Plaza Theater
12788 Hawthorne Boulevard,
Hawthorne,
CA
90250
12788 Hawthorne Boulevard,
Hawthorne,
CA
90250
3 people
favorited this theater
Construction began in 1926 and the Plaza Theater was opened on November 28, 1928. A popular kiddie-matinee house in the 1950’s when I went there; it featured a tall RKO-Radio like open-frame steel tower with the letters “Plaza” vertically on it.
It was closed in 1970 and the property put up for sale. It was demolished by 1971.
“I have many fond memories from my childhood of going there. The Plaza Theater was my "Cinema Paradiso" where I first really fell in love with the movies.”
Contributed by
Donald John Long
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 20 comments)
I went to the Plaza theater from the time I was 10 years old until I left Hawthorne when I was 18. Also went back when I visited my relatives. I would go get chinese food in Inglewood and hit the movie at the Plaza….It was allowed back then…That started in 1943, many moons ago.
An intermittently reliable source states that J.J. Frankenfelder designed the Plaza in 1926. This is unconfirmed, however.
The LAPL just posted a batch of photos from 1971:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics48/00073963.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics48/00073964.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics48/00073965.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics48/00073967.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics48/00073968.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics48/00073969.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics48/00073971.jpg
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics48/00073972.jpg
A large LA Times ad promoting development in Hawthorne included a sketch of the new Plaza Theater. The date was 1/17/26.
http://tinyurl.com/5z2jqd
I should point out that this section of Hawthorne Boulevard is now a two block stretch of closed department stores. Very depressing. I think one of the stores is being converted into county offices.
This is from Boxoffice magazine in June 1948:
Sherrill Corwin and Lester Blumberg took over active operations of the Plaza and Cal Theaters in Hawthorne, having acquired controlling interest in the two houses from E.S. “Ned” Calvi.
Correction, the item was dated June 1949, not 1948.
There was an ad for the Plaza in the Torrance Herald in June 1942. The Plaza called itself “The Friendly Family Theatre”. The phone number was 299. Adult tickets were 30 cents, and child tickets were 11 cents.
Mr. Mcintyre you mention a Cal Theater in Hawthorne. Can you provide info as to where it was located and when it was in operation?