Campus Theatre
1020 N. Vermont Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90029
1020 N. Vermont Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90029
9 people
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Spanish language movies started on April 13th, 1981. Grand opening ad posted.
This opened on November 22nd, 1939. Grand opening ad posted.
Bought and scheduled to open as a live music venue in 2019
https://la.curbed.com/2018/7/30/17630660/vermont-hollywood-music-venue-mcap-partners
Apparently closed now. I posted two photos courtesy of Michael Moran. One is from circa 1968.
Apparently the live operators have departed, and the theatre is vacant and available.
Looks like Teatro ChuperAmigos is doing quite well!
The front facade is quite different from the historical photos because it looks like most of the original lobby was demolished at sometime, replaced with a recessed front and a nice courtyard in front.
Apparently the theater has been bought by a Hispanic theater group. They have renamed it “Teatro ChuperAmigos”. They stage plays and also lease out the theater to Lieberman Broadcasting who use it as a studio for a few of their shows. I’m glad to see the theater live on and not be turned into a strip mall. More info: http://www.teatroloschuperamigos.com/
This is from the LA Times on Christmas Eve, 1951:
A 75-year-old housewife collapsed and died at Hollywood Receiving Hospital 45 minutes after her husband’s death was reported to her there. Police said Walter Young, 83, was in conversation with Manley P. Hall, head of a philosophical society, who had lectured minutes earlier at the Campus Theater, 1020 N. Vermont Avenue, when he dropped to the floor.
Young, police say, was taken to Hollywood Receiving Hospital, where attendants pronounced him dead. Forty five minutes later, his wife went into the hospital with friends. She collapsed and died when informed of her husband’s death.
I’ve been to the Campus theatre once back in 2003. I went to see “Spy Kids 3: Game Over” in 3-D. Apparently, while the original exterior of that theatre was torn down and renovated into a small modern look in the late 80s. The original single screen was kept fully intact, but not in very good condition. This theatre has lots of grime between the ceilings and the seats weren’t any good since it was very uncomfortable and had graffiti on some of them. The sound system in the theatre was very poor, mostly in mono. The screen was very small but it was the original screen.The good thing about this theatre is that they show first-run English-language films with Spanish Subtitles with triple features. I still remember that policy trailer from Metroplitan Theatres Corporation. I wish I could find it.
This site has a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/devhr3
Growing up by L.A.C.C I saw many movies there in the 60’s & 70’s with my family.
It had a co-starring role in one of the Ozzie & Harriet episodes when one of the sons gets a job as an usher working in a theatre. One scene shows Ricky/David walking down Vermont to the theatre.
I used to talk to the projectionist, I don’t remember his name, but vividly remember he had a bad limp.
Bill in S.G.
Here is an item in Boxoffice magazine, April 1950:
Death came to another veteran southland exhibitor, George Bromley, 56, former operator of the Victoria and Campus theaters.
Here are some March 2008 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/yvdk4q
http://tinyurl.com/2gwbke
http://tinyurl.com/26n54n
To Lost Memory: yes, that’s at least what the Campus Theater looked like not long after it closed; does anyone know if anything has become of the space since?
As santo26 noted in his August 8, 2005 post, the Campus only has (or had) one screen; does the shortening of the building account for the seating capacity reduction from 850 to 400+? What other interior alterations were necessitated and/or caused by the shortening of the building?
The Campus Theatre was built in 1939. The demolition of the building’s classic art moderne facade will undoubtedly eliminate any chance of the theatre being given any sort of historic designation. Maybe the alteration was a preemptive strike by the building owner against just such a designation.
The Campus Theatre is now closed. If you call the theatre, you get a forwarding number for the Park Theatre in Huntington Beach.
What a bummer.
I went to the Campus twice in the past month and saw two first-run Hollywood films with Spanish subtitles. The interior is very nice and well-kept. I had no idea it was twinned, because it has 400+ seats, and looks to be in original condition. The marquee is deceptive in that it says they are showing two movies, but there is only one theatre and they alternate the showtimes.
It is also the best movie deal in Hollywood: $5 for the matinee and $7.50 for the evening shows!
Along with the Kim Sing and the Kokusai, during the 1970s and early 1980s, the Campus was a mainstay in screening the latest martial arts films.
The Campus Theatre is located at 1020 N. Vermont Ave.. It seated 850 people before being turned into a twin theatre. This is also Metropolitan’s last theatre in the Los Angeles area.
Actually, the Campus now shows first-run English language films.
The Campus Theatre of the 1940’s which is when I went there. Located as “moviemanforever” said at Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard very close to the south/east corner, and across from Los Angeles City College. I went there numerous times in the 1940’s and one time Tom Mix was there giving away “glow in the dark spurs,” hehehehehe…yes that’s true. Wish I knew where mine were.