Strand Theatre
4232 Whittier Boulevard,
East Los Angeles,
CA
90023
4232 Whittier Boulevard,
East Los Angeles,
CA
90023
7 people
favorited this theater
According to old newspaper movie guides, there were at least six Strand theatres in the Los Angeles area and this may be the most unknown and forgotten, and probably the only one remaining. Opened as Swickard’s Strand Theatre in 1929. Although it was listed in the guides from the 1930’s and into the 1950’s, always as an independent theatre, judging from the looks of the building, its history probably goes back much further.
It has a prominent stage protruding from the back of the building, which would lead one to believe that it was an early vaudevillian house that seated no more than 500. The Strand Theatre was closed in 1952.
On the outside of the building, are large faded letters, barely discernible, that read: ‘STRAND ADULTS 30c CHILDREN 10c’. The Strand Theatre is located across the street from a large cemetery and is now a warehouse for a company that sells grave monuments.
The building was re-roofed in November of 2001, so the owner apparently plans on keeping it around.
Contributed by
Ron Pierce
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Recent comments (view all 28 comments)
Here are the photos from June 2007:
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From “Ask Chris,” a column in Los Angeles magazine, June 2009:
“The Strand Theatre opened as a neighborhood movie house in 1929 and soon became a center of Eastside kid culture. Cowboy star Buck Jones had a Ranger Club of almost 4,000 ‘courteous and obedient’ youngsters headquartered there. One of the Rangers' activities was to invite celebrities like Boris Karloff and Gene Autry to write their names (and Ranger safety slogans) in wet cement in front of the theater. When the Strand closed in 1952, owner Paul Swickland removed the cement blocks and used them to pave his San Marino patio. About a mile west of the former theater I found slabs autographed by Tom Mix and Tonto (their fragile state and my Ranger Club oath forbid me to reveal the location). As for the building, it’s now owned by the L.A. Archdiocese.”
I am Donald R Swickard, and have made many comments above. I now have a YOUTUBE showing before, during, and some of the Movie Stars that appeared there. Hope you enjoy these past memories.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOPv0pGLVOQ
STUNNING !!! THANK YOU !!
Very interesting slide show.
Thanks for sharing those memories here!! I really enjoyed them.
Great.Simply,Great.
Just found out that my Dad was an usher at the Strand in the 1940’s. A great Father’s Day tale but I need to find out more info.
Hi Don, thank you for that Youtube video. I have a question. Has there ever been any interest in the building or theater as a cultural landmark? Has the interior been totally gutted of it’s movie theater past?
The L.A. County Assessor says that the Strand was built in 1928/1929.
Here is an item about the Strand’s owner Paul Swickard from the April 7, 1945 issue of Boxoffice:
This ca. 1938 photo of actress Bonita Granville at the Strand shows a bit of the mural decorating what appears to be the lobby wall.