5th Avenue Theatre
2541 W. Manchester Boulevard,
Inglewood,
CA
90305
2541 W. Manchester Boulevard,
Inglewood,
CA
90305
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It’s now “The Historic Saint Paul Baptist Church,” with all the 5th Ave lettering removed, and the facade neatly painted white. Well, at least it’s being taken care of now, instead of being left to rot.
Wow Monika,it amazing that there are still letters on the Marquee.Thanks for posting.
A photograph I took of the 5th Ave on 4-16-11:
View link
I’ve heard talk of renovation but nothing ever seems to happen. I would like to see what remains of the interior.
This theatre has seen better days from the photos.
I grew up at 91st and Avalon in the 50’s and took the bus to the 5th Avenue quite frequently. We saw Daibolique the original moive there in 1956 which scared us to death. I went with my sister mother and grandmother. I also saw Loving You with Elvis there and we stayed to watch it again as you could in those days.
Here are two June 2009 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/mevyw6
http://tinyurl.com/mgbbyd
Here are some April 2009 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/cg4v82
http://tinyurl.com/dk7kxd
http://tinyurl.com/cazp26
Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dxz2a6
Good luck with the project. It seems like that area is in a perpetual state of redevelopment.
p.p.s.: The new project is scheduled to be a mixed-use, commercial/residential development, bolstering the surrounding neighborhood and helping to revitalize the corridor and increase property values in the area. -GS
To all who are reading this thread… Allow me to shed some light on this location’s future. It is true that the church (Calvary Christian Fellowship) has had plans for many years now to redevelop this site and adjacent parcels into a Senior Living, Mixed Use development but has run into serious financial trouble in getting the project off the ground. The proposed project has enormous support from the surrounding community who see this Theatre as an eyesore and nothing beholding it’s historic grandeur. Saving the theatre has no purpose at this time to the Church, the City Council or the neighboring community. There is a new effort under way to revive the project (not as Senior living) apart from the Church’s control, and try as best as we can to keep the spirit of the Theatre alive through facade treaments which lend memories back to its hey-day. Thanks to all the comments on this site, you really give us a lot more background details on this property and its uses and memories from yesteryear. If we go forward with the project soon, we will be certain to retain the historical memories in some fashion for all to see in the future. Thank You for your interest and submissions. -GS
p.s.: the Calvary website was not renewed and taken down on purpose due to other conflicts not related entirely to this project.
I don’t know if they hold services in the theater, or just own the property.
The church website posted in December 2004 is no longer operational. It doesn’t look like there are any plans to demolish the theater for housing. On the other hand, they’re not doing anything to rehab the property either.
Here are some photos from August 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/2gd42h
http://tinyurl.com/25bd2l
http://tinyurl.com/29hwpy
http://tinyurl.com/2d5ez2
http://tinyurl.com/yuu3sq
http://tinyurl.com/22bx8v
http://tinyurl.com/2z873g
http://tinyurl.com/2gy8tu
http://tinyurl.com/2gc6wz
http://tinyurl.com/2y9bs3
One more:
http://www.you-are-here.com/theatre/5th_ave.html
Here is a picture, courtesy of you-are-here.com,
View link
There was an advertisement for roller derby on the marquee a few years ago. I don’t think that ever took off.
I was driving west on Manchester Blvd. the other day when I saw a large marquee, so I stopped and parked across the street. There before my eyes, fully intact, was the Fifth Avenue Theater. This was clearly a major movie house, as it takes up most of a city block. While it is boarded up, it’s all still there, and as “MagicLantern” observed there is a sign that it’s going to be converted into a church (like the nearby Academy). As long as a grand old theater is still standing there is still hope of restoring it for some use, rather than tearing it down.
The architect of the Fifth Avenue Theatre was Clifford A. Balch. It was built in 1939 for Southside Theaters, which at that time had an office address of 5600 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.
There’s a huge banner on the theatre (or perhaps that’s just for its adjacent neighbor) advertising a church coming to the building, but it hasnt' happened yet.
The Fifth Ave Theatre is located at 2541 W. Manchester Blvd..
I too have fond memories of going to this fine theater. Not quite the class act of the Academy Theater a few blocks away, but it still was a prestige place for Mom and Dad to go enjoy a movie together and drop the kids off at the Ritz or the Inglewood Theater. I’ll never forget seeing Mr. Magoo there in “1001 Arabian Nights” – a CinemaScope cartoon feature – in 1959, having a 5th Avenue candy bar at the Fifth Avenue Theater!