Ken: “Century Vaudeville” in the top ad on that latest scan must refer to the the Gaiety Theatre, but what is the hidden name beginning with the letter “H”?
MKThink, the architectural firm that did the plans for the renovation of this theatre, has this page about it on their website. It says that the former balcony will contain an auditorium with 264 stadium seats, plus an 86 seat screening room.
Of course it also says that the theatre will reopen in 2006, so maybe things have changed. In the photo Lost Memory linked to in August it looks as though the Walgreen’s on the main floor was already open. I wonder why the delay in getting the theatre open?
730 S. Grand was the address of the Mozart Theatre, which apparently was the only theatre in history to change its name more frequently than it changed its program.
Dublinboyo: I’m going to make a wild guess that the vintage ad you saw on display at the Big Newport might have announced the 1940 opening of the Annex, which was an early name of the small theatre in what came to be known as the Alhambra Twin Cinemas on Main Street at Atlantic in Alhambra.
A second possibility is that the ad featured plans for a theatre which Edwards wanted to build in Monterey Park in 1939, but which were never carried out.
As far as I know, the Mission/Monterey was the only indoor theatre in Monterey Park until Edwards built its replacement, the Monterey Mall triplex on Atlantic Boulevard, in the 1970s.
Opened in 1999, this 5600 seat megaplex was designed by the Long Beach-based architectural firm of Perkowitz + Ruth. The lead architect was Marios Savapoulos. Perkowitz + Ruth designed quite a few complexes for Edwards, as well as for other exhibitors.
I don’t know if Belasco had any interest in the first Optic. It’s a possibility that he took a shot at exhibiting movies, though by 1906 I think he was spending most of his time in New York City, from which he directed his far-flung theatrical enterprise. It seems more likely that the building in which the Optic rented space was a conveniently low edifice which provided an ideal location for a billboard, easily seen by the passing throngs on Broadway, and for which the owners of the property undoubtedly received a handsome rent. That it sported an ad touting the Belasco at the time this photo was made may have been mere chance.
As the term “improvements” refers to any structures, pavements, landscaping, etc. which are on a piece of property, the phrase “improved with” in the article only means that the Mission Theatre and the parking lot (interesting that they call it a parking station) were on the property where the Orpheum was to be built.
This theatre was designed by the Los Angeles firm of Harold W. Levitt & Associates. Their successor firm, Levitt & Moss, maintains on its website this memorial page for Harold Levitt. It doesn’t feature any information about the National Theatre, but it does feature a rendering of an unnamed theatre and a photo of the Levitt-designed Fox Valley Circle Theatre in San Diego.
Another interesting thing I’ve run across is on the website of Behr Browers Architects, the firm which did the plans for the renovations of the Criterion in Santa Monica and the Chinese in Hollywood, as well as renovations of the Mann Village and Bruin theatres in 1999. In a section of their website called “Plan Room”, subsection “historic renovations”, there is a mention of construction documents prepared for the Mann National Theatre in Westwood. Maybe Mann intended to renovate the National but the project didn’t pencil out?
The renovation of the 1924 Criterion Building and of the 1980s 6-plex that replaced the original auditorium was completed in 2001. The plans were by the firm of Behr Browers Architects, the same company that did the renovation and expansion of the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, completed in 2002.
Cinematown USA is the correct name of the company. I accidentally wrote “Cinemaworld” in the body of the text above. Among Cinematown’s projects are Cinemaworld multiplexes in Lincoln, Rhode Island and West Melbourne, Florida.
This is one of several multiplex theatres designed and erected by the Cinematown USA division of CRR Builders, Overland Park, Kansas. It has a sister theatre in West Melbourne, Florida.
In a couple of the pictures you’ll get a glimpse not only of the Optic but of another theatre just north of the Brennan Hotel. Called the Century at the time, it is listed at Cinema Treasures as the Gaiety Theatre.
The Brennan Hotel building survived the fire and by 1915 one of its gutted ground floor storefronts had become the location of a small movie theatre which was last known as the Star.
The 1986 restoration/renovation of the Fairfax Cinemas for Cineplex Odeon was designed by Toronto architect David Mesbur, now of Mesbur+Smith Architects. Between 1982 and 1990, Mesbur was lead architect on some 250 projects for Cineplex Odeon, making him one of the more prolific theatre architects of the modern period.
