American Theatre
4727 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90037
4727 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90037
3 people
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meheuck: Better later than never. The Fox Ritz wasn’t in Beverly Hills, though. It was on Wilshire between La Brea and Sycamore in Los Angeles.
Ten years later, I finally found an answer – No, it was not this American Theatre, it was the former Fox Ritz in Beverly Hills.
The December 12, 1912, issue of Southwest Contractor & Manufacturer confirms the site of the theater designed by Train & Williams as the northwest corner of 47th Place and Moneta Avenue (South Broadway.)
In the 1915 city directory, this house was listed as the Palace Theatre, and in the 1917 directory as the New Palace Theatre. I think it is pretty likely that this theater was the project noted in the November 16, 1912, issue of Southwest Contractor & Manufacturer:
The theater most likely opened in early 1913. The location was Moneta and 47th Place rather than Moneta and 47th Street. The magazine made a careless mistake.Here is a September 1947 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/nojud6
In the 1977 sketch comedy film CAN I DO IT…‘TILL I NEED GLASSES, a theatre marquee is advertising the producers’ previous film IF YOU DON’T STOP IT, YOU’LL GO BLIND. The marquee says, “The American Theatre.” The movie was definitely shot in Los Angeles. Could this be the same place? Was this still standing and/or operating in the ‘70’s?
This is from Boxoffice magazine in May 1943:
LOS ANGELES-The Vinnicof Theater circuit has taken over the American Theater, 500-seat South Broadway showcase, from E.A. Thompson and K.C. Manny.
The whole block is a strip mall now, built in 1990.
This was one of my Grandmother’s favorite movie theaters, having grown up within walking distance of 47th and Broadway. She said that it was cheap at a 10-cent admission, but you did have to put up with the silhouettes of rats scampering across the well-polished floor.
It was just advertised as American Theater.
Was this the “All American” theater ????