Lake Theatre
310 W. Graham Avenue,
Lake Elsinore,
CA
92530
310 W. Graham Avenue,
Lake Elsinore,
CA
92530
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The Lake Theatre opened on August 31, 1950 with Disney’s “Treasure Island” and “Beaver Valley.” It apparently replaced the recently closed Lake Elsinore Theatre on Main Street.
The Lake’s ad appeared regularly in the Independent Theatre Guide of the Los Angeles Times until June 7, 1978 when the copy read: “Closed for remodeling.” It appears that their ad never appeared again in the Times. The Lake Elsinore Historical Society says the theater closed permanently after the devastating floods of February 1980 that put much of the town under water.
In 1990 the city purchased the building and renovated, with additions, into the city senior and community center. They retained the vertical “Lake” sign, which is still prominently visible from the street.
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
The Lake briefly appears in the 1975 Jonathan Demme film Crazy Mama. The scene is set in 1958 and the marquee shows Vertigo and Man of the West. I’ve posted a composite image made from several frames since the shot panned down and across it.
Here are a few names from the opening.
Boxoffice, Oct. 14, 1950: “Elsinore, Calif. - Beginning operations here was the new 830-seat Lake Theatre, built by Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Scott and Mrs. Nelle Jackson, operated by E. D. Patterson and managed by Mrs. Florence Lynch. Utilizing the latest RCA sound and projection systems, the Lake also features a smoking room, a cry room for children, air conditioning and heating, and paved parked areas adjacent to the theatre.”