Temple Theatre
9011 Las Tunas Drive,
Temple City,
CA
91780
9011 Las Tunas Drive,
Temple City,
CA
91780
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I saw “The Goodbye Girl” and “The Buddy Holly Story” at the Temple Theatre!
Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/pqn3vn
Yay, the Temple Theatre page has returned from its long sojourn in Alhambra. Now maybe people from Temple City will be able to find it and the page will become active again.
As for the style of the Temple, it was an odd combination of Moderne (used primarily in the name tower) and the simplified Colonial style that was popular for a while in the 1930s and 1940s, but which was used mostly for residential buildings, churches, and small commercial and office structures.
The Temple’s auditorium featured a wood-beamed, king post truss roof, which I’ve never seen in any other theater. In fact I don’t know of any other theater quite like it in style, though it had some resemblance to Edwards' Tumbleweed Theatre in El Monte, also designed by Lee- but the Tumbleweed was far more rustic.
Throughout its entire 43 year history, this theatre was operated by the Edwards Theatre Circuit or its successor, Edwards Cinemas.
With regard to the comments above by JustOldBob (AKA kleig light), the “original” Temple Theatre to which he refers is the theatre in Alhambra which is posted at Cinema Treasures under its final name, El Rey. It’s actual address was 333 W. Main Street. It was never converted to retail use, but remained a theatre from its opening in 1921 until the day it was irreparably damaged by the Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987.
I’ve tried to figure out what building in the 600 block of west Main Street Bob could have seen that he mistook for this theatre. It might have been the old bowling alley, which was converted into some sort of auto repair facility in the late 1960’s. Later, a fine 1920’s Spanish Revival style garage building next door to the east was added to the auto repair operation, and (an act of vandalism) covered in the same rough, gray facing that had been placed on the former bowling alley. That might be the expansion to which Bob referred.
However, I’m wondering about the “Temple” name plate Bob saw above the door after the building was damaged by the Northridge earthquake. The Temple/El Rey was gone by then,having been destroyed after the Whittier Narrows earthquake, but I can attest that the Temple/El Rey did have such a name plate, as I saw it in the early 1960’s when Edwards remodeled the theatre’s facade, and the plate was exposed when the old marquee was removed. Perhaps it was re-exposed again after the Whittier Narrows earthquake, and Bob just misremembered which earthquake it was that damaged the building, and the building’s exact location.
Or, maybe there is another building with a Temple name plate, which Bob saw in the 600 block of Main Street, and maybe it was a theatre at one time, before the Temple/El Rey was built. The building which had been a bowling alley had a streamline moderne facade, probably form the 1930’s or 1940’s, but that could have been the result of a remodeling of an older building. It’s an interesting puzzle. If I were still in the area, I’d like to root around in the material at the Alhambra Historical Society and see what I could turn up about it.
I love the LA Library’s picture of the ol' Temple Theatre sign up above. Also, Edwards Century was replaced with a one-story medical office building [as San Gabriel Valley Medical Center is nearby].
The Temple Theatre [NE corner of Rosemead & Las Tunas] was built in 1940 for the Edwards circuit, and was designed by famed architect S. Charles Lee. This one-screen gem served many Temple City residents well. Unfortunately, this landmark was demolished and replaced with the NEW four-screen Edwards Temple Cinema in 1983.
Twenty-years later, the company’s bankruptcy and Alhambra’s new Edwards megaplex all but ensured the theater’s closure. Regency would later reopen the theater, now christened Regency Temple City Cinemas.
UPDATE: Regency Temple City Cinemas has been told by its property’s owner/developer to vacate. The last screening is on January 2, 2006.
A great resource to view pictures of both theaters, including the demolition picture of Temple Theatre, is the Temple City Museum, run by the Historical Society of Temple City [non-profit]. (626) 279-1784
View link
Manwithnoname: The only theater on the south side of Las Tunas Drive was Edwards San Gabriel, renamed Edwards Century in the early 1960’s. It was located between Del Mar Avenue and San Marino Avenue in San Gabriel. I made a comment on it here:
/theaters/5540/
This Temple theater was one door east of Rosemead Boulevard, on the north side of Las Tunas Drive. It was built for the Edwards circuit, and was designed by Lee in a style similar to that he used for Edwards' Tumbleweed Theater at Five Points in nearby El Monte the year before. The Temple was a bit smaller, but both theaters featured two-aisle auditoriums with open beamed ceilings, and, in lieu of the usual walled entrance foyer, had roofed, open sided walkways leading from the box office to the lobby entrance. These unusual entryways featured low wooden fences, rather like farm fences, painted white. In addition, the Temple, whose auditorium ran parallel to Las Tunas Drive, had a covered walkway along its street side, which was set back some fifty feet. This walk gave access to and from the parking lot located to the east of the building.
When this building was demolished, sometime about 1980, it was replaced by a four-screen theater, also owned by Edwards until quite recently.
