There is a free concert tonight (Thursday May 10) at the Regent during the downtown artwalk if anyone wants to see how this theater looks inside for themselves. Here’s the link:
Ken mc, If you haven’t seen it, you should watch The Street With No Name. Almost all of the exterior shots are on this block. It’s incredibly seedy. If you watch it, get ready to hit the pause button often. There are also a lot of scenes in a boxing gymnasium, I wonder if they used the place that stood where the Hippodrome was. I’ll have to take another look.
I can’t find much about the Main but I assume from this that it wasn’t a theater by this time:
(Oct. 19, 1931)
T.J. Curry, manager of a lunch room at 438 South Main street, mistook a bandit for a customer early yesterday morning and the error cost him $100, he reported.
The building in ken mc’s first picture with the marquee is definitely the National?/Regent. You can see the back side of the front arch in a picture I took a few weeks ago when I was inside the Regent here:
From looking at that photo and the Sanborn overlay it looks like the sign that says ‘Cut Rate’ something might be the Banner at 458 s. Main. If the address for the Main is correct and it was actually in the Canadian building then the space is still there. It’s a strange craft store now with all kinds of styrofoam balls in the window right next door to the new Metropolis book store.
Here’s a detail from of the block from the 1906 Sanborn map. Joe was right about the Empire Theater, it became a parking garage. I can’t find anything about the theater to determine if it showed movies, however. I wonder what year the Panorama building was built and when it was demolished to build the Adolphus/Hippodrome.
Here is a detail from the 1906 Sanborn Map of this block. I think the Canadian building was from 1909 and I don’t see any other theaters on the block from the 1906 time period.
Joe, maybe if I look on the original 1906 Sanborn it might show up. I don’t know when the Empire was built, but if its on the 1909 Birdseye it might have been around in 1906.
I wonder what is in the building now. I looked closely at the full size image and its the same as the Turkish Bath building. So the Banner takes care of 458. Does anyone know 417? That building is still standing I believe. I wonder if there is any hint left of a theater. It would be interesting since with the destruction of the Linda Lea, the Regent is thought of as the only one left on Main.
Here is an overlay map that I made using a 1906-1923-1950 Sanborn Map. It’s confusing knowing what part of the map comes from what date, but it shows the Hippodrome smack in the middle of the block. This is sad since this whole block is now demolished other than three small buildings on Los Angeles street. If anyone knows of any other theaters that were on this large block, let me know so I can look for them on the full size map. Here’s the link:
Here is a giant overlay map I put together of the area bordered by Spring-4th-Los Angeles St.-5th with Main running through the middle. The Sanborn map I used to overlay is from 1950. There are a few theaters that I didn’t know were there. Maybe others can tell me what their names were or find some I didn’t see.
This is the link for the whole map. It is too large to display and still read the text. The other links are the same thing split into quadrants so you can actually read the text.
Here is a giant overlay map I put together of the area bordered by Spring-4th-Los Angeles St.-5th with Main running through the middle. The Sanborn map I used to overlay is from 1950. There are a few theaters that I didn’t know were there. Maybe others can tell me what their names were or find some I didn’t see.
This is the link for the whole map. It is too large to display and still read the text. The other links are the same thing split into quadrants so you can actually read the text.
Maybe it only had a one year run. There are continuous ‘Electric Theater’ advertisements up until June 15, 1903 and then it changes to the Lyric Theater:
(July 16, 1903)
LYRIC THEATER-262 South Main St.-
Opens Saturday, July 18th.
Refined Vaudeville…..New Moving Pictures.
Continuous Performance. Admission 10 Cents.
The Electric Theater definitely needs its own CT page, especially if it was the first real movie theater. From the original advertisements it seems as though it was just called ‘Electric Theater’ minus the Tally’s name. Here is an advertisement from 1902 and also a portion of an article about it from 1927:
This is listed under ‘Amusements And Entertainments’, not even under the ‘Theaters’ section of the same page:
(April 19, 1902)
ELECTRIC THEATER-262 SOUTH MAIN, OPP. THIRD ST.
Tonight-See the CAPTURE OF THE BIDDLE BROTHERS, one of the most exciting and realistic Moving Pictures ever shown to the public. A regular VAUDEVILLE of moving pictures, lasting one hour, for TEN CENTS. Continous Permormance 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
MATINEE TODAY AT 3 P.M.
(Jan. 9, 1927)
WHEN CINEMA WAS YOUNG
BY KATHERINE LIPKE
One of the major milestones in the history of motion-picture development occurred at 262 South Main street, Los Angeles, in the year of 1902. Thomas L. Tally, former owner of a peep show, started a picture theater the first in existence and commenced showing one-reel masterpieces such as “Rescued by Rover,” “The Burglar on the Roof,” “The Life of an American Fireman” and “The Great Train Robbery.” This incident is one of hundreds recorded in the fascinating and dramatic complication by Terry Ramsaye called “A Million and One Nights, a History of the Motion Picture.” Mr. Ramsaye’s work is in two volumes and goes back to the origin of the motion-picture and brings it along its dramatic and varied way up to the present moment. Interesting especially to us of the West is the steadily growing part California played in this development from that time in 1902 when Mr. Tally put up his sign-“Electric Theater-10 cents admission-children 5 cents.”
