Studs at the Pussycat Theatre
7734 Santa Monica Boulevard,
West Hollywood,
CA
90046
7734 Santa Monica Boulevard,
West Hollywood,
CA
90046
10 people favorited this theater
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The rent increases affected both the Nob Hill (2018) and Tea Room (2016) theatres in SF effectively shuttered those theaters also… 😔😔😔
The “for lease” banners have been removed, the property is no longer listed on the corresponding real estate site, and a general commercial properties site categorizes the building as “no longer available”. So, something is afoot, but I haven’t been able to find any details as to what that might be.
Has anything been done to buy this or return it to the original “Monica” status?
Bare bones? Pun intended? :X
Pictures from the theatre’s final days of operation depict a rather unique, bare bones, setup in the main auditorium.
https://wehotimes.com/x-rated-studs-at-the-pussycat-theater-in-west-hollywood-is-closing-october-29th/
The theatre closed on October 29, 2022. Citing an increase in rent, fluctuating business, and rising crime in the area, the owners chose not to renew their yearly lease back in August. As of 11/2, all of the branding has been removed and “for lease” signs hang from the building (the hand/footprint tiles remain in place).
Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 5, 1952: “Leo Hershon and Saul Fruchtman have sold the Monica theatre to Bob Schwartz and Jack Hendricks."
Reopened as Left Bank on August 30th, 1968. Another ad posted.
Opened as Monica with “Old Maid”.
Opened as Monica on March 15th, 1940. Grand opening ad posted.
Opened as the Pussycat Theatre with “The notirious Cleopatra” and “Weekend lovers”.
I passed by this movie theater during one of my visits to LA in ‘99 and 2000
March 13th, 1970 grand opening ad as a Pussycat theatre can be found in the photo section.
The prints which remain in front of the theatre are: Linda Lovelace – 12/20/73 Jay Lawrence – 11/19/74 (a radio DJ for KLAC at the time) Georgina Spelvin – 9/29/77 Marilyn Chambers – 5/23/80 Harry Reems – 9/30/82 Eric Edwards & Kay Parker – 7/12/84 (share a tile) John Holmes -2/7/85 There are two blank/patched spaces, which match the dimensions of the other tiles, suggesting there may have been at least two more prints at one time.
If anyone has any stories about going to/ working at this threatre in its adult days, I would love to hear them. I am chronicling the histories of adult theatres in the US. Please contact me at Thanks!
This theatre has been multiplexed. If you look at the floor plan on their website it appears to have four screens now. Info up top should be changed accordingly.
the management is planning to initiate a “womens night” at studs, where from 11pm until closing groups of 3 women or more get FREE ADMISSION on the 1st and 4th Saturdays of the month..its partly to head off a judgement from a complaint of discrimination by women who claim that they were refused admittance into Studs in 2007 because they had no escorts..
A MAJOR Asian pornstar is planning an appearance at the theater on July 3 2010 to film a porn “documentary” for BANG BROS.
There’s a video on youtube that shows a little of the exterior and the feet/hand prints of the theater briefly…around the 3:35 mark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y4VI45IjyU
And here’s a drawing of this theater during its X-dayz, from a comic book called “Triple-X Cinema: A Cartoon History” – View link
This article “When Cathouses Ruled California” has much history on this theater, and the entire CA Pussycat chain, told via interviews with theater operators and employees. Lots of photos too, including many credited to cinematreasures contribs – View link
The other night I watched a DVD (released in 2006 by Raincoat Theater, a division of Media Blasters) of the 1980 Marilyn Chambers film “Insatiable”—One of the bonus features on that DVD was footage of Marilyn Chambers (the film’s star) at a premiere of that film at this theater in May of 1980, including where she was putting her hand prints into the cement in front of the theater. This was during the daytime and there was a crowd of about 50 watching from outside the theater (all men). The footage also showed a little bit of the lobby including a shot of Vince Miranda. (Chambers narrates the footage, which is well worth watching.)
“Insatiable” was considered Chambers porn comeback after a foray into mainsteam film (the most notable being “Rabid”, directed by David Croenberg in which she plays a vampire) and was hyped for a time due to a scene in which she has sex with John Holmes. The film premiered here and would essentially become the last theatrical XXX film to have financial success with a cross-over (ie couples) audience. This, of course, had to do with the advent of VHS, and even at this point, theatrical XXX audiences were going back to being essentially male.
If you look up “theater” on the “casual encounters” section of the L.A. Craigslist, you’ll see a rather varied cross-section of current patrons. Snurk.
the theater is trying very hard o woo couples and females to the theater..As of january 2010,Studs now has two straight porn viewing rooms and two gay rooms ..The staff is also more vigilant and fast acting when (if ) a female patron complains..Lesbian couples are starting to show up more and more since late November , usually in the early Saturday or Sunday hours…In December a well known soap -opera star was there (with his blonde girlfriend) doing “research"for a movie role..(i guess)The coffee/hot cocoa/teaand snacks are STILL only 25 cents and NO i do not work at this place , so if you are inclined to go, then go..if not well….
Here is a January 1977 ad from the LAT:
http://tinyurl.com/mhkn8j
Here is an August 1970 photo from Life magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/n4arf6