Arlin Theatre
2117 W. Jefferson Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90018
2117 W. Jefferson Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90018
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Functions: Retail
Previous Names: Columbia Theatre, Jefferson Theatre, Palace Theatre, Home Theatre
Nearby Theaters
One of many neighborhood theatres that dotted the streets of Los Angeles. Opened around 1911 by Mr. T.A. Russell, it was named the Columbia Theatre from 1912 to 1918. From 1919 to 1921 it was the Jefferson Theatre. From 1922 to 1927 it was the Palace Theatre. In 1928 it was renamed Home Theatre. It was renamed Arlin Theatre in September 1937. It was still open in 1957.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
The Arlin Theatre was located at 2117 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Theatre still stands, used currently as some kind of retail outlet.
Here are some photos from January 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/t4fr9
http://tinyurl.com/sby75
http://tinyurl.com/y4kdew
It’s a pawn shop, obviously.
never thought that would be a theatre,i use to pass it everyday
It was open when I drove by today, but I didn’t have time to stop in. I wonder if they gutted the interior when it was converted to a pawn shop.
Here is another view of the former theater:
http://tinyurl.com/yd98ftf
In the 1915 Los Angeles City Directory, a house called the Columbia Theatre is listed at 2117 W. Jefferson. In the 1923, 1926 and 1927 directories, it’s listed as the address of the Palace Theatre. No directory for 1928 is available online, and I can’t find a theater listed for the address in the 1929 directory, but the 1932 directory lists the Home Theatre at 2117 W. Jefferson.
As the L.A. County Assessor’s office says that the Arlin’s building was built in 1930, something must have happened to the Columbia/Palace building around 1929, and the current building was built in 1930 to replace it.
The October 4, 1937, issue of The Film Daily said that the Home Theatre in Los Angeles had been renamed the Arlin Theatre.
Google street view now has a view of the back of this building. Some of the brick looks quite old, and there have obviously been a lot of alterations done over the decades. Despite the L.A. County Assessor’s site saying that the building was built in 1930, I now think there was probably just an extensive rebuild of the original theater building at that time.
Bill Counter has researched the Arlin Theatre, saying it opened around 1911, when it was listed only under the name of a Mr. T. A. Russell. Then it was listed as the Columbia Theatre from 1912 until 1918, was the Jefferson Theatre in 1919 (I also found it listed under that name in the 1921 city directory) and was the Palace Theatre from 1922 to 1927. A 1928 directory has now become available, and it lists the house as the Home Theatre.