Melrose Theatre
4315 Melrose Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90029
4315 Melrose Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90029
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The Museum of Neon Art, soon to reopen in Glendale, has a few remnants of the Melrose Theater’s rooftop extravaganza. A few of its incandescent maidens made their way to the Museum of Neon Art’s collection and are currently on display with a few other museum signs at Universal CityWalk. They are the oldest pieces in the museum’s collection.
(Nov. 29, 1933 LA Times) PREVIEW FOR BENEFIT In addition to a feature preview being shown, Rosa Disraeli, lyric soprano, will sing several selections at the benefit theater party next Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Melrose Theater, 4315 Melrose avenue, by Beth Jacob and the West Side Ladies' Auxiliary of Mr. Sinai Home for Chronic Invalids.
In January or February 1982 performance artist Johanna Went put on a show at the Ukrainian Cultural Center. I brought filmmaker Shirley Clarke (“The Connection,” “The Cool World”) to the event in order to introduce them. They subsequently made two short films, “Performance,” shot at UCLA, and “The Box.” Shirley died in 1997; Johanna is still working.
National Theatres used this theatre during the mid 50’s as a test theatre for their CineMiracle film process.
amazingly no one seams to have a picture of this theatre when it had a marquee. it apperfs to have closed from showing films in the 50s.
This and the Los Felez Drive-In don’t seam to have any photos.
Arrrrrrrrggggggg
No, that was the other ad. This one was for a firm that did interior design on a number of theaters.
It was a Paramount ad.
Here is a September 1923 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/6z434k
As great-great-granddaughter of the architect, I’d like to note that the official spelling of his name is Elimar Meinardus (not ElimOr). He was a German immigrant, and his name was repeatedly misspelled (Elimor, Elmer, etc).
Ken is right. The facade’s style is a sort of Renaissance Revival-Baroque-Romanesque Revival pastiche, I’d say. Certainly not Art Deco. All the elements have clear historic roots in European classicism. Art Deco, even in its nascent form, was full of elements borrowed or abstracted from non-European styles and/or modern industrial technology.
I don’t know that much about architectural design, but I don’t think the style is art deco.
I stopped by there today. The stage is there but the seats have been removed. They were setting up tables for a wedding reception. I took some interior photos, but my flash was too weak. Here are the rest:
http://tinyurl.com/2h9rlj
http://tinyurl.com/yo72n6
http://tinyurl.com/2c7235
Does Anyone have a picture of this theatre with the marquee still up?
Matt Spero
All the cards (there are four) in the L.A. Library’s California Index referencing the architect of this theatre spell his name Meinardus. Elimor E.B. Meinardus also designed Jensen’s Recreation Center in Echo Park, which also survives and is a city landmarked building.
My grandfather was involved in the construction of the theatre. My mother remembers her father on the stage for the opening ceremony.
There is a photo and more details of Russell McCullough and the Cinemiracle test projection set up that was installed in the Melrose Theatre at this link: View link
Ukrainian Cultural Center website:
http://www.yko-la.com/
Russell McCullough, technical director of National Theatres, tested his 3-projector+mirror system here. The patent for this system was awarded to McCullough. For test material (as the cameras had not been developed), he was able to borrow from Lester Isaacs, at that time head of exhibition at Cinerama, Inc., the 2nd act of “This Is Cinerama.” Some reports, however, claim that he had access only to the Able and Charlie sections. McCullough’s patent, No. 3,101,643 was filed in August of 1954, though not awarded until August of 1963. Of note is the fact (and I do not know if this was actually tested at the Melrose) that in this patent the mirrors, or reflectors as he called then, were located on the side walls of the auditorium, not inside the single booth itself.
The Melrose theater was built by Henry Jensen. He also built Jensen’s Raymond Theatre in Pasadena, Jensen’s Glendale Theatre, the Egyptian Cafe in Glendale and Jensen’s Recreation center in Echo Park.
The Melrose theatre building has not been demolished. It is now a Ukranian community center.
My previous comment was in error, it should have been for the Encore or (Melvan) theatre. I apologize for taking up the space. You may remove that comment and this one, if you can do that.
The Melrose Theatre was located at 4315 Melrose Ave. that’s a few blocks west of Vermont Ave. @ Heliotrope Dr. (3 blocks south of Los Angeles City College). The Below comment should be for the Encore Theatre which opened as the Melvan Theatre at 5308 Melrose Ave. , just west of Van Ness.
If this is the theatre I remember, it was just west of Van Ness on the south side of Melrose, near Paramount Studios. I never went to it while used as a movie theatre, but did once when it was used by KTLA Los Angeles television station channel 5, for their musical shows. It was used for the Morey Amsterdam show, in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s.