Riviera Theatre
5002 W. Adams Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90016
5002 W. Adams Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90016
2 people
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Now a private events venue going by its original name The Riviera Theatre
This became the Fremont theatre on February 16th, 1944 and closed in 1951. 1st ad in the LA Times posted.
The October 24, 1924, issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor had this item about the house that would open as the Riviera Theatre:
The December 26 issue of the same publication said that the Lowith Iron Works would erect an ornamental iron marquee at 5000 W. Adams Blvd. “…for M.M. Mantijo” [sic] at a cost of $800. Given the publication dates, it seems likely the project would have been completed fairly early in 1925.On our page for the Variety Theatre, Cinema Treasures member Rongee, who grew up in the neighborhood, says that the Riviera Theatre was renamed the Fremont Theatre. This is confirmed by the Riviera’s entry at Bill Counter’s Los Angeles Movie Palaces. The house was being advertised in movie listings as the Fremont by 1945.
My Grandfather built this theater in 1925. We lived in a three story house on longwood with a vacant lot betwen us and the theater building. There was a candy store on the corner and on the other side of the movie theater was a small store. My Grandfather died in 1931, and my father lost the property about 1932 or 3.
Function should be retail.
No, it turns out that it’s called Chestnuts & Papaya and its business is furniture and accessory rentals for film productions.
Looks from the pictures like this is another building converted to a single use and thus probably using a single address. If that address is 5000 W. Adams (I can’t find a current listing for 5002 W. Adams), then the current occupant is a home & garden-related shop going by the strange but euphonious name Chestnuts Papayas.
Here are some photos from June 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/3a8mqd
http://tinyurl.com/2j5jar
http://tinyurl.com/3auzvm
http://tinyurl.com/39576k
Featured on 6/26/35 – “Society Doctor” and “The Barretts of Wimpole Street”.
The theater building is still there. It’s painted red. No way to tell what kind of business, though. I took some pictures.
I have searched on Terraserver for the address 5002 W.Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, and the fairly recent USGS aerial photograph of the area displayed shows a building at that address which certainly looks as though it once housed a theater. I have not been able to find what the current use of the building might be.