Storefront Porno in Hollywood and on the Westside

Hollywood and the rest of the Westside had their share of storefront theatres in the porno business in the 60s and 70s. Among these were:

 

77 Sunset Strip  8925 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood 90069  | map |

Opened: In the early 70s as a strip club called the Rogues Gallery. The location is the northeast corner of Hilldale Ave. and Sunset. See a 1973 Ed Ruscha shot on the Getty Research Institure website. Also see a 1973 Rogues Gallery shot in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their #RN-128-1.

 

 

A 1975 photo that had appeared on Reddit. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for sharing it in his Noirish post #56149. Doesn't look like they were yet running films.

 

 

 

Running films in August 1976. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the ads. 

 

Closing: The date is unknown. 

 

Status: The building survives but has been remodeled into an upscale auto dealership.   

 

 

Adult Movies 1120 N. Western Ave. Los Angeles 90029 | map |

 

This one was running in the 1970s. The name, if it actually had one, is unknown. In the 1975 phone book it's listed as Eleven-Twenty N. Western Ave. Corp.  

 

A 1973 shot of the theatre with the Agency of Love / Good Time Gals, Inc. next door at 1120 1/2. And on the left edge of the image we get a bit of the Cinema Theatre, 1122 N. Western. Thanks to Mark Blackwell for locating this in the Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their #MP-028. And don't miss that site's gallery of photos of "adult stores." 

 

Donald Fagen, Skunk Baxter, and Walter Becker of Steely Dan across the street. Thanks to Mark Raftogianis for locating the shot for a post for the Facebook group Lost Angeles. And thanks to Jeff Hamblin and Mark Blackwell for identifying the location. Jeff notes that in the background as we look southeast it's the Hotel Palomar at 5473 Santa Monica Blvd. 

Status: The building was demolished in the late 1980s. 

Baron Theatre  2814 Main St. Santa Monica  | map | 

A 16mm house running in the 1970s.

A May 2, 1971 ad from the L.A. Times. Thanks to Susan Jordan for sharing it with the You Know You're From Santa Monica If... Facebook group.

 

 

Bijou Theatre  7059 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90028  | map |

 

This little theatre two blocks west of the Chinese opened as a straight porno house called the Athena in 1969. In 1970 it switched to gay product as the Avon Theatre. In 1971 it turned into a revival house called the Bijou but lapsed and ran more porno in 1973 and 1974. It went back to Hollywood product in 1975 as the Odeon and finally closed in 1977. Got all that? For more information see the page on the Bijou Theatre.

Bijou Adult Theatre  1651 Cahuenga Blvd.  Los Angeles 90028  | map |
 

This one opened c.1975. The location was just south of Hollywood Blvd. Running as a theatre when it first opened, it later morphed into a store selling adult videos and other related merchandise.

A photo in the Bruce Torrence Hollywood Historic Photographs collection, their #MP-047. See the terrific album of Cahuenga Blvd. photos on the site. Thanks to Martin Pal for spotting it for his Noirish Los Angeles post #48484.

We're on Hollywood Blvd. at Cahuenga looking over toward the Bijou on the left. Thanks to Sean Ault for the photo taken by his grandfather, William E. Ault.

Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images website for this 1983 look at the Bijou. 

It's now a store called Cahuenga Adult Video. For more information see the Cinema Treasures page on the Bijou Adult Theatre. It's unknown if this venue on Cahuenga was related to the Bijou at 7059 Hollywood Blvd.


Cave Theatre  6315 Hollywood Blvd.  Los Angeles 90028  | map |

 

The building, dating from 1923, is on the north side of the street, just east of the Vine Theatre. In the 30s it was remodeled by R.M. Schindler to become Sardi's Restaurant, no relation to the New York establishment. Later it was Chi-Chi's, the jazz club Zardi's, an Arthur Murray dance studio and the Haunted House, a night club. It became the Cave Adult Theatre in 1971. The seating capacity was around a hundred.

  

 

A 1973 shot by Ed Ruscha from the Getty Research Institute collection. Thanks to Timothy Haack for locating it for a 2020 Facebook post that featured 30 photos by Mr. Ruscha of various sites related to a Frank Zappa album. Thanks to Alison Martino for sharing the post on her Vintage Los Angeles page in 2023. See Hollywood Boulevard, 1973-2005, undated (4,292 digitized items) on the Getty website.  | 

 

Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images site for this April 1981 photo.  

 

Status: It's now a Deja Vu Showgirls location. For more information and many photos see our page about the Cave Theatre. The theatre has made an appearance in many films. Some screenshots are on the page.

 

 

Century Theatre 5115 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90027 | map |

 

This 750 seat house opened as Hunley's Theatre in 1922. Later it got renamed the Century and was still running Hollywood product in the 70s before it slid into porno with new operators. For more information see the page about the Century Theatre.


