1642 N. Las Palmas Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028 | map |
Seating: Estimates ranges from 388 to 600 in the days when it was a theatre. It was listed as 388 in 1949.
History: The Las Palmas was a noted legit venue for many years. A Daily Variety item located by Joe Vogel noted that in June 1941 it was being called the Hollywood Troupers Theatre.
The delightful paper ephemera collection of Eric Lynxwiler on Flickr includes this ad for the revue "Insults of 1944" at the Playtime. It appeared in an issue of Playgoer magazine distributed at the Biltmore. The show was produced by Billy Berg and starred Ray Bourbon. The rest of the cast, which changed at times, included "jive singer" Betty McCabe, puppeteer Don Stone, Sherman "Scatman" Crothers and dancer Vera Richkova.
The Hume Cronyn production of Tennessee Williams' "Portrait of a Madonna" starring Jessica Tandy played at the theatre in the mid-40s.
A 1945 ad for something called "Strange Love Story." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding it for posting as a comment on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
"Awake and Sing," with most of the original Group Theatre cast from New York, opened June 25, 1946 for a four week run. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the flyer for a post on Photos of Los Angeles. The cast included John Garfield, Edward Bromberg, Alfred Ryder, Phoebe Brand, Morris Carnovsky, Robert Lewis, Art Smith and David Clark.
In 1947 the theatre got a remodel and was then briefly a film house. Ken McIntyre found a mention in an LA Times article dated May 10:
Carol Channing made her west coast debut at the Las Palmas in the 1948 revue "Lend an Ear," directed by Gower Champion. The show, with words and music by Charles Gaynor, also featured Gene Nelson. It later moved to Broadway playing for 460 performances and led to Channing's casting in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding this L.A. Times ad for the show.
A 1950 L.A. Times ad.
A December 1962 ad for "Come Blow Your Horn." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.
In 1964 Billy Barnes was back at the Las Palmas with "Billy Barnes' Hollywood." "Nobody Loves an Albatross" was one production playing in 1965. Michael
McClure's "The Beard" played in 1968 as well as a bill of the two one-acts "The Private Ear" and "The Public Eye."
"An Evening with Pat Collins" was an attraction
in 1969. The rock musical "Salvation" had a run c.1970.
The theatre began running adult films by 1971. By 1972 it was an automated gay porno house -- you'd put a $5 bill in the slot and go through a turnstyle. Matt Spero notes that when the theatre was running films in the 70s it was via rear projection with a booth set up onstage. The projection booth at the rear of the auditorium installed in 1947 had been removed sometime earlier.
Thanks to Steven Otto for remembering the 1974 first run booking of the John Waters film "Female Trouble at the Las Palmas. He found an article about the 1974 renovation and reopening written by Ralph Tribbey, at the time the VP of a small southern California theatre circuit of about 30 screens that had taken over the theatre. The president of the chain had, as Ralph says, "some interesting contacts in the entertainment business" and some "equally 'interesting' contacts when it came to taking over certain theatres." He tells the story in a post about the documentary "I Am Divine" on the blog DVD & Blu-Ray Release Report:
"Since the Las Palmas was destined to be the next Bleecker Street Cinema, it was decided that we’d rip a page from the playbook of the nearby Grauman's Chinese Theatre. A four-by-four foot chunk of sidewalk in front of the theatre was jackhammered out and four inches of fresh concrete was poured (all without permits) late in the afternoon on the day of the film’s grand opening. The plan was for Divine to place her hand and feet impressions in the fresh cement for future visitors to marvel at. It was a good plan, but …
"We got the necessary permit to have Las Palmas closed between Hollywood Blvd. on the north and Selma Avenue on the south. We even had a Klieg light rolled up in front of the place and as the sun set it lit up the sky … a large crowd of curious onlookers began to gather. Many more than anticipated!!! At the appropriate moment a trash truck lumbered up Las Palmas and stopped in front of the theatre. The hydraulics kicked in and the entire backend suddenly opened up to reveal eight Cycle Sluts — men dressed in leather, bustiers and fishnet costumes — who came pouring out and began dancing and prancing around the street. The crowd went wild. They would be the honor guard for Divine.
