Mason Theatre

Film historian Mary Mallory, writing at Larry Harnisch’s weblog The Daily Mirror, has posted as part of her “Hollywood Heights” series a long (and very interesting) article about art director and costume designer Max Rée in which she mentions in passing that he was responsible (apparently sometime around 1930) for upgrading and redecorating the Mason Theatre.

Rée, who trained as an architect, was one of the movie set designers who had considerable influence on architecture and design in general during the period. Photos of the Mason’s interior from the 1930s must show Rée’s work.

Unfortunately many of the links posted in earlier comments on this theater have gone dead, but fortunately many of the photos they displayed have been preserved at Bill Counter’s Historic Los Angeles Theatres web site, and can be found on his Mason Theatre page.

The Mason is on the right in this 1952 color photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y5azump

I have been told by my mother and 99-year old aunt that my uncle, Guillermo Gonzalez at one time sang opera at the Mason Theatre in Los Angeles. They said that his name was already appearing in posters at the time. I also found an old thick record where he sang “Payasso”. Would anyone know where I can search for any archives of old Opera Programs, Posters or anything that may have his name on them? I know he would have probably have performed at this theatre around the late 30’s or 40’s.

This is from the LA Times in February 1941:

Arthur Spitz, Hungarian-born showman, has taken a three-year lease on the Mason Theater on Broadway near First St. and will present operettas at popular prices, he announced yesterday. The impresario intends to hire prominent singers, a chorus of 24, a line of 16 girls and a 24-piece orchestra.

Adding further novelty, Spitz says, “If anyone gets hungry during the intermission, we can take care of that too. There will be a five-cent buffet at which one can get anything from a hamburger to roast turkey.”

The not-unfamilar procedure of putting attractions to a popular vote will be followed by the producer. The public will be allowed to choose from a list including “The Merry Widow”, “Bittersweet”, “Show Boat”, “Rose Marie” and “The Desert Song”, Spitz revealed. Two shows daily are scheduled, with an owl performance on Saturdays. Spitz’s publicity representative has labeled the enterprise “The Woolworth of the Operetta.”

This is from the Arcadia Tribune in February 1932:

Fortune may return to this famous old theater on February 15 for on that evening “Shining Blackness” will open the Broadway theater with Lucille La Verne as the star, Helene Millard being among the supporting cast. The play is by Lulu Vollmer and Arthur Collins is the producer which means a fine production will be offered Los Angeles playgoers.

Miss La Verne has not been starred locally since “Sun Up” when she gave a memorable performance. It is to be hoped good fortune will perch on the banners of the old Mason Opera house, which has been closed for many weeks.

Here is an item in the LA Times on 11/8/56:

Office workers in the Civic Center area would have sworn yesterday that an earthquake occurred about 3:30 p.m. Well, the earth did shake, but it wasn’t caused by turmoil beneath the earth’s surface.

The vibration was merely the result of a falling wall at the site of the old Mason Theater, being demolished on Broadway between 1st and 2nd streets. Workmen accomplished the task by attaching a steel cable to the top of the wall and then pulling. The wall buckled in the center and came tumbling down.

Found in a swapmeet box, an original 1938 mason opera house program “Cavalleria Rusticana y Payasos”

An ad for the Mason can be seen towards the bottom of this LA Times page of February 1947. The same film was playing at the California on Main Street:
http://tinyurl.com/45ul67

Gordon,
I am graduate student and would love to talk to you about the movies/performances at the Mason theater. PLease let me know if this is possible.
romeo guzman

Ken Mc, where is the Vaudeville 1945 photograph from? Does it belong to an archive?

The URLs of the photos in UCLA’s Times collection got changed. That’s the problem with linking to other sites. I’ve got orphaned links all over the place.

Interesting that the state building on First and Broadway that replaced the Mason has now been razed as well, for construction of something large. Tempus fugit.

Here is an excerpted article from the LA Times dated 12/21/54:

Historic Mason Opera House to Come Down

Passing of a famous Los Angeles landmark was revealed yesterday with the announcement that the Mason Opera House at 127 S. Broadway will be torn down. Frank Fouce, owner of the theater, said it has been sold to the state. He said the state had acquired title to a major portion of the block for expansion of the Civic Center.

The Mason’s star began to fade in the early 20s, when the Biltmore theater became the leading legitimate theater. In recent years the Mason has been a Mexican film theater. Final presentation before the state takes possession will be the showing of a Mexican film “Pueblerina”, starring Columba Dominguez.

Vaudeville act, 1945:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015138.jpg