It’s hard to tell from the photos, but after looking at my large images in photoshop on my computer, the 262 address is a parking lot now. The building on the corner of 3rd is apparently the same building but was sliced diagonally to let 3rd flow through when they took the corner off. Unless they built a new building with the exact same footprint minus the diagonal slice it must be the same building since it lines up perfectly with the current photo. The remaining building north a little is getting ready for the wrecking ball from what a few business owners on Main have told me. That will mean that the Cathedral and the 3rd corner building are the only remaining buildings on the whole east side of Main block. The 266 address on the Sanborn map is actually the corner building now which I believe has a 3rd street address now but I’m not positive. If anyone wants a similar overlay of another block or area, let me know.
Does anyone know the Cinema Treasures page for the original Tally’s Electric at 262 s. Main? I put together a few graphics to show the actual location using a 1906 Sanborn map and a current satellite image. Here they are even though they don’t refer to the Spring street address:
This is a side by side comparison: View link
This is an overlay version: View link
Here is a detail of Main street from the 1909 Birdseye map. I had to split it into three parts so that you could still see detail and it wouldn’t be too long. If you print out all three and then cut them out, they should line up as a continous Main street.
I didn’t even notice the 529 address…pretty interesting. I don’t know if this has been posted, but here’s a photo from USC that says its from 1907 that shows the Peoples Theatre. I don’t know how accurate the date is.
There is a free concert tonight (Thursday May 10) at the Regent during the downtown artwalk if anyone wants to see how this theater looks inside for themselves. Here’s the link:
http://persee.net/
Yeah, here’s the link…its pretty cheap and not that great of a movie but for reference its great.
View link
Ken mc, If you haven’t seen it, you should watch The Street With No Name. Almost all of the exterior shots are on this block. It’s incredibly seedy. If you watch it, get ready to hit the pause button often. There are also a lot of scenes in a boxing gymnasium, I wonder if they used the place that stood where the Hippodrome was. I’ll have to take another look.
I can’t find much about the Main but I assume from this that it wasn’t a theater by this time:
(Oct. 19, 1931)
T.J. Curry, manager of a lunch room at 438 South Main street, mistook a bandit for a customer early yesterday morning and the error cost him $100, he reported.
The building in ken mc’s first picture with the marquee is definitely the National?/Regent. You can see the back side of the front arch in a picture I took a few weeks ago when I was inside the Regent here:
View link
From looking at that photo and the Sanborn overlay it looks like the sign that says ‘Cut Rate’ something might be the Banner at 458 s. Main. If the address for the Main is correct and it was actually in the Canadian building then the space is still there. It’s a strange craft store now with all kinds of styrofoam balls in the window right next door to the new Metropolis book store.
Here’s a detail from of the block from the 1906 Sanborn map. Joe was right about the Empire Theater, it became a parking garage. I can’t find anything about the theater to determine if it showed movies, however. I wonder what year the Panorama building was built and when it was demolished to build the Adolphus/Hippodrome.
View link
Here is a detail from the 1906 Sanborn Map of this block. I think the Canadian building was from 1909 and I don’t see any other theaters on the block from the 1906 time period.
View link
Joe, maybe if I look on the original 1906 Sanborn it might show up. I don’t know when the Empire was built, but if its on the 1909 Birdseye it might have been around in 1906.
I wonder what is in the building now. I looked closely at the full size image and its the same as the Turkish Bath building. So the Banner takes care of 458. Does anyone know 417? That building is still standing I believe. I wonder if there is any hint left of a theater. It would be interesting since with the destruction of the Linda Lea, the Regent is thought of as the only one left on Main.
Thanks Joe….I’ve found a new obsession…you can get sucked into these maps for hours. Here’s one I just did for the Hippodrome:
View link
/theaters/2206/
Here is an overlay map that I made using a 1906-1923-1950 Sanborn Map. It’s confusing knowing what part of the map comes from what date, but it shows the Hippodrome smack in the middle of the block. This is sad since this whole block is now demolished other than three small buildings on Los Angeles street. If anyone knows of any other theaters that were on this large block, let me know so I can look for them on the full size map. Here’s the link:
View link
Here is a giant overlay map I put together of the area bordered by Spring-4th-Los Angeles St.-5th with Main running through the middle. The Sanborn map I used to overlay is from 1950. There are a few theaters that I didn’t know were there. Maybe others can tell me what their names were or find some I didn’t see.
This is the link for the whole map. It is too large to display and still read the text. The other links are the same thing split into quadrants so you can actually read the text.
View link
NW quadrant:
View link
I see a theater at 417 S. Main…anyone know the name?
NE quadrant:
View link
I don’t see any theaters on this block. I wonder if the Turkish Baths are still on 4th street near Los Angeles street.
SW quadrant:
View link
I see a theater at 431 S. Main which I guess is the Rosslyn.
