Cineograph Theatre
114 Court street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90012
114 Court street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90012
2 people
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Google Maps will never be able to fetch this location, as every trace of Court Street east of the Harbor Freeway was wiped out long ago. The pin on the Google map is about a mile northwest of the actual location of this theater.
On this 1944 map, you can see Court Street in box C-37, at the top. If 114 Court was near City Hall, it was probably 114 W. Court. On the map, Court stops before Spring, which meant that the street was most likely obliterated at that point by the city hall construction.
http://tinyurl.com/6nunyd
This must be what Joe was referring to above:
(Sep. 16, 1889)
STREET NUMBERING
New System Required for Public Convenience.
The special committee of the Council on street numbering, consisting of Messrs. Bnsall and Shafer, met at the City Hall yesterday, together with School Superintendent Friesner, to consider the proposed change. The present system is very faulty, and has a tendency to mislead, and it is proposed to substitute what is known as the Philadelphia plan, that is, 100 numbers to the block, commencing with 100 instead of commencing with the unit 1, as at present, and then allowing them to go in a go-as-you-please fashion, according to the whims of individual owners. The adoption of the plan, however, in its entirety, will necessitate a good many more changes than would appear at first glance, and will cause more or less dissatisfaction, unless its disadvantages are made apparent. In brief, the plan proposed by the commitee contemplates an entirely different method for East Los Angeles, where Downey avenue will be adopted as the dividing line. On the west side of the river the dividing streets will be First for north and south, and Main for east and west. Commencing with First street, the streets will be numbered out to the corporate limits on either side. The principal objection to this will be the familiar names of Washington, Pico and other old streets will be changed to numbers, an innovation which the people will probably resent, but it is thought that this can be obviated by leaving these names as they are and skipping a number, but whether this will work in practice will have to be demonstrated. The names of the streets running north and south will not be changed. Superintendent Friesner has taken a great deal of interest in the matter, and thinks that it should be done at once, as it is impossible to tell, half the time, without consulting a map, in what school district children are when they apply for admission to the public schools.
I guess Joe Manning went from a ‘strictly family resort’ to a ‘house of ill-fame’ in a few years time:
(May 9, 1895)
Yesterday Constable Harry Johnston secured a warrant for the arrest of Joe Manning on the charge of renting property to persons who use it for immoral purposes. This was about the only development of the day in Johnston’s crusade against the houses of ill-fame.
I guess that didn’t last long:
(Dec. 18, 1890)
THE TIVOLI NO MORE.
The Tivoli Theater is no more. The place opened about two months ago under the management of the Perry brothers, who formerly ran the Club Theater, and Joe Manning, as a variety show, and was advertised on the bills as “a popular family resort.” The concern failed to “catch on,” however, and yesterday the furniture company who sold the chairs and tables, removed the property, and the place closed down. Joe Manning, one of the proprietors, claims to have sunk $8000 in the venture during its brief career.
Thanks for the good lead Joe and the street numbering information….it clears up some confusion. Here is the article you mentioned. It is just a small ad in the classified section:
(Oct. 18, 1890)
TIVOLI THEATER,
12, 14 and 16 Court Street.
-A STRICTLY FAMILY RESORT.-
OPENING COMPANY:
Willard and Hall, Blanch and Byron, Zeno and Roberts, Hastings and Heywood, Ashby and Morris, Constantine, Newton.
ADMISSION…………..15, 25 and 35 CENTS.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, OPENING NIGHT.
An interesting card turned up in the California Index, citing a Times article that announced the grand opening of the Tivoli Theatre at 16 Court Street on October 18, 1890. This is relevant to the Cineograph Theatre because it was some time around 1900 that Los Angeles changed its street numbering system which, until then, had always begun with single and double digit numbers in the first blocks east and west of Main Street and north and south of 1st Street. After the change, numbers still began at Main and 1st Streets, but started with three digit numbers, 100 and up. Thus, 16 Court Street (Court never extended east of Main and so didn’t need the appellation West) probably corresponded to 114 Court Street, the address of the Cineograph in 1902. The Cineograph was apparently the Tivoli, renamed.
