Alpha Theatre
4065 Gage Avenue,
Bell,
CA
90201
4065 Gage Avenue,
Bell,
CA
90201
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This theater for which the May 21, 1921, issue of Building & Engineering News said plans were being prepared was probably the Maybell Theatre, but it turned out that the original architect didn’t design the house after all:
The item got the names of the clients wrong (it was supposed to be T. G. De Vaughn and J. V. Spaugh) according to the documents generated by a court case that ensued. De Vaughn and Spaugh found that Payne was not a licensed architect, and so they had a Mr. Zeller prepare new plans for their theater and supervise its construction, much to the displeasure of Payne, who subsequently sued.The upshot is that the Maybell Theatre as built was designed by architect Julian T. Zeller, who a few years later also designed the Alcazar (aka Liberty) Theatre a couple of blocks east.
Photo gallery here: Fiesta Mexicana Banquet Hall – Bell Location
Short video tour: Fiesta Mexicana Banquet Hall Bell CA – YouTube
Thanks KenMC for the pictures.
Thanks Joe.
The remodeling was quite extensive, so Lee should be credited. Also the aka Maybell Theatre should be added.
I note that S. Charles Lee has not been added as the architect. Is that because he may have only done the remodel in 1938?
UPDATE: The theater has been sold. A public notice of ownership application has been posted outside. The new owner plans to turn the theater into a Family Mexican Restaurant. The previous owners renovated and preserved the Art Deco interior. No word on whether the new owners will reatin the architectural significance of the building.
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cyuvk5
The re-opening of the remodeled Maybell Theatre took place early in 1938. Here’s something from Boxoffice Magazine, February 5, 1938: “With the opening last week of Frank Valuskus' new Bell Theatre in Bell, Fox West Coast is rushing work on its new Bell house, now almost completed. Valuskus, operating at ten cents, will have two FWC houses as competition, the circuit’s Alcazar also coming in that zone.”
(Note: The correct spelling of the name of the owner of the Bell Theatre was Valuskis.)
The L.A. County Assessor’s office gives 1922 as the original construction date for this building. With the other evidence in comments above, that should confirm that this theater was the Maybell, opened in 1922, and remodeled by S. Charles Lee in 1937.
“Available for corperate events”. I bet the corperations just flock to their door when they see that sign.
Here are some April 2008 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/4tuz5a
http://tinyurl.com/4lhbqh
http://tinyurl.com/4f3quz
For sale – 3.245 million:
http://tinyurl.com/2xb92t
The Alpha Theatre was featured in the Better Theatres section of Motion Picture Herald, 5/28/1938. The architect is named there as S. Charles Lee.
Interestingly, Southwest Builder and Contractor of 10/15/1937 carried the announcement that S. Charles Lee was preparing the plans for a complete remodeling of the Maybell Theatre in Bell for Fox West Coast Theatres. I wonder if the Alpha could have been the remodeled Maybell?
The City of Bell or any interested residents should consider getting the site on the Historical Places Register. It would be a great asset to the city to have a working theater and restore it to it’s glory days. Anyone interested, please contact me.
The Alpha Theater is currently being used as Las Trancas Banquet Hall. After the theater closed, it was renovated into a Hall and named Alpha Hall, until it’s current owners purchased the building and changed the name in 2003.
This former Fox house seated 656 people and was located at 4065 E. Gage Ave. in the city of Bell.