Looking at the view of 223 Ocean Avenue on Google Maps, it looks like the theater building is being used to sell office furniture. The adjoining business is Peckman’s Pharmacy, which may be using part of the old theater building for storage. I don’t think 1485 people could fit in the small furniture building.
W.A. Kerr, proprietor of the Art Theater, 508 S. Broadway, who, after a fire in his place, was arrested last week on a charge of employing an unlicensed operator for his moving picture machine, was fined $50 yesterday, but sentence was suspended.
Here are excerpts from an LA Times article dated June 1, 1913:
JH Parker, manager of the lease department of the California Realty Corporation, reports having leased on account of the Baer Realty Corporation a photoplay theater on Washington Street near Cherry. The building has just been completed at a cost of $32,000 and is considered one of the finest of its kind in the city. The building has been leased to HH Wellenbrink for a term of ten years at a total rental of $36,000. A. Lawrence Volk is the architect.
The same agency has leased on account of Eugene G. Haskell a moving picture theater now under construction on West Adams Street near Harbor. The auditorium will have a seating capacity of 1000. The building will cost approximately $20,000 and has been leased by Keys and Seefloth for a term of ten years. A.C. Martin is the architect.
I had my doubts if there were ever three theaters on S. Main between 8th and 9th, which would have been the case if you had Miller’s at 842, Triangle at 832 and California at 810. Presumably Triangle refers to the intersection where Main, Spring and 9th meet in that geometric arrangement.
There is a reference in the LA Times on March 1, 1913 to an unidentified theater in El Segundo:
A photoplay theater has been opened here by Alfred Fielder, formerly of Anaheim. A record crowd witnessed the opening show. Mr. Fielder aims only to show the best of pictures and make the show one of the best in this section.
The Triangel was listed at 832 S. Main. Many years later, in the 1960s, the Platt Music Store was advertised at that address. I think the Triangle was a separate theater.
This June 1918 ad notes that Miller’s is under the direction of Carl Ray’s Amusement Enterprises. That may be where the Ray’s Garden came from. http://tinyurl.com/67fzs9
I should point out that this section of Hawthorne Boulevard is now a two block stretch of closed department stores. Very depressing. I think one of the stores is being converted into county offices.
7/27/24: Still Miller's
9/7/24: Still Miller's
December 1924: Miller's
March 1925: Miller's
March 1926: Miller’s
After that Miller’s is not mentioned. A search for Loew’s turns up only references to the State on Broadway. No mention of the Roosevelt on Main between 1924 and 1939.
On April 17, 1910, the LA Times announced that the Picture Theater, directly across from the Burbank on Main Street, would show, for three days only, the sensational moving picture “Roosevelt in Africa”.
That’s too bad. Missed it by a couple of days.
LA Times, 12/16/07:
http://tinyurl.com/686r5v
I know that. I was just there, so I was curious about the exact date.
When did they put that up?
Looking at the view of 223 Ocean Avenue on Google Maps, it looks like the theater building is being used to sell office furniture. The adjoining business is Peckman’s Pharmacy, which may be using part of the old theater building for storage. I don’t think 1485 people could fit in the small furniture building.
Maybe some hyperbole. I don’t think anyone was counting.
Here is another article about the opening. The architect is noted as M. Winfield Lott.
http://tinyurl.com/6nw7uh
Here is an LA Times ad dated 1/16/14:
http://tinyurl.com/66wukl
Here is an LA Times ad from January 16, 1914:
http://tinyurl.com/672ltz
From the LA Times, June 28, 1910:
W.A. Kerr, proprietor of the Art Theater, 508 S. Broadway, who, after a fire in his place, was arrested last week on a charge of employing an unlicensed operator for his moving picture machine, was fined $50 yesterday, but sentence was suspended.
Here are excerpts from an LA Times article dated June 1, 1913:
JH Parker, manager of the lease department of the California Realty Corporation, reports having leased on account of the Baer Realty Corporation a photoplay theater on Washington Street near Cherry. The building has just been completed at a cost of $32,000 and is considered one of the finest of its kind in the city. The building has been leased to HH Wellenbrink for a term of ten years at a total rental of $36,000. A. Lawrence Volk is the architect.
The same agency has leased on account of Eugene G. Haskell a moving picture theater now under construction on West Adams Street near Harbor. The auditorium will have a seating capacity of 1000. The building will cost approximately $20,000 and has been leased by Keys and Seefloth for a term of ten years. A.C. Martin is the architect.
I had my doubts if there were ever three theaters on S. Main between 8th and 9th, which would have been the case if you had Miller’s at 842, Triangle at 832 and California at 810. Presumably Triangle refers to the intersection where Main, Spring and 9th meet in that geometric arrangement.
Probably a storefront.
No, I never added it because I only saw one or two references. I also wasn’t sure if it was an earlier incarnation of Miller’s.
There is a reference in the LA Times on March 1, 1913 to an unidentified theater in El Segundo:
A photoplay theater has been opened here by Alfred Fielder, formerly of Anaheim. A record crowd witnessed the opening show. Mr. Fielder aims only to show the best of pictures and make the show one of the best in this section.
The Triangel was listed at 832 S. Main. Many years later, in the 1960s, the Platt Music Store was advertised at that address. I think the Triangle was a separate theater.
There is a reference in the LA Times to a Euclid Photoplay back in June 1912. Possibly this theater.
The rest of it says “A few at 20 cents, some at 30 cents”, so probably somewhere between 500 and 600.
This June 1918 ad notes that Miller’s is under the direction of Carl Ray’s Amusement Enterprises. That may be where the Ray’s Garden came from.
http://tinyurl.com/67fzs9
I should point out that this section of Hawthorne Boulevard is now a two block stretch of closed department stores. Very depressing. I think one of the stores is being converted into county offices.
A large LA Times ad promoting development in Hawthorne included a sketch of the new Plaza Theater. The date was 1/17/26.
http://tinyurl.com/5z2jqd
Here is a timeline:
7/27/24: Still Miller's
9/7/24: Still Miller's
December 1924: Miller's
March 1925: Miller's
March 1926: Miller’s
After that Miller’s is not mentioned. A search for Loew’s turns up only references to the State on Broadway. No mention of the Roosevelt on Main between 1924 and 1939.
On April 17, 1910, the LA Times announced that the Picture Theater, directly across from the Burbank on Main Street, would show, for three days only, the sensational moving picture “Roosevelt in Africa”.
I don’t know. I will check the LA Times database to see if there any stories about Millers post-sale.
I’m not sure if it was called Loew’s after they bought it. We know it was the Roosevelt by 1939.