This message is for mattepntr. If you remember the kiddie matinees, then you might remember my father you was the manager. He used to get the Temple City businesses to donate prizes and gifts for intermission drawings. No child dared throw their ticket stub away as that is what was used for the drawings. Great old theater. Great memories!
I remember the old Temple Theatre (Las Tunas and Rosemead) very well. I grew up in TC, and all the neighborhood kids would get together and go to the kiddie matinees they had. I saw “Love Bug” and “Incredible Mr. Limpet” there.
The Temple City Cinemas were closed by Edwards (Regal) Cinemas. They were refurbished and reopened as an independent. However, with 24 screens a few miles away in Alhambra and with another large AMC multiplex just opened a couple of miles the other way in Arcadia I don’t see how they will survive. You would think 44 or so screens within approx 7 miles of each other would be overkill without even mentioning the screens in Pasadena just to the North.
What an interesting life the “Temple Theatre” has had over the years, without going into the details which have been stated in other messages, I for one, just want to say, there still is a theatre with Mister Temple’s name in it, and it is once again open. The name now is the “Temple City Cinemas,” and located still at 9021 Las Tunas Drive in the city of Temple City, California. I hope it keeps going for many years. Once I get things caught up with around here I have some photos I’ll send to this very nice site.
The Original Temple City theater on Las Tunas and Rosemead was torn down about 1982 and was rebuilt into a 4 screen multiplex. The theater as of Jan 2004 seems to have closed down.
Okay, first, this is JustOldBob, I had to reregister since I forgot the password. But no problem.
William will love this. The original Temple Theatre was indeed located at 611/617 West Main Street in the city of Alhambra. The name plate is still at that location, the seating area has been changed into a business, something like a warehouse. Next a Temple Theatre was built on the north/east corner of Rosemead and Las Tunas (Las Tunas is the same as Main St.), and in later years, that theatre was demolished, it was a single screen. In it’s place was built the Edwards 4 screens theatre, which has an address of 9021 Las Tunas Drive, in the city of Temple City. Okay, here is the part William will love, I found out at Temple City Hall in the Building Permits department, that the addresses in Temple City were CHANGED in 1950. A friend who lives in Temple City checked his papers and sure enough, his address had been changed in 1950. His shop address is 9700 block of Las Tunas Drive, and the address used to be 2300 block. By converting the address of the NEW Edwards Theatre with the same factor, it comes out to be the 1600 block. As William stated it very well may have been 1611 Las Tunas Drive, and I apologize to him. Now we know, alway look at research with an open mind, never close your mind until the project is closed, or maybe not even then.
Note: The location I gave on Sept 14, 2002 in that comment was wrong, I got Garfiled confused with Atlantic. The theatre was just east of ATLANTIC, not Garfield.
Okay – here is the story. I have been to the sites and taken pictures as well as reading articles in local papers. The Alhambra and Temple City Historical Societies are listed in the phone books, and can help those who may want to check out the following information. Note must be made, that in the City of Alhambra the divider for east/west is Garfield, which is east of Atlantic Avenue.
The location of the FIRST “Temple” theatre was at 611 West Main Street in the city of Alhambra – this was the entrance. The building is still there. However, now the owners of the building have added another store to the east of that address in the same structure, which has caused them to change the address of the original entrance to 617 West Main Street, and NOW behind plaster above the doorway of that address is the original engraved name of the “Temple Theatre,” which I saw just after the Northridge earthquake that caused the covering to drop away, and has since been replaced. The second location for the “Temple Theatre,” was on the North/East corner of Rosemead Boulevard and Las Tunas Drive in Temple City. About five (5) years ago, the SECOND Temple Theatre was demolished, and on that location was built the current four (4) screen Edwards Temple Cinema, and it’s address is 9021 Las Tunas Drive. Sorry William, someone added a one in front of the address you have.
I must make note, LasTunas Drive, going west, turns into Main Street just west of Mission Drive in San Gabriel. It is Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel, and Main Street in Alhambra.
I have no knowledge of the Temple Theatre prior to 1966, anything I relate to I have seen since that time.
This Temple theatre is located at 1611 Las Tunas. Which is a few blocks West of Rosemead. In it’s late years the theatre was used as a church. It was called the Century theatre.
Whoo, wait just a minute, which Temple Theatre is being talked about? The original Temple Theatre on the north side of Main Street just about two blocks east of Garfield, was not demolished. It was made into stores, and the original name plate is above the doorway of a store, but it is covered over by bricks. I saw this name plate just after the Northridge earthquake. All the plaster had come off the face to reveal Temple Theatre, and having looked at photos of the theatre, as well as reading articles, I have found that a few of these articles say the building was demolished, not true, it was changed, that’s for sure.
There is and was a Temple City theatre, which has been taken over by Edwards, that was demolished and a new multiscreen theatre put in its place. It is located on the north/east corner of Rosemead Boulevard and Las Tunas Boulevard in the city of Temple City.