The German fellow who runs the website You-Are-Here attributes the original design of the Fairfax Theatre to architect William C. Pennell (see the caption of this photo.) I don’t know the source for this claim, but it does seem possible (though the site mistakenly claims that the Fairfax was built in 1929,which diminishes its credibility a bit.)
Pennell was for a time in a partnership with the much better-known Los Angeles architect John Austin (until 1914), and around 1920 he was in a partnership with architect L.A. Smith, who was the designer of at least 40 theatres in the Los Angeles area. I’m unable to find a death date for Pennell, but he might well have still been around and practicing when the Fairfax was built.
The history of this theatre is well documented in both text and photographs. It was built in 1920 for the Gore Brothers and Sol Lesser, operated by their company, West Coast Theatres, for several years as the California Theatre, and later was renamed the Fox Theatre, operated by the successor circuit Fox-West Coast. Here’s a 1923 photograph of the theatre when it was the site of the premier of the movie Main Street.
It is possible that there was a later theatre in Anaheim also called the California, opened after this theatre was renamed, but this theatre definitely bore the name California Theatre before it became the Fox Theatre.
I would report this link (see “report” link above) but the report feature is either broken, or doesn’t work with the latest version of my web browser (Opera), which is the only thing that’s changed on my computer since the last time I reported a spam link to the site.
This cinema closed on August 19, 2007,part of a contraction of the operator, Regal Cinema Group, which has taken place over the last year. However, this particular cinema is slated to be reopened in early November by an independent Michigan-based chain called Phoenix Theatres, which plans a complete renovation.
The 1965 photo linked by Chuck1231 on March 23, 2006, doesn’t appear to be Toledo’s Ohio Theatre, which looked like this when it was running Elvis Presley’s 1967 movie, “Easy Come, Easy Go”. They’re obviously two different buildings, but I’ve been unable to find the location of Chuck1231’s Ohio Theatre.
Here’s a photo of Edwards Village Theatre in 1963.
In the L.A. Times theatre listings for February 10, 1971, this is the way the theatre is listed: The Village.
Ken: “Century Vaudeville” in the top ad on that latest scan must refer to the the Gaiety Theatre, but what is the hidden name beginning with the letter “H”?
Mercantile Street was where the Broadway/Spring Arcade is now.
The Hotchkiss has a CT page now, as the Capitol Theater.
MKThink, the architectural firm that did the plans for the renovation of this theatre, has this page about it on their website. It says that the former balcony will contain an auditorium with 264 stadium seats, plus an 86 seat screening room.
Of course it also says that the theatre will reopen in 2006, so maybe things have changed. In the photo Lost Memory linked to in August it looks as though the Walgreen’s on the main floor was already open. I wonder why the delay in getting the theatre open?
Marie Doro pulled a Garbo in the late twenties and has remained obscure until now, when she suddenly runs the risk of becoming a star on the Internet.
730 S. Grand was the address of the Mozart Theatre, which apparently was the only theatre in history to change its name more frequently than it changed its program.
Dublinboyo: I’m going to make a wild guess that the vintage ad you saw on display at the Big Newport might have announced the 1940 opening of the Annex, which was an early name of the small theatre in what came to be known as the Alhambra Twin Cinemas on Main Street at Atlantic in Alhambra.
A second possibility is that the ad featured plans for a theatre which Edwards wanted to build in Monterey Park in 1939, but which were never carried out.
As far as I know, the Mission/Monterey was the only indoor theatre in Monterey Park until Edwards built its replacement, the Monterey Mall triplex on Atlantic Boulevard, in the 1970s.
Opened in 1999, this 5600 seat megaplex was designed by the Long Beach-based architectural firm of Perkowitz + Ruth. The lead architect was Marios Savapoulos. Perkowitz + Ruth designed quite a few complexes for Edwards, as well as for other exhibitors.
I don’t know if Belasco had any interest in the first Optic. It’s a possibility that he took a shot at exhibiting movies, though by 1906 I think he was spending most of his time in New York City, from which he directed his far-flung theatrical enterprise. It seems more likely that the building in which the Optic rented space was a conveniently low edifice which provided an ideal location for a billboard, easily seen by the passing throngs on Broadway, and for which the owners of the property undoubtedly received a handsome rent. That it sported an ad touting the Belasco at the time this photo was made may have been mere chance.
Behold the original location of the Optic Theatre on the east side of Broadway between 4th and 5th Streets.
As the term “improvements” refers to any structures, pavements, landscaping, etc. which are on a piece of property, the phrase “improved with” in the article only means that the Mission Theatre and the parking lot (interesting that they call it a parking station) were on the property where the Orpheum was to be built.
