Melrose Theatre

4315 Melrose Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA 90029

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lynxwiler
lynxwiler on November 6, 2013 at 4:24 pm

The Museum of Neon Art, soon to reopen in Glendale, has a few remnants of the Melrose Theater’s rooftop extravaganza. A few of its incandescent maidens made their way to the Museum of Neon Art’s collection and are currently on display with a few other museum signs at Universal CityWalk. They are the oldest pieces in the museum’s collection.

vokoban
vokoban on August 15, 2011 at 11:51 am

(Nov. 29, 1933 LA Times) PREVIEW FOR BENEFIT In addition to a feature preview being shown, Rosa Disraeli, lyric soprano, will sing several selections at the benefit theater party next Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Melrose Theater, 4315 Melrose avenue, by Beth Jacob and the West Side Ladies' Auxiliary of Mr. Sinai Home for Chronic Invalids.

BruceBebb
BruceBebb on July 18, 2010 at 8:06 pm

In January or February 1982 performance artist Johanna Went put on a show at the Ukrainian Cultural Center. I brought filmmaker Shirley Clarke (“The Connection,” “The Cool World”) to the event in order to introduce them. They subsequently made two short films, “Performance,” shot at UCLA, and “The Box.” Shirley died in 1997; Johanna is still working.

William
William on February 21, 2010 at 11:54 am

National Theatres used this theatre during the mid 50’s as a test theatre for their CineMiracle film process.

moviebear1
moviebear1 on February 21, 2010 at 11:27 am

amazingly no one seams to have a picture of this theatre when it had a marquee. it apperfs to have closed from showing films in the 50s.

This and the Los Felez Drive-In don’t seam to have any photos.

Arrrrrrrrggggggg

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 8, 2008 at 10:49 am

No, that was the other ad. This one was for a firm that did interior design on a number of theaters.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 8, 2008 at 10:47 am

It was a Paramount ad.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 7, 2008 at 9:57 pm

Here is a September 1923 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/6z434k

fezeatspez
fezeatspez on August 13, 2008 at 1:54 am

As great-great-granddaughter of the architect, I’d like to note that the official spelling of his name is Elimar Meinardus (not ElimOr). He was a German immigrant, and his name was repeatedly misspelled (Elimor, Elmer, etc).

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 23, 2008 at 1:37 am

Ken is right. The facade’s style is a sort of Renaissance Revival-Baroque-Romanesque Revival pastiche, I’d say. Certainly not Art Deco. All the elements have clear historic roots in European classicism. Art Deco, even in its nascent form, was full of elements borrowed or abstracted from non-European styles and/or modern industrial technology.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 22, 2008 at 11:27 pm

I don’t know that much about architectural design, but I don’t think the style is art deco.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on March 29, 2008 at 9:46 pm

I stopped by there today. The stage is there but the seats have been removed. They were setting up tables for a wedding reception. I took some interior photos, but my flash was too weak. Here are the rest:
http://tinyurl.com/2h9rlj
http://tinyurl.com/yo72n6
http://tinyurl.com/2c7235

moviebear1
moviebear1 on January 28, 2008 at 4:03 am

Does Anyone have a picture of this theatre with the marquee still up?

Matt Spero

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on December 8, 2007 at 3:50 am

All the cards (there are four) in the L.A. Library’s California Index referencing the architect of this theatre spell his name Meinardus. Elimor E.B. Meinardus also designed Jensen’s Recreation Center in Echo Park, which also survives and is a city landmarked building.

dunk
dunk on February 10, 2005 at 9:39 am

My grandfather was involved in the construction of the theatre. My mother remembers her father on the stage for the opening ceremony.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on January 7, 2005 at 6:33 pm

There is a photo and more details of Russell McCullough and the Cinemiracle test projection set up that was installed in the Melrose Theatre at this link: View link

cnichols
cnichols on January 7, 2005 at 5:39 pm

Ukrainian Cultural Center website:

http://www.yko-la.com/

veyoung52
veyoung52 on November 28, 2004 at 10:44 pm

Russell McCullough, technical director of National Theatres, tested his 3-projector+mirror system here. The patent for this system was awarded to McCullough. For test material (as the cameras had not been developed), he was able to borrow from Lester Isaacs, at that time head of exhibition at Cinerama, Inc., the 2nd act of “This Is Cinerama.” Some reports, however, claim that he had access only to the Able and Charlie sections. McCullough’s patent, No. 3,101,643 was filed in August of 1954, though not awarded until August of 1963. Of note is the fact (and I do not know if this was actually tested at the Melrose) that in this patent the mirrors, or reflectors as he called then, were located on the side walls of the auditorium, not inside the single booth itself.

FriendsOfTheRaymondTheatre
FriendsOfTheRaymondTheatre on January 17, 2004 at 12:41 am

The Melrose theater was built by Henry Jensen. He also built Jensen’s Raymond Theatre in Pasadena, Jensen’s Glendale Theatre, the Egyptian Cafe in Glendale and Jensen’s Recreation center in Echo Park.

Denny
Denny on November 30, 2002 at 9:24 pm

The Melrose theatre building has not been demolished. It is now a Ukranian community center.

JustOldBob
JustOldBob on October 3, 2002 at 4:05 pm

My previous comment was in error, it should have been for the Encore or (Melvan) theatre. I apologize for taking up the space. You may remove that comment and this one, if you can do that.

William
William on October 2, 2002 at 4:59 pm

The Melrose Theatre was located at 4315 Melrose Ave. that’s a few blocks west of Vermont Ave. @ Heliotrope Dr. (3 blocks south of Los Angeles City College). The Below comment should be for the Encore Theatre which opened as the Melvan Theatre at 5308 Melrose Ave. , just west of Van Ness.

JustOldBob
JustOldBob on October 1, 2002 at 11:40 pm

If this is the theatre I remember, it was just west of Van Ness on the south side of Melrose, near Paramount Studios. I never went to it while used as a movie theatre, but did once when it was used by KTLA Los Angeles television station channel 5, for their musical shows. It was used for the Morey Amsterdam show, in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s.