Arlin Theatre

Google street view now has a view of the back of this building. Some of the brick looks quite old, and there have obviously been a lot of alterations done over the decades. Despite the L.A. County Assessor’s site saying that the building was built in 1930, I now think there was probably just an extensive rebuild of the original theater building at that time.

Bill Counter has researched the Arlin Theatre, saying it opened around 1911, when it was listed only under the name of a Mr. T. A. Russell. Then it was listed as the Columbia Theatre from 1912 until 1918, was the Jefferson Theatre in 1919 (I also found it listed under that name in the 1921 city directory) and was the Palace Theatre from 1922 to 1927. A 1928 directory has now become available, and it lists the house as the Home Theatre.

In the 1915 Los Angeles City Directory, a house called the Columbia Theatre is listed at 2117 W. Jefferson. In the 1923, 1926 and 1927 directories, it’s listed as the address of the Palace Theatre. No directory for 1928 is available online, and I can’t find a theater listed for the address in the 1929 directory, but the 1932 directory lists the Home Theatre at 2117 W. Jefferson.

As the L.A. County Assessor’s office says that the Arlin’s building was built in 1930, something must have happened to the Columbia/Palace building around 1929, and the current building was built in 1930 to replace it.

It was open when I drove by today, but I didn’t have time to stop in. I wonder if they gutted the interior when it was converted to a pawn shop.

It’s a pawn shop, obviously.

Theatre still stands, used currently as some kind of retail outlet.