This theatre was designed by the Los Angeles firm of Harold W. Levitt & Associates. Their successor firm, Levitt & Moss, maintains on its website this memorial page for Harold Levitt. It doesn’t feature any information about the National Theatre, but it does feature a rendering of an unnamed theatre and a photo of the Levitt-designed Fox Valley Circle Theatre in San Diego.
Another interesting thing I’ve run across is on the website of Behr Browers Architects, the firm which did the plans for the renovations of the Criterion in Santa Monica and the Chinese in Hollywood, as well as renovations of the Mann Village and Bruin theatres in 1999. In a section of their website called “Plan Room”, subsection “historic renovations”, there is a mention of construction documents prepared for the Mann National Theatre in Westwood. Maybe Mann intended to renovate the National but the project didn’t pencil out?
The renovation of the 1924 Criterion Building and of the 1980s 6-plex that replaced the original auditorium was completed in 2001. The plans were by the firm of Behr Browers Architects, the same company that did the renovation and expansion of the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, completed in 2002.
Cinematown USA is the correct name of the company. I accidentally wrote “Cinemaworld” in the body of the text above. Among Cinematown’s projects are Cinemaworld multiplexes in Lincoln, Rhode Island and West Melbourne, Florida.
This is one of several multiplex theatres designed and erected by the Cinematown USA division of CRR Builders, Overland Park, Kansas. It has a sister theatre in West Melbourne, Florida.
This cinema has been closed and was demolished almost a year ago.
The State Theater has reopened as a combination movie house/bar/limited menu restaurant. Seating has been reduced from the original 950 to about 250.
Here is their website.
Here’s a direct link to the Brennan Hotel fire page.
In a couple of the pictures you’ll get a glimpse not only of the Optic but of another theatre just north of the Brennan Hotel. Called the Century at the time, it is listed at Cinema Treasures as the Gaiety Theatre.
The Brennan Hotel building survived the fire and by 1915 one of its gutted ground floor storefronts had become the location of a small movie theatre which was last known as the Star.
The 1986 restoration/renovation of the Fairfax Cinemas for Cineplex Odeon was designed by Toronto architect David Mesbur, now of Mesbur+Smith Architects. Between 1982 and 1990, Mesbur was lead architect on some 250 projects for Cineplex Odeon, making him one of the more prolific theatre architects of the modern period.
The German fellow who runs the website You-Are-Here attributes the original design of the Fairfax Theatre to architect William C. Pennell (see the caption of this photo.) I don’t know the source for this claim, but it does seem possible (though the site mistakenly claims that the Fairfax was built in 1929,which diminishes its credibility a bit.)
Pennell was for a time in a partnership with the much better-known Los Angeles architect John Austin (until 1914), and around 1920 he was in a partnership with architect L.A. Smith, who was the designer of at least 40 theatres in the Los Angeles area. I’m unable to find a death date for Pennell, but he might well have still been around and practicing when the Fairfax was built.
The history of this theatre is well documented in both text and photographs. It was built in 1920 for the Gore Brothers and Sol Lesser, operated by their company, West Coast Theatres, for several years as the California Theatre, and later was renamed the Fox Theatre, operated by the successor circuit Fox-West Coast. Here’s a 1923 photograph of the theatre when it was the site of the premier of the movie Main Street.
It is possible that there was a later theatre in Anaheim also called the California, opened after this theatre was renamed, but this theatre definitely bore the name California Theatre before it became the Fox Theatre.
I would report this link (see “report” link above) but the report feature is either broken, or doesn’t work with the latest version of my web browser (Opera), which is the only thing that’s changed on my computer since the last time I reported a spam link to the site.
Spam link to a company which hires out temporary shelters (called “marquees” in Britain) for weddings and other events.
This cinema closed on August 19, 2007,part of a contraction of the operator, Regal Cinema Group, which has taken place over the last year. However, this particular cinema is slated to be reopened in early November by an independent Michigan-based chain called Phoenix Theatres, which plans a complete renovation.
The 1965 photo linked by Chuck1231 on March 23, 2006, doesn’t appear to be Toledo’s Ohio Theatre, which looked like this when it was running Elvis Presley’s 1967 movie, “Easy Come, Easy Go”. They’re obviously two different buildings, but I’ve been unable to find the location of Chuck1231’s Ohio Theatre.
Here’s another, earlier view of LaGrange Street and the Ohio Theatre.