"Next came the limo with our honored guest. It pulled up in front of the theatre. One of the motorcycle cops, who we were required to have there to provide security, opened the door to her limo and out she stepped, turned … and walked right through the fresh cement! It was a disaster! No feet or hand impressions, but a path of complete destruction leading to the open doors of the theatre. I can, however, report that Divine was a good sport about it. The premiere went well, but alas the Las Palmas didn’t become the next Bleecker Street and we soon closed it up. Over the years it would become all sorts of things … eventually gutted and turned into different clubs."
The L.A. Mime Company had an open-ended run at the theatre in 1976. There was a fire in March 1977 but the place was patched up and soon back in business. L.A. Stage Co. was a tenant in the early 80s. "Pump Boys and Dinettes" had a good run in 1986 and 87.
Other productions in the 80s included Sam Shephard's "True West" starring Randy and Dennis Quaid, "The Normal Heart" starring Richard Dreyfuss, Tom Topor's play "Nuts," and Christopher Durang's "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You." It was later used as a
music club by a number of different operators.
Proscenium width: 29'8"
Height: 11'2"
Stage wall to wall: 39'4"
The data is from the 1949 ATPAM Theatre, Arena and Auditorium Guide. Thanks to Bob Foreman for posting the contents of the book on his blog Vintage Theatre Catalogs.
A night at Sound in 2017. It's a photo by Kobi D. that's on Yelp.
More exterior views:
1971 - A photo from the terrific Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their MISC-1971-49. They were running "Selma and Her Boys" along with "Gay Shorts." Also in the collection is a 1972 view, #T-034-1. On the marquee for that one was "The Insatiables - Summr Fireworks." They had run out of space on the bottom line.
1970s - A photo of the theatre later in the decade that was located by Cinema Treasures contributor Granola. It's on the site's Las Palmas page.
2012 - A marquee soffit view. It's a Ken McIntyre photo that appeared on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
2016 - The theatre as the Sound Nightclub. It's a Google Maps view. Head there for the interactive version.
A shot from the 1980 TV move "The Munsters' Revenge." Ken McIntyre located this for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. Thanks to Royce Mathew for identifying the source of the image.
The final shootout in Robert Vincent O'Neill's "Angel" (New
World, 1984) takes place in the alley just north of the Las Palmas.
Here we see the theatre with posters up for "Sister Mary Ignatius
Explains It All For You." Shooting was in the summer of 1983. The film
stars Donna Wilkes as fifteen year old Molly, a high school student by
day and working the street at night. Cliff Gorman, Dick Shawn, Rory
Calhoun and John Diehl are also in this tale of a killer
preying on teenage hookers. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies
post for a dozen shots from the film including glimpses of the Chinese,
Vogue, Hollywood, Warner, Pantages, Cave and X theatres.
This shot of the Las Palmas during a vacant period is one of many views of abandoned theatres appearing in Paul Schrader's "The Canyons" (IFC Films, 2013). There's a montage with the opening credits and others, like this one, scattered throughout. The film, written by Bret Easton Ellis, is a thriller about some sad people on the fringes of the film business and features Lindsey Lohan, James Deen, Nolan Funk and Amanda Brooks. The cinematography was by John Paul DeFazio. See the Historic L.A. Theatres In Movies post for shots of the Egyptian, Regent, X Theatre, and Fox Inglewood.
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See the Chamber of Horrors marquee / front photo was taken in 1980 - this was dressed for the TV movie Munsters Revenge --
ReplyDeleteThanks, Royce, for identifying the photo. I added a comment to the caption. Much appreciated.
DeleteOscar nominated Nick Adams, most famous for the television series "The Rebel", made his professional west coast debut in the Las Palmas production of "Mr. Big Shot".
ReplyDeleteThanks! Do you happen to know the year of that production?
DeleteSaw NOFX there in 1994
ReplyDeleteI came here on web site to find out more about Buddy Ebsen's play of 1950, "Honest John" and in particular about the set designer John Datu Arensma, who was most noted as the Art Director for the iconic western movie "Red River" starring John Wayne and directed by Howard Hawks...any info will be greatly appreciated!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Tim -- Well, I wish I knew something about either the show or the designer. All I have is the ad you presumably saw. If you do learn anything, let me know and I'll add it to the page. Have you checked the newspaper reviews of the show?
DeleteI think it was 1977 or 1978 when became a legit theater again with the show HEAVEN SENT a reworking of Cole Porter's musical OUT OF THIS WORLD. The show starred Charlotte Rae as Juno.
ReplyDelete