Bob Baker Marionette Theater
4949 York Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90042
4949 York Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90042
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Bob Baker Marionette Theater (Official)
Additional Info
Architects: Richard R.F. Lehman
Functions: Live Performances
Previous Names: York Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
213.250.9995
Nearby Theaters
The York Theatre was opened by August 1923 and operated by the John Sugar Amusement Co. Richard R.F. Lehman was the architect. In the 1930’s it was remodeled. It was closed around 1955 when it was screening religious films with a free admission. It later became a barber shop and the Artisan Organ Hall, an organ building & repair shop which occasionally had organ concerts playing to silent movies. In 1985 the former York Theatre housed the Pyong Kang Korean church, but they moved out and by October 2017, the building was vacant.
In February 2019 it was announced the building would house the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, which officially opened on November 29, 2019.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
The original seating is not in the this theater. The York was being renovated in the late 1940s and the original wooden backed seats were being replaced. Our church, which is located several blocks away, was under construction at that time and they were able to procure all the York Theatre seats that were needed to fill the new sanctuary. For many years the inserts were blue, but they were redone in crimson red in the 1990s, so now they really look like the theater seats they originally were. They are really quite comfortable.
I remember seeing a double bill of Ronald Coleman in Shangri La and another film starring the Lane Sisters aroung 1949 or 50. At that time the York showed older films, some very good. Diana Ellis
Here is an October 1955 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/yvnguy
heres a pic of the yorks signage with a lary car,its at the bottom of the page
View link
Here are some March 2008 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/ypzee7
http://tinyurl.com/2fwloh
http://tinyurl.com/2zl6ck
http://tinyurl.com/2et64o
http://tinyurl.com/yr3gfh
http://tinyurl.com/yweut5
http://tinyurl.com/yrc5ao
http://tinyurl.com/2anvjq
I live a few blocks away from this theatre and have always been curious about the history of it. Some fascinating pics from the 1950’s someone posted above. The whole area looked so different in those days, wow! what happened to our civilization, how quickly things deteriorate. I’m still curious about what films played here over the years during it’s operation as a cinema, especially in the 60’s/70’s. Someone posted an LA Times ad from the 50’s above (which is quite a curious ad, something about spaceships) and it looked like it was some kind of religious spot even at THAT time, weird
I recently visited this site. It appears the church has moved on and the space is vacant… Hmmm.
Is the Art Deco looking building(Reynolds) on the right of the above photo(now a pharmacy), used to be a theatre once(it looks like a theatre!!)?
The York will again be a theater, home to Bob Baker’s Marionettes. See artist’s rendering of the new facade I just uploaded.
The York theater has been hosting performances of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater for several months. The official grand opening will be held on November 29, 2019. The status of this theater should be changed to OPEN. Yea! http://www.bobbakermarionettetheater.com