SE quadrant:
View link
I see the Regent at 448 S. Main, of course, and there is also a theater at 458 S. Main. Anybody know the name of this one?
Here is a giant overlay map I put together of the area bordered by Spring-4th-Los Angeles St.-5th with Main running through the middle. The Sanborn map I used to overlay is from 1950. There are a few theaters that I didn’t know were there. Maybe others can tell me what their names were or find some I didn’t see.
This is the link for the whole map. It is too large to display and still read the text. The other links are the same thing split into quadrants so you can actually read the text.
View link
NW quadrant:
View link
I see a theater at 417 S. Main…anyone know the name?
NE quadrant:
View link
I don’t see any theaters on this block. I wonder if the Turkish Baths are still on 4th street near Los Angeles street.
SW quadrant:
View link
I see a theater at 431 S. Main which I guess is the Rosslyn.
SE quadrant:
View link
I see the Regent at 448 S. Main, of course, and there is also a theater at 458 S. Main. Anybody know the name of this one?
I color coded that comparison to show what, at least I believe, are original buildings on this square block.
View link
Maybe it only had a one year run. There are continuous ‘Electric Theater’ advertisements up until June 15, 1903 and then it changes to the Lyric Theater:
(July 16, 1903)
LYRIC THEATER-262 South Main St.-
Opens Saturday, July 18th.
Refined Vaudeville…..New Moving Pictures.
Continuous Performance. Admission 10 Cents.
The Electric Theater definitely needs its own CT page, especially if it was the first real movie theater. From the original advertisements it seems as though it was just called ‘Electric Theater’ minus the Tally’s name. Here is an advertisement from 1902 and also a portion of an article about it from 1927:
This is listed under ‘Amusements And Entertainments’, not even under the ‘Theaters’ section of the same page:
(April 19, 1902)
ELECTRIC THEATER-262 SOUTH MAIN, OPP. THIRD ST.
Tonight-See the CAPTURE OF THE BIDDLE BROTHERS, one of the most exciting and realistic Moving Pictures ever shown to the public. A regular VAUDEVILLE of moving pictures, lasting one hour, for TEN CENTS. Continous Permormance 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
MATINEE TODAY AT 3 P.M.
(Jan. 9, 1927)
WHEN CINEMA WAS YOUNG
BY KATHERINE LIPKE
One of the major milestones in the history of motion-picture development occurred at 262 South Main street, Los Angeles, in the year of 1902. Thomas L. Tally, former owner of a peep show, started a picture theater the first in existence and commenced showing one-reel masterpieces such as “Rescued by Rover,” “The Burglar on the Roof,” “The Life of an American Fireman” and “The Great Train Robbery.” This incident is one of hundreds recorded in the fascinating and dramatic complication by Terry Ramsaye called “A Million and One Nights, a History of the Motion Picture.” Mr. Ramsaye’s work is in two volumes and goes back to the origin of the motion-picture and brings it along its dramatic and varied way up to the present moment. Interesting especially to us of the West is the steadily growing part California played in this development from that time in 1902 when Mr. Tally put up his sign-“Electric Theater-10 cents admission-children 5 cents.”
Maybe if we look for photos of Vibiana’s, Tally’s might show up in the photo by chance.
It’s hard to tell from the photos, but after looking at my large images in photoshop on my computer, the 262 address is a parking lot now. The building on the corner of 3rd is apparently the same building but was sliced diagonally to let 3rd flow through when they took the corner off. Unless they built a new building with the exact same footprint minus the diagonal slice it must be the same building since it lines up perfectly with the current photo. The remaining building north a little is getting ready for the wrecking ball from what a few business owners on Main have told me. That will mean that the Cathedral and the 3rd corner building are the only remaining buildings on the whole east side of Main block. The 266 address on the Sanborn map is actually the corner building now which I believe has a 3rd street address now but I’m not positive. If anyone wants a similar overlay of another block or area, let me know.
Does anyone know the Cinema Treasures page for the original Tally’s Electric at 262 s. Main? I put together a few graphics to show the actual location using a 1906 Sanborn map and a current satellite image. Here they are even though they don’t refer to the Spring street address:
This is a side by side comparison:
View link
This is an overlay version:
View link
Here is a detail of Main street from the 1909 Birdseye map. I had to split it into three parts so that you could still see detail and it wouldn’t be too long. If you print out all three and then cut them out, they should line up as a continous Main street.
View link
View link
View link
I didn’t even notice the 529 address…pretty interesting. I don’t know if this has been posted, but here’s a photo from USC that says its from 1907 that shows the Peoples Theatre. I don’t know how accurate the date is.
View link
In the map detail I posted above, does anyone know what theater was at 533 S. Main? It just says ‘Moving Pictures’.
Here is a detail from a 1906 Sanborn map that shows this address. I don’t see a name for the theater, but the auditorium is labeled with ‘Movies’.
View link
Sorry about the reposting….I just realized that I already posted those a long time ago.
This is the same address, but I don’t know if it is the same structure:
(Dec. 26, 1930)
James H. Grayson, 53, of 1712 Harriman avenue, died at Moon Theater, 523 South Main street, of heart failure.