A Depression View -- The Banner Theatre on Main St.

I just love this photo. There's so much stuff in front that you can hardly see the boxoffice. We're at the Banner Theatre, at 456 S. Main St. The Banner was in a building that's been demolished just down the block from the Regent.

It's 1937 and the Banner is running footage from the James Braddock / Joe Louis fight in its "First Main St. Showing." Also playing to give us our "3 big pictures" are a couple of very old items: Edward G Robinson in "Man With Two Faces" (1934) and Laurel and Hardy in "Dirty Work" (1933).

The photo is by Herman Schultheis and is from the collection of the Los Angeles Public Library. Click on the image to get a full size view on the Library's website.

And you can check out more views on the new Banner Theatre page.