Golden Gate Theatre

5176 Whittier Boulevard,
East Los Angeles, CA 90022

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Fox West Coast Theatres

Architects: Clifford A. Balch

Functions: Drugstore

Styles: Spanish Baroque, Spanish Colonial

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News About This Theater

Golden Gate Theatre building exterior

Fox’s Golden Gate Theatre opened in 1927 with 1,345 seat and had two seperate marquees.

Located inside a little courtyard, the theatre was about 75 feet long inside.

The outer building containing shops and restaurants was razed a few years after the Whittier earthquake.

The remainder, which is the actual theatre building, was left sitting in the middle of the lot, with nothing around it.

On August 18, 2012, a CVS drugstore opened in the former theatre.

Contributed by William Gabel

Recent comments (view all 160 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 25, 2011 at 7:11 pm

I drove past the site yesterday. The building just sits there, waiting for something to happen.

WhiteOrchid
WhiteOrchid on June 27, 2011 at 12:09 am

Wow … I Used To Come Here As A Child With My Parents And Later Brougt My Oldest Son A Couple Of Times To Watch Movies Before It Closed … Nice Memories .

drb
drb on July 18, 2011 at 4:16 am

http://laeastside.com/2011/07/a-sad-farewell-requiem-for-a-palace-the-golden-gate-theater/

Bad shape, but we knew this, and ones in much worse condition have been restored. Hope CVS keeps its promise to not do anything that can’t be reversed, and hopefully clean things up a bit first.

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on August 21, 2012 at 2:36 am

Article about CVS opening http://www.theeastsiderla.com/2012/08/former-east-l-a-movie-palace-debuts-in-new-role-as-drug-store/

gflores
gflores on August 21, 2012 at 8:42 pm

Broke my heart when they tore down the retail space around the theater. At least the building is still there. but of course the beautiful box office and the refreshment stand and stairs are gone. in the forties the stage had the most beautiful curtain that rose up in scallops. So sad.

gabrielsoto
gabrielsoto on October 8, 2012 at 2:08 am

WOW Insane I grew up right down the street from the golden gate, Im in my 50’s now but I used to shine shoes right infront of the golden gate theater wow….It was 1969 what a year I would go down to the blvd ask the manager of the theater if me and my brother could clean the theator after the movie ended and he would let us watch a movie for work done..geat times… we would wonder all threw that building in was in great shap back then… I was also right infront of the theator when the whitter riots broke out.. Tell you about that next time i sighn on… thank you for the great pics. Gabriel Soto

bobrosas
bobrosas on April 24, 2016 at 2:47 am

I first went to the Golden Gate about 1949, I was about 7. I went to Garfield HS and we would go to Stans Drive in diagonally across the street and have chicken in the basket from a waitress on roller Skates. We also ent to the soda shop a few doors west of the GG. Does anyone know the name of it. We would sit at long counter have root beer floats and other great deserts.

bobrosas
bobrosas on April 24, 2016 at 2:47 am

I first went to the Golden Gate about 1949, I was about 7. I went to Garfield HS and we would go to Stans Drive in diagonally across the street and have chicken in the basket from a waitress on roller Skates. We also ent to the soda shop a few doors west of the GG. Does anyone know the name of it. We would sit at long counter have root beer floats and other great deserts.

RichieDominguez2018
RichieDominguez2018 on June 19, 2018 at 8:48 pm

I had a friend named Ricky Cortinez his brother played bass for Cannibal & The Headhunters, they played at the GG and we sat behind the drummer looking out into the audience as they played Land Of 1000 Dances,it was my first concert and a very exciting event for me, girls were screaming! Does anyone else remember that day?They later opened for The Beatles in NYC.We went to Winter Gardens Elementary Mr. Shimabukuro’s class must have been around 65or66

RichieDominguez2018
RichieDominguez2018 on June 19, 2018 at 8:53 pm

Many,many good memories of this theatre, we lived not far away on Clela St. right across the street from Winter Gardens Elementary School. Teachers were Mr. Winkler and Mr. Shimabukuro. I sure would like to hear from old school mates

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