This was my favorite place in LA (when I lived their)and I went almost weekly from 1991 until 2006. I knew the second owner Laurence Austin vaguely. He was murdered in 1997. I wasn’t at the theater the night he was murdered; however I did see the murderer in the last row on the right side last row on an earlier night (They were showing either Buster Keaton or Laurel and Hardy)and he did attempt to shoot the front box office and I remember I heard glass breaking (No one was hit so I never thought anything of it). I also enjoyed Charlie Lustman’s time as the owner and miss his song “Take me to the Silent Picture show”. I would usually win a prize for guessing all the pictures on the wall. If anyone is writing a story about the Silent Movie Theater they can email me at
I lived in South Pasadena\Alhambra in 1992. I remember I was driving around the area when the “The Player” was being filmed and the actors in my way in the street on Mission. I saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Much Ado About Nothing and Life is Beautiful here. Sad that’s its closed now, If I won the lottery I would open it and show silent and classic films.
Moe Howard of the Three Stooges had fond memories of performing at the RKO Theater in Boston with the Stooges. He used to walk down the street and purchase gifts at Filene’s for his wife and loved the delicatessen around the corner from the RKO.
You can here the interview here
http://www.rerunit.com/index.html?video=howard1
The Three Stooges performed here during the vaudeville area which would have been during 1921-1934 for them. At the time they were working with Ted Healy and the act was called “Ted Healy and his Stooges”. Healy was the star and was the most successful vaudeville performer in the country making $9000 a week in the 20s. Healy started out as a cartoonist for the Houston Chronicle and met vaudeville performers and entered show business. You can hear a radio interview with Stooge Moe Howard talking about when they performed at the Dallas Majestic Theater and did a joke about Baylor University and the people of Texas where planning on throwing eggs at them! Its on the DVD Stooges Men Behind the Mayhem
The Three Stooges performed here during the vaudeville area which would have been during 1921-1934 for them. At the time they were working with Ted Healy and the act was called “Ted Healy and his Stooges”. Healy was the star and was the most successful vaudeville performer in the country making $9000 a week in the 20s. Healy started out as a cartoonist for the Houston Chronicle and met vaudeville performers and entered Show Business. You can hear a radio interview with Moe Howard talking about when they performed at all the Majestic Theaters in Texas and did a joke about Baylor University and the people of Texas where planning on throwing eggs at them! Its on the DVD Stooges Men Behind the Mayhem
The Three Stooges performed here during the vaudeville area which would have been during 1921-1934 for them. At the time they were working with Ted Healy and the act was called “Ted Healy and his Stooges”. Healy was the star and was the most successful vaudeville performer in the country making $9000 a week in the 20s.(yes in the 20s) You can hear a radio interview with Moe Howard talking about when they performed at all the Majestic Theaters in the country on the DVD Stooges Men Behind the Mayhem
What year did the Alabama Theather close and stop showing movies?
This was my favorite place in LA (when I lived their)and I went almost weekly from 1991 until 2006. I knew the second owner Laurence Austin vaguely. He was murdered in 1997. I wasn’t at the theater the night he was murdered; however I did see the murderer in the last row on the right side last row on an earlier night (They were showing either Buster Keaton or Laurel and Hardy)and he did attempt to shoot the front box office and I remember I heard glass breaking (No one was hit so I never thought anything of it). I also enjoyed Charlie Lustman’s time as the owner and miss his song “Take me to the Silent Picture show”. I would usually win a prize for guessing all the pictures on the wall. If anyone is writing a story about the Silent Movie Theater they can email me at
I lived in South Pasadena\Alhambra in 1992. I remember I was driving around the area when the “The Player” was being filmed and the actors in my way in the street on Mission. I saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Much Ado About Nothing and Life is Beautiful here. Sad that’s its closed now, If I won the lottery I would open it and show silent and classic films.
Three Stooges Connection!
Moe Howard of the Three Stooges had fond memories of performing at the RKO Theater in Boston with the Stooges. He used to walk down the street and purchase gifts at Filene’s for his wife and loved the delicatessen around the corner from the RKO.
You can here the interview here http://www.rerunit.com/index.html?video=howard1
I miss the General Cinemas Theme Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6uHhUKURYE
What year did this close? I know it was open until the late 80s. I remember going to many rare movies like midnight shows of the Three Stooges
What year did it close? I remember going their in 1979
Three Stooges Texas Connection
The Three Stooges performed here during the vaudeville area which would have been during 1921-1934 for them. At the time they were working with Ted Healy and the act was called “Ted Healy and his Stooges”. Healy was the star and was the most successful vaudeville performer in the country making $9000 a week in the 20s. Healy started out as a cartoonist for the Houston Chronicle and met vaudeville performers and entered show business. You can hear a radio interview with Stooge Moe Howard talking about when they performed at the Dallas Majestic Theater and did a joke about Baylor University and the people of Texas where planning on throwing eggs at them! Its on the DVD Stooges Men Behind the Mayhem
http://www.amazon.com/Stooges-The-Men-Behind-Mayhem/dp/B00080ZGZQ
http://ladailymirror.com/2013/05/31/the-death-of-ted-healy-part-4/
Three Stooges Texas Connection
The Three Stooges performed here during the vaudeville area which would have been during 1921-1934 for them. At the time they were working with Ted Healy and the act was called “Ted Healy and his Stooges”. Healy was the star and was the most successful vaudeville performer in the country making $9000 a week in the 20s. Healy started out as a cartoonist for the Houston Chronicle and met vaudeville performers and entered Show Business. You can hear a radio interview with Moe Howard talking about when they performed at all the Majestic Theaters in Texas and did a joke about Baylor University and the people of Texas where planning on throwing eggs at them! Its on the DVD Stooges Men Behind the Mayhem
http://www.amazon.com/Stooges-The-Men-Behind-Mayhem/dp/B00080ZGZQ
http://ladailymirror.com/2013/05/31/the-death-of-ted-healy-part-4/
The Three Stooges performed here during the vaudeville area which would have been during 1921-1934 for them. At the time they were working with Ted Healy and the act was called “Ted Healy and his Stooges”. Healy was the star and was the most successful vaudeville performer in the country making $9000 a week in the 20s.(yes in the 20s) You can hear a radio interview with Moe Howard talking about when they performed at all the Majestic Theaters in the country on the DVD Stooges Men Behind the Mayhem
http://www.amazon.com/Stooges-The-Men-Behind-Mayhem/dp/B00080ZGZQ