(Nov. 17, 1909)
PAYS STIFF FINE.
SMALL BOY WITNESS
A penalty of $50 was imposed by Justice Frederickson on J.A. Browne, proprietor of the Cineograph Theater, No. 114 Court street, yesterday, for having allowed small children to enter his amusement place, unaccompanied.
An officer testified there were thirty-four boys under 10 years of age in the place. Browne disputed him, saying there were only 24. Exhibit A in the case was a little chap, who was placed on a chair so his majesty could see him.
Oh the humanity! Where are the censors when you need them? I’m glad they didn’t have video games back then.
(Nov. 16, 1909)
SHOCKING FOR YOUNG EYES
Moving Picture Proprietor Must Stand Trial
-Charged with entertaining juveniles not accompanied by older persons-Burglary scene fascinates-Police say that’s how youthful bandits are made.
Willful violation of the ordinance prohibiting proprietors of theaters from allowing young children in their places, unless accompanied by a person of mature years, is charged against J.A. Browne, owner of the Cineograph Theater, No. 114 Court street.
The establishment is of the ordinary moving-picture show type. When Patrolman Robert Green entered the house Sunday afternoon, there were sixty persons being entertained. Of this number, he says thirty-four were youngsters, ranging from 5 to 10 years old.
With gaping mouths and staring eyes, the children were literally drinking in a burglary scene. With striking vividness was portrayed before them the entrance of a thief through a window and his subsequent flight with his loot.
It was such scenes as these the police believe, that incited the three young bandits to throw the neighborhood of St. James Park into a turmoil of excitement and terror, Friday night.
Browne was taken before Justice Frederickson yesterday and pleaded not guilty. He said he was unable to determine at that time whether he wished to be tried by the court or by a jury. The magistrate gave him until today to decide.
The arresting officer says that he will subpoena at least ten of the boys, who were in the theater, as witnesses, when the case comes to trial.
(Sept. 7, 1902)
CINEOGRAPH.
The bill this week at the Cineograph Theater will include Leonardo on the flying rings; Frances Brissell, singer; Stanley Raford, dancer; Lucille la Tour, soubrette; Billie and Mamie Robinson, comedians; Harry G. Carter with illustrated songs and a mile of moving pictures on the cineograph.
Here is something about the opening of the Cineograph:
(Aug. 31, 1902)
CINEOGRAPH.
A new moving-picture theater will be opened on Court street between Spring and Main streets on Tuesday evening. The seating capacity is 1200. The place will be devoted to vaudeville and moving picture exhibitions. The manager, Furst, wishes to have his house a rival of the Cineograph Theater in San Francisco. He will present six vaudeville acts for the first week, as well as many new moving pictures. The pictures will be changed every day. No smoking will be allowed, and no drinks will be sold.
I guess the Cineograph was a Chinese theater before it was demolished for City Hall:
(May 31, 1925)
…….Another Chinese theater, not so new or westernized as The Mandarin(323 Jackson street), is maintained at 114 Court street. The Sun Jung Wah Company includes a number of actors whose names are familiar to oriental audiences on the Pacific Coast.
(March 3, 1918)
…..However, despite tragedy, old Chinatown had its lighter moments. The Chinese Theater located at 114 Court street (formerly the Vienna Buffet) offered Chinese plays that dragged on through interminable hours. One customer, paying for an admission, would enter the theater, sit through innumerable scenes and when he had enough, would leave, giving his ticket to a relative or a friend who in turn would enter the theater for his or her share of entertainment. This was an established custom and as many as seven or eight would enjoy themselves on one ticket, nor did the management complain.
I guess google gets confused when the street runs through the main hall of City Hall.
Speaking of maps, the link to Google maps for this theatre does not display the actual location. In the absence of Court Street (obliterated decades ago), Google defaults to the 100 block of Center Street, about a mile east of the theatre’s actual location.