Opened: September 22, 1921 as Hunley's Theatre by owner Otis O. Hunley. It's in the 1922 city directory. It once had a Robert-Morgan organ installed. The theatre was on the north side of the street seven blocks west of Vermont Ave.
This Charles W. Beam 1922 photo of the theatre is from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. It can also be seen in the Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, now owned by the McAvoy family. It's their #T-027-1.
Architects: Meyer and Holler
A pre-opening ad that appeared in the September 16, 1921 issue of the Hollywood Citizen. They goofed on the year. The September 22 opening attraction was Elsie Ferguson in "Footlights" along with a Harold Lloyd short. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating the ad.
A November 1958 ad that was located by Ken.
Pier Paolo Pasolini's "The Decameron" along with Ken Russels "The Devils" running in November 1973. The initial L.A. engagement of "The Decameron" had been at the Doheny Plaza in April 1972. Thanks to Paul Francis Peterson for locating the ad. He notes that this was the theatre's last regular booking..
The new policy as a gay porno house began November 22, 1973.
Running "Goldfinger" and "The Ceremony" in 1965. "Goldfinger" was a Christmas Day 1964 release. Thanks to Tom Anderson for sharing the photo on the Mid Century Modern private Facebook group.
A 1973 Ed Ruscha shot from the collection of the Getty Research Institute. Note where the "Loew's" signage had been. Thanks to Phillip Cutler of the Classic Hollywood/Los Angeles/SFV Facebook page for locating the shot. Bruce Kimmel commented that this "Theater of Blood" and "Soylent Green" double bill played for a week beginning July 4.
1970s - The theatre as a gay porno venue. Thanks to Woody London for sharing the image on Cinema Treasures.
A view east on Hollywood Blvd. toward the Century from "Tales
of Ordinary Madness" (Fred Baker Films, 1983). Thanks to Eric Schaefer for spotting the theatre and getting the screenshot.
A
poet played by Ben Gazzara gets sober enough to hop a bus to Los
Angeles where he descends into a swirl of drugs and sexual escapades.
It's a film by Marco Ferreri that had the title "Storie di ordinaria
follia" for its initial theatrical release in Italy in 1981. The writing
is credited to Sergio Amidei, Charles Bukowski and Mr. Ferreri. Also
featured in the cast are Ornella Muti, Susan Tyrell, Tanya Lopert, Roy
Brocksmith and Katya Berger. The cinematography was by Tonino Delli
Colli.
A review on IMDb from FertileCelluloid:
"Ornella Muti, as Serking's sexual muse, is Venus incarnate and turns in a powerhouse performance as Cass, an emotionally damaged whore with a penchant for pain. The scenes of Gazzara swaggering in and out of LA's fleapit bars, apartments and hotel rooms convey a filthy, delirious ambiance that is vividly captured by Tonino Delli Colli's superb cinematography and Dante Ferretti's exquisitely oily production design. This is such an amazing looking film with a thick, steamy, anything-goes atmosphere of lust-ridden anarchy.
"Much grittier than the accomplished 'Barfly' and more watchable than 'Love Is A Dog From Hell,' the entire affair has an emotional, raw resonance that slavishly captures the Bukowski sensibility and remains consistently perverse in its singular vision of a man enslaved by alcoholic and sexual gluttony. Phillipe Sarde's score is moody and rich, as is Gazzara's breathy voice-over. A masterpiece."
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Had an apartment around the corner from there in the 80’s. Practically lived in there…so much so, I WAS invited to their Christmas parties. Wonderful times. It was the whole magic of the 80’s. A gay cinema is a gay cinema, just that, but The Century theatre back then was something special. No internet like today. Everything was very furtive. Walking in from the baking California heat, into the cool blackness of the auditorium, illuminated only by the William Higgins performers onscreen, and the myriad of nameless bodies crawling about on the floor in the blackness until they stopped in front of you and you felt their warm lips and hands enhancing the onscreen action made for an electric experience, especially with the knowledge that the LAPD sometimes visited incognito. You’ll never see those days again….unfortunately.
ReplyDelete...anyone remember Woody, the manager ?
ReplyDeleteIt was thrilling, wasn't it?
Delete