, and down the street was the church where I made my First Communion. Then on the opposite side of City Terrace Drive was the library, sometimes I would walk there after school from Harrison Elementary school on the other side of the theatre. I got my first library card there. Harrison was a great school. Good teachers, I learned a lot there. I can still remember staying at the show for so long engrossed in the movies and forgetting about the time and having to walk home in the dark and be in trouble for coming home so late. Years later, Mom said when she was young, she went to the movies and stayed there too-loving the show! Thank you for the picture!
My nana lived on Hauck st and we went to st lucys on sundays, she contributed weekly to build the new church
I was born in Los Angeles in 1940 and lived in City Terrace until 1956. I remember attending the City Terrace Theater in the 40’s and 50’s. It was an unusual theater. If you went to the first show, it started in the middle of the movie. They always showed double bills so you’d have one additional intermission to buy snacks. They always had a double bill, a Laurel and Hardy or similar, cartoon so you’d have several hours of entertainment. On school holidays there’d be a special program for kids which cost not more than a quarter and they’d give you a comic book. Again, multiple movies, cartoons, shorts. There’d be a long lines of kids waiting to get in.
WOW! I remember going to this theatre and sneaking in my penny candy. We would see a double feature and cartoon for .25 – And I lived right across the street behind the Chinese laundry. Instead of taking my .25 to church for the donation basket, I would sneak to the show. I was awfully sneaky!! I would love to see more photos if anyone has any.
I LOVE THIS PICTURE , I’VE BEEN WAITING 4 SOMEONE 2 POST ANY KIND OF PITURE. THANKS A MILLION !
-DB, that’s definitely the Terrace Theatre in City Terrace. I don’t remember ever having seen it, but I recognize the neighborhood. Other than the loss of the theater and a few other buildings, and a few new buildings added, it changed remarkably little between the 1950s and the 1980s, when I became familiar with it. Alas, the trolly buses were gone by then, too.
Is this is, or was this another Terrace theatre?
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can anyone come up with a picture please..it would mean the world !
The City Terrace Cinema was where the church parking lot is now.
is ther a way i can get a picture on this infamous cinema ? i was born and raised in this beautiful town of City Terrace . if anyone has one or has knowledge of one please reply.
Here is the 1950 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/3cj7yn
Yes, you’re right, the “old” St. Lucy’s was located at McGilvrey and City Terrace. The church was demolished in the mid-70’s, and the new church opened in 1970. I attended both churches and the movie theater. Anyone else?
I searched the LA Times archives for more information. The first theater ad that mentions the Terrace Theater is dated 5/3/50. Address was 3945 City Terrace Drive, phone was AN 6000. There is a reference to St. Lucy’s church at McGilvrey and City Terrace in 1961, so presumably that was the old location before they moved over to Hazard Avenue.
Terrace Theater should be listed as an aka. I walked around the site yesterday. The church is still there. No trace of any theater, as the church was built directly over the theater’s location.
William, where did you get the information on the theater? I’m interested in finding out the date it first opened. And yes, you’re right, it was called the Terrace. Your comment jogged my memory and I can now see the name across the side of the theater. How do we correct the information on the web site? Thanks.
The Terrace Theatre was located at 3945 City Terrace Dr., the above seating figure was the 1945 FDY figure and the 1950 figure lists 811 as the seating capacity.
The theatre was called the Terrace Theatre and it seated 750 people.