Another One Bites the Dust - UA Four Star Theater on Wilshire Boulvard in LA

The UA Four Star Theater was built circa 1930 and was home to many notable Hollywood movie premieres, including "Lost Horizon" and "The Grapes of Wrath".  It was even the place where critics got their first exclusive viewing of "Gone With the Wind" before it was released to the public.  In the 1950s and 60s, it was capable of screening films in 70mm and "The Sound of Music" played here in the Todd-AO format.  In the 1970s, the theater served as a revival house for classic films.

In December of 2014, the theater was demolished to make room for a deluxe apartment building.  I took the following photos as it was being torn down.  

Hal Roach Studios - Now and Then & Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle's PlantationCafe - Now & Then

Here we have the Hal Roach movie studio, known as the "Laugh Factory to the World".  The Little Rascals, Harold Lloyd and Laurel & Hardy, among others, created movie classics here.  Opened in 1919, it survived until 1963, when the studio buildings were razed.  Above photo and below from internet.

In a small park, near the corner of Washington Boulevard and National, a plaque marks the site of the studio. (Goodrich/2014)

Here us what the site looks like today.  The aforementioned plaque can be seen toward the left-center of the frame. (Goodrich/August 2014)

In the view above, which was taken years ago (Culver City Now website), the railroad track, which was used to haul cameras, sets, costumes, etc. from one part of the studio to another, can be seen.  Hal Roach's office stood to the right of these tracks.  In the photo below, take a look at a 2014 view of this site...the tracks are gone and we now have overpasses easily visible.

August 2014 view of this site (Goodrich/2014)

Internet photo: Fatty Arbuckle's Plantation Cafe - located in the 11700 block of Washington Boulevard in Culver City, CA.  This establishment was amazingly successful and Roscoe performed himself here often after the Rappe scandal.  Celebrities were here every night until the Depression caused the Plantation Cafe to close in 1929

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This is what the Plantation Cafe site looks like today...(Goodrich/2014)

This theater, unbelievably, opened in 1908 in Owego, NY.  My father went to serialized westerns as a kid at this theater and my grandfather served as a projectionist!  It survived the transition from film to digital projection and is still thrilling audiences in upstate NY! (F. Goodrich/2012)

Current 2014 site of the Cinedome Theaters - oh, how things change! (Goodrich/2014)

Here are the former Cinedome Theaters in Orange, CA.  These theaters featured all the latest technologies when they opened in 1969 - 70mm wide-screen projection, 6 track stereophonic sound and curved screens.  In 1992, the year we arrived in CA, they were enlarged to 11 screens and I saw many movies here.  This was one of my favorite theaters.  It closed in 1999 and was demolished the following year. (Source: internet)

The Cinedome Theaters in Orange, CA

This is the former Charles Theater (courtesy of Cinema Treasures) located at 185 Cambridge St. in Boston, MA.  This theater was famous for premiering many 70mm premieres including all three "Star Wars" films.  I remember driving  from Storrs, CT to Boston to see "Revenge of the Jedi" - in 70mm wide-screen with 6 track Dolby Stereophonic Sound!  After the theater was demolished, the property was used for the enlargement of a hospital.

This building is the former neighborhood theater in Sodus, NY (Goodrich/2014)

The Dale Theater at 2933 East Anaheim in Long Beach, CA

Current site of the former Dale Theater in Long Beach (Goodrich/2014)

1939 movie advertisement for the Dale Theater (LB Independent)

Here we have the Dale Theater, which was located at 2933 East Anaheim Avenue in Long Beach.  It was a small neighborhood theater and it featured an organ that accompanied silent features in the 1920's.

The Hotel Virginia - Hotel for the Stars - formerly on Ocean Blvd. in downtown Long Beach

Site of the former Virginia Hotel (and later Victory Park) in downtown Long Beach along Ocean Ave. (Goodrich/2014)

Ok, this is not a movie advertisement or a theater photo.  It's the huge, gorgeous Hotel Virginia in Long Beach, CA.  This impressive structure (opened 1908), which catered to many Hollywood and Balboa Studio stars, covered the entire city block from Chestnut to Magnolia downtown on Ocean Blvd.  After falling on hard times and sustaining heavy damage during the earthquake, it closed and was razed in 1933.  Note that, at this time, the ocean waves came closer to the downtown area - this is before this waterfront was filled in to facilitate further building construction. (Postcard from private collection)

One of the finest motion picture studios in the early days of silent film - Balboa Studios, which was located at 6th and Alameda in Long Beach

Balboa Films - the City of Long Beach made sure to keep the roads near the studio (which were not yet paved) well-oiled to cut down on the dust.

Former site of historic Balboa Film Studios at 6th and Alameda in Long Beach.  This facility was the one of the finest, most advanced motion picture studios in the entire country from 1913 - 1918.  Balboa had the largest glassed-in studio in the country and, at its height, 18 buildings stood here.  In addition to this property, Balboa also utilized acreage in Signal Hill, where outdoor pictures and Westerns were shot.  Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle, Baby Marie, Mabel Normand, and many other great stars were filmed here.  The shortage of theatrical outlets overseas during WW1 and the sudden discovery of oil in Signal Hill spelled doom for the studios.  The buildings were razed in 1925.

In 1953, Paramount's "War of the Worlds" played at the Lakewood Theater.  This was the era of widescreen exhibition and it wasn't unusual for theaters to alter a film's original  1:33 Academy ratio image for their new screens utilizing aperture plates and different lenses.  Thus, films like "War of the Worlds" and "Them" were shown in a variety of aspect ratios during their initial release.  "War of the Worlds" also was available in stereophonic sound. (LB Independent)

In 1954, both the Towne Theater and the State showed LB audiences the smash horror hit, "THEM!" (LB Independent)

April 1980 reissue engagement of "Lady and the Tramp" at the Cinema 1 in Fredonia, NY with the ticket.

This theater has since been restored as the Fredonia Opera House (below)

Movie Theaters and Classic Newspaper Ads from Yesteryear

Classic Movie Ad Long Beach Theaters. United Artists Theater "Cat on aHot Tin Roof"

Classic Movie Ad for Long Beach Theaters "Best Years of Our Lives" 1947

The Oriental Theater at 5384 American (now Long Beach Boulevard) was severely damaged in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake.  It was subsequently remodeled as the LaShell Theater.

The LaShell Theater post-earthquake 

Photo of the LaShell Theater building

The LaShell Theater at 5384 Long Beach Blvd. in Long Beach had 450 seats and was a second-run neighborhood theater.  The building still exists and the beautiful entrance is still evident.

Interior of theater

GWTW 1954 re-release shown on wide-screen

GWTW reissue at the Atlantic 1948

In 1974, the theater gained notoriety by showing adult films

In 1948, the theater owners attempted to sue, claiming that they were being forced to play second run films.

Article describing 1957 renovation of the Atlantic

I LOVE this.  It's an advertisement from 1949.  Apparently, the Atlantic Theater installed the new "Cycloramic Screen-the magic screen of the future"!  According to information found online, this screen was designed to produce a clearer, more uniform picture.  Unlike other screens, this product had no perforations and featured a "silky smooth" surface that was supposed to reduce eye strain.  It also supposedly created a 3-d like effect, making "every seat in the house a winner"!

Celebration program