Holly Cinema
6523 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6523 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
11 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 74 of 74 comments
I worked here just as Caligulia was ending its run. My managers were Lori Ham and Dewayne Stickney. I remember the projectionest crazy Steve too, I think he ran Caligulia too many times. :)
After Caligulia, we had, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Private Lessions, Escape From NY, Looker, The Night The LIghts Went Out In Gerogia,( there is a big Oscar picture ,LOL) For Your Eyes Only, to name a few, This theatre was a second run double feature house. It was ran by SRO, ( standing room only LOL !!!!!)
I think it sat approx. 450. The films came to us after opening in a first run house, and before it went to the VINE or the WORLD.
Those were the days , sure do miss them.
I was in Hollywood in July 2001, I could only find the space by address only, It has no recognizeable attractions to it today. It was a crappy little store that had 3 pairs of shoes in the window and a couple of cheap thongs on a rack in side for sale. Sad sad end to a fun theatre, even tho small. But the Egyptian 2 and 3 behind the Egypatian, were the smallest on the Boulevard.
Be Supreme….
It was called the Music Hall (Hollywood Music Hall), during that time.
What was the name of this theater during 1953/1955?
I doubt it, simply because of its size… or lack thereof. The Holly was a VERY small theatre. During the two full years that I ran the theatre, (mid 1980s) I saw many movies at every movie theatre on Hollywood Blvd. The Holly Theatre was undoubtedly the smallest theatre of them all, both in terms of screen size and seating capacity. I can’t imagine the Holly being capable of hosting the Academy Awards, even back in 1949. (But this is just an educated guess… I don’t know one way or the other.)
Was this the Academy Theatre where the 1948 (March 1949) awards were hosted by Robert Montgomery? My source is “The Viewers Guide to the Academy Awards” by Joseph Stewart, 1995. It just says Academy Theater, Hollywood.
Ron;
You guessed correcly. It is the latter. They should really call it an indoctrination (brainwashing) centre rather than a reading room!
Once their Hollywood headquarters are re-furbished in the former Christie Hotel on Hollywood Blvd, they will vacate the Holly Theatre and I am told it could be converted into a restaurant and possibly a Hollywood Visitor Information Centre.
You said “Christian Scientology sect”. Do you mean Christian Science (a fairly respectable group based in Boston, which has lots of Reading Rooms around the country) or Scientology (a wacky and sinister cult described in great detail at www.xenu.net)? Given that this is Hollywood, I suspect the latter.
Thank’s Ken. Now I remember which theater this one was. I think I did notice a theater with a Scientology Learning Centre sign on it.
I wish I took photos of all these theaters, as it would have helped me remember.
The building was being used as a shoe shop a couple of years ago. Currently it is a temporary home to the Christian Scientology sect who normally operate out the former Christie Hotel on Hollywood Blvd, which is currently being renovated. The former Holly theatre is called the Scientology Learning Centre!
What is in this building now, if anything, or is it one of the many abandoned, boarded up theaters on Hollywood Blvd?
The Motion Picture Herald issue of December 12, 1936, Better Theatres section, announced the re-opening of this theater as the Colony, following an “expensive remodeling” by S. Charles Lee. Apparently, the Automatic Theater thing didn’t work out as planned. The operator of the Colony was named as Albert A. Galston, and the article also said that the remodeled theater had 500 seats.
When it first opened in 1931 as the Studio Theatre, it was billed on the marquee as being ‘The Worlds Most Unusual Theatre’. The new concept was that it was the first ‘automatic’ theatre in the area. It had no ushers, just a cashier, a manager and a projectionist. Patrons passed through a turnstyle after purchasing their tickets. The turnstyle operated automatic doors and candy, cigarettes and drinks were sold via coin-operated machines.
It closed as the Holly Theatre in the summer of 1986.
This theatre was indeed renamed the Colony Theatre at one point in the 1940s.
No, No No! The Admiral became the Vine Theatre, which is still operating as a 600 seat theatre.
The Holly was originally the Studio, it could have been renamed the Colony? (I have a listing of a Colony Theatre on Hollywood Blvd in the 1941 Film Daily Yearbook with 475 seats, but no address) then it was named the Music Hall, then the Academy and finally the Holly Theatre.
I saw many a movie on Hollywood Blvd between 1939 and 1943
I know this theatre was called the Colony. In 1939 you could see a double feature for 25 cents ( 10 cents for me ) at any time
As I remember it was the Admiral that became the Academy The Vine
An old, 1981 SRO newsletter of mine reports that “Caligua” opened at the Holly Theatre in April of 1980 and closed on June 25, 1981 after running for 62 consecutive weeks. With its daily matinees and $7.50 per person admission price (inexpensive by today’s standards but very pricey then!) the Holly Theatre grossed approximately $1 million showing “Caligula.”
I did not manage this theatre until 1983, so I was not a part of “Caligula.”
I read all of the above comments with much interest. I was a manager of the Holly Theater for two full years, in 1983 through 1984. Our company (SRO) ran this movie theatre, as well as the Paramount Theatre (now known as the El Capitan) located further down the street. (SRO also ran a dozen or so other theatres in Southern California.)
Earlier this evening I was inside what used to be the Holly Theatre. As of this date, it’s now an L. Ron Hubbard store. I was hoping to reminisce and see SOME signs of my old movie theatre, but as such it is unrecognizable. The upstairs projection booth is gone, (the entire 2nd floor was gone!) the small, manager’s office in the basement was gone… walls and doors that I remember were removed… If it weren’t for the address outside, I would not have recognized the place!
Stephen Gates was my projectionist for the entire time I was there and I can confirm he was indeed a character!
I think my longest run was the film “Private Lessons.” I recall showing that pic for what seemed like forever.
I remember this theater as the colony 1938 to 1944
HA! He was a character, well, that is, when he wasn’t reciting Nostrodomus.
Where did you go? To the Frolic Room next to the Pantages. That’s the only place I can see Steve Gates in. :)
In the late 70s, I can remember the Holly projectionist, John Oblinger (aka, Steven Gates), the Paramount (El Capitan) projectionist, Bob Seeling, and I would meet almost everynight for a few beers after work. I was the relief projectionist for them as well as every other theater in Hollywood.
The Holly was also known as the Academy Theatre.
During the 50’s this theatre was known as the Music Hall theatre.
The Holly started it’s life as the Studio theatre designed by S. Charles Lee. For a new company formed by a former president of Fox West Coast theatres and Howard Hughes (Franklin and Hughes). The Studio was a prototype of what they called the automatic theatre. It was to be manned by a cashier and projectionist and a manager. The Studio theatre opened July 31, 1931, at a cost of $12,000. S. Charles Lee remodeled a store into the 303 seat theatre. The theatre was art deco. The name changed to the Holly in the 60’s and was remodeled. All the art deco was covered up behind curtains false ceilings. The Holly theatre was part of many chains over the years. (Statewide, Century, Loew’s, GCC, the last chain SRO). From a store to a theatre and now back to a store. The Holly sits almost across the street from the old Fox theatre in Hollywood. (Hollywood Blvd and Wilcox).