In the heyday of film palaces there were a number of large ornate movie theaters in West Adams and the communities to its immediate south. The Los Angeles Public Library Photo Database includes photographs of 8 of these theaters, as well as of the live sports venue at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, presented below. A wonderful website for information on the old theaters of Los Angeles is Cinema Treasures (www.cinematreasures.com). We have summarized or quoted from some of the comments on the theaters depicted from that source. Photo above is the Boulevard Theater at Washington Blvd. and Vermont Avenue, 1925.
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Movie Theaters
Sports Arenas
Movie Theaters
Arlington Theater
2517 W. Washington Blvd (at Arlington)
- 792 seats
- Architect unknown
A comment at Cinema Treasurer says that this theater was turned into a skating rink and then stood vacant for many years.
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Title: Exterior, Arlington Theater, 2517 W. Washington Blvd. (1920)
Boulevard Theater
1619 W. Washington Blvd. (at Vermont)
- Address given as both 1615 and 1619 W. Washington Blvd. (at Vermont)
- Opened in 1925
- 2300 seats
- Architect: Albert C. Martin
- Style: Spanish colonial
- Demolished
From Cinema Treasures:
"The Boulevard Theatre was a large neighborhood house with a stage and an organ. In the 1950s, the stage space was removed and made into offices for Fox West Coast, the chain that operated the Boulevard. Sadly, the organ was also removed. This theater was finally torn down in the mid-80s and the property is now part of a drug store." -- Contributed by John Chappell, Ralph Nardoni, William Gabel
The Boulevard was "the first theater in Los Angeles to have a Cinemascope wide-screen installed for the initial screening for the industry of the moton picture "The Robe" starring Richard Burton and Jean Simmons." The last people to use the Boulevard Theatre before it was razed "was a small theatre group, 'Intercity Repertory.'"
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Title: Exterior, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1925
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Title: Grand opening, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1925
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Title: Mezzanine, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1925
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Title: Carpeted stairway, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1925
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Title: Proscenium, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1927
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Title: Auditorium, Boulevard Theater,1619 W. Washington Blvd. (1937)
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Title: Facade, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1944
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Title: Stage, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1944
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Title: Interior, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1944
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Title: Grand stairway, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1945
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Title: Auditorium interior, Boulevard Theater, 1619 W. Washington Blvd., 1966
Description: Proscenium and forward part of auditorium. Theater had been closed about 5 years when this picture was taken.
Carlton Theater
Address given as both 5409 and 5411 S. Western (between Vernon and Slauson)
- Demolished.
- Style: Mission Revival
- Seats: 1200
- Architect: Unknown
From Cinema Treasures:
"My brother and sister and I spent many a Saturday afternoon at this theatre. They had children's matinees every week and for 25¢, I recall, you could see two features plus a cartoon and previews of coming attractions both for the regular theatre and for next weeks childrens matinee on Saturday. My brother was just reminding me of how he saw the Three Stooges in person at this theatre. I remember the candy being 6¢ and 12¢. I would always get ju-ju-bees because they lasted longer. Sometimes I would splurge on a 12 cent box of Flicks - chocholate wafers (before Hershey kisses) that came packed in a box cylinder container. They even had membership cards that were punched each week you attended. When it was your birthday or birthday week, you came up on stage at intermission and stuck your hand into a grab bag full of money and candy and kept everything you could hold on to. BOY THOSE WERE THE DAYS." -- posted by MagicLantern on Sep 17, 2004
Another contributor adds: "The film 'Ed Wood' depicts the premiere of "Plan Nine From Outer Space" (1959) as taking place at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The premiere was actually held at the Carlton Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Title: South wall of the Carlton Theater, 5411 S. Western (n.d.) [A reader points out that the car in the foreground is a 1964 Plymouth and one of the cars in the background is a 1961 Chevrolet]
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Title: Exterior of the Carlton Theater, 5411 S. Western (n.d.)
Figueroa Theater
Address given both as 508 W. Santa Barbara (Martin Luther King Jr Blvd) and 4011 Figueroa St.
- Demolished.
- Style: Art Deco.
- Seats: 1470.
- Architect: Unknown.
The theater was on a corner and used both addresses. Demolished in the 1960s. One comment at Cinema Treasures says the theater had a nice Art Deco lobby. Another writes that this Fox theater had a Wurlitzer organ, installed in September 1925.
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Title: Auditorium interior, Figueroa Theater, 4011 Figueroa St. (1945)
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Title: Lobby of the Figueroa Theater, 4011 S. Figueroa St., 1945
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Title: Box office of the Figueroa Theater, 4011 S. Figueroa St. (n.d.)
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Title: Mezzanine of the Figueroa Theater, 4011 S. Figueroa St., 1945
Leimert Theater
Address given both as 3314 and 3342 W. 43rd Place
The building remains in use for performing arts.
- Style: Art Deco.
- Seats: 1123.
- Architect: Unknown.
- Firm: Morgan, Walls, and Clements.
From Cinema Treasures:
"A large neighborhood movie palace, this 1931 Spanish-tinged art deco wonder has retained its importance to the community for 70 years since the theater first opened. After showing first run films for years, the theater and its famous tower were eventually renamed the Watchtower. And in the 1980's, the Liemert was converted into a Jehovah's Witness chapel. Years later, the theater was converted into a performing arts center and continues to serve the community. It was recently featured in the Martin Lawrence starrer, A Thin Line Between Love & Hate." -- Contributed by Ross Melnick
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Title: Mural, Samson & Delilah, Leimert Theater , 3342 W. 43rd Place, 1932
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Title: Lobby, Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place, 1932
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Title: Auditorium interior, Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place, 1932
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Title: Circular promenade, Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place, 1932
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Title: Building profile, Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place, 1968
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Title: Tower base of the Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place,1968
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Title: Entrance of the Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place, 1968
Description: Detail of the entrance and marquee of the Leimert Theater, a reinforced concrete theater building, with ornamental open-work oil derrick tower and signage--a direct result of the Paris Exposition of 1925.
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Title: Marquee, Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd St., 1968
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Title: Leimert Theater Exterior, 3341 W. 43rd Place, 1968
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Title: Tower detail, Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place, 1968
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Title: Box office, Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place, 1968
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Title: Cleaners, Leimert Theater, 3314 W. 43rd Place (n.d.)
Description: A view of a dry cleaning store occupying portion of the Leimert Theater building.
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Title: Lighting, Leimert Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place, 1968
Lincoln Theater
2300 S. Central Avenue
- Closed. Currently used as a church.
- Style: Unknown.
- Seats: 1960.
- Architect: J. P. Perrine.
From Cinema Treasures:
"Opened on October 7, 1927, at 23rd and Central Avenue, it was the crown jewel of the street. The architect was John Paxton Perrine. Above the grand staircase is a mural of Abraham Lincoln." -- posted by Bill H on Aug 27, 2002
"Over the history of film exhibition. There were theatres that were called negro theatres. That served the Afro-American population in this country. At one time this theatre was listed as one of them." -- posted by William on May 14, 2004
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Title: Lobby, Lincoln Theater, 2300 S. Central Ave. (n.d.)
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Title: Grand stairway of the Lincoln Theater, 2300 S. Central Ave., 1962
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Title: Corner view of the Lincoln Theater, 2300 S. Central Avenue (1962)
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Title: Facade of the Lincoln Theater, 2300 S. Central Ave. (n.d.)
Mesa Theater
5807 Angeles Mesa Drive (now Crenshaw), near Slauson.
- Demolished.
- Seats: 1375.
- Architect: L. A. Smith
From Cinema Treasures:
"The Mesa Theatre was a classic neighborhood house in the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles. Opened in 1926 with the MGM film 'Mike,' it seated 1375 patrons. The theater's proscenium opening was 41'10 wide and 23'10 high. The stage was 29' deep by 72'9 side to side and 52' to gridiron. The counterbalance was 31 lines and the Mesa had three Modern and Cooper boarder lights, plus a set of three circuit footlights.
"Equipped with a Robert-Morton 2/12 organ, the Mesa was originally operated by Fox West Coast Theatres and was remodeled during the early 1950s for CinemaScope and stereo sound. During the renovation, the theater's organ cables were cut and the organ grilles were covered over with draperies. Sadly, this beloved neighborhood house was demolished in the mid-1960s, just 40 years after it opened." -- Contributed by John Chappell
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Title: Interior seating in Mesa Theater, 5807 Angeles Mesa Dr. (now Crenshaw) (n.d.)
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Title: Exterior view of Mesa Theater, 5807 Angeles Mesa Dr. (now Crenshaw), c. 1937. [A reader questions the Library's date: "One of the cars appears to be an early 1940s Chevrolet and another an early 1940s Chrysler Corp. product."]
Rosebud Theater
1940 S. Central Avenue (just south of Washington Blvd.)
- Demolished.
- Seats: 800.
- Architect: Unknown.
Cinema Treasures:
"The Rosebud was part of a long lost theater area in South Central Los Angeles." -- William Gabel
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Title: Rosebud Theater employees, 22nd St. & Central Ave., 1941
Sports Arena
Olympic Auditorium
1801 S. Grand Avenue
Not a movie theater but a live sporting event arena. Usually referred to as the Grand Olympic Auditorium, it was built in 1924. The LakerTickets.com website (http://www.lakertickets.com/grand-olympic-auditorium-tickets.htm) claims that it was the first major U.S. auditorium built explicitly to house boxing matches. "The grand opening of the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on August 5, 1925 was a major media event, attended by such celebrities as Jack Dempsey and Rudolph Valentino." In 1932 boxing, weightlifting, and wrestling events for the Olympic Games were held there. On December 18th, 1947, Gorgeous George made his Los Angeles debut there.
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Title: Exterior view of the Olympic Auditorium, 1801 S. Grand Ave., 1938