Cine 1  1358 N. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles 90028  | map |

 

It was operating by 1968. The building is a block south of Sunset Blvd.

 

 

A September 1968 ad located by Ken McIntyre. That theatre on Las Palmas calling itself the Hollywood Center is the venue that at other times was known as the Hollywood Playhouse.

The ad is from November 1968 appeared in the Los Angeles Free Press. The site Ad Sausage has a collection of Roger Delfont's articles analyzing the film ads that appeared in the Free Press. He discusses the Cine 1:

"The building at 1358 was the Nico Charisse School of the Dances and Theater Arts, which officially opened in September 1937. A year later, the renowned dance instructor advertised his studio with the following proclaiming 'Isn't it significant that a 16-year old pupil of Charisse - Sid Finklea - was given a contract to succeed Prima Ballerina Danilova with Ballet Russe?' The name Finklea belonged to Tula Ellice Finklea, better known as Cyd. The young student would go on to marry her instructor in 1939, when she was 18. Keeping things musical during the 1940's, the American Operatic Laboratory ran the School of Piano Tuning and Maintenance - luring potential ivory tuners with the quote 'This Vocational Field Is Rich In Opportunity.'

"The dance studio vacated the spot in the mid-1950's, and Charisse moved his school to 319 North La Cienega Blvd., and offered more contemporary styles; Modern, Calypso and Primitive. Ironically, the building found itself in the newspapers in 1963, when chiropractor Dr. Ruth Drown used the site as Drown Laboratories - albeit surreptitiously. Along with her daughter and two others, they were found guilty of bilking patients with fraudulent electronic diagnoses and treatments for non-existent diseases. Touting itself as a 'radio-therapy center,' the charlatans were accused of using worthless electrical devices. The Superior Judge declared the devices 'no more effective than voodoo or witchcraft.' It seems the quackery was not appreciated by the landlord. The 3000 square foot building was offered by a broker to suitable tenants, with the proposition 'can vacate present medical tenant within 60 days.' The broker also mentioned the building was adjacent to the Perry Mason Studios. Charisse (who died in 1970) would have been thrilled with what was being offered 50 years later, when 'Hollywood's Newest Theater for Male Viewing' showed 'How To Be a Dancer' in 1969. The Cine 1 advertised they'd lost their lease and were closing in August 1973."

A 1969 ad in the L.A. Times. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it. 

It closed in 1973. The building is still there on the southeast corner of La Brea and De Longpre. It's being used by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.  

 

 

Ciné-Cienega 755 N. La Cienega Blvd. West Hollywood 90069  | map |

It opened in 1949 as a small legit operation called the Century Theatre. In 1953 it became the Civic Playhouse and in 1964 the Warner Playhouse. In 1970 it was renamed the Ciné-Cienega, running first-run product plus occasional art and experimental films as well as revival bills. Later in the 70s it went to porno and was demolished in 1987. There's now a restaurant/nightclub on the site. For more information see the page about the Ciné-Cienega.

 

 

Cinematheque 16 / Sun Art  8816 1/2 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood 90069 | map |

It opened in the mid 60s as a storefront 16mm operation running underground, experimental and cult films. It was also known as the Cinematheque 16 Moviehouse. By 1970 it had become a porno operation, later renamed the Sun Art. In 1976 it was taken over by Pavel Cerny to become the Orpheum Theatre, a venue for legit theatre as well as concerts, punk and otherwise. It's been demolished. For more information see the page on the Cinematheque 16 / Sun Art. 

 

 

Cinematheque Club 9055 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood 90069  | map |

It opened in spring 1971 as an 82 seat restaurant showing classic films. Seating evidently was more restaurant-style than theatre-style. It was also known as the D'Anton Cinematheque. It didn't last long as a classics venue, by fall of 1972 having morphed into David's Tom Cat Theatre & Lounge. It's now a Busy Body Home Fitness store. For more information see the page for the Cinematheque Club.


Cinne Arts Theatre  5651 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90028  | map |

This one opened in 1970 in a deco building between Gramercy Pl. and Wilton Pl. and was open 24 hours a day.

A vintage view of the Cinne Arts from Danny O'Connor on the Valley Relics Facebook page. Thanks to Ken Roe for spotting the post.

A Free Gift! Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting this 1974 ad.

The Cinne Arts in the Movies:

We pay a visit to the Cinne Arts in Robert Benton's "The Late Show" (Warner Bros., 1977). The film stars Art Carney and Lily Tomlin. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for an interior view. 

The space is now used for retail. For more information see the Cinema Treasures page on the Cinne Arts.

 

 

Classic - Art  8257 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood 90046  | map | 

 

This was running as a porno venue with occasional art house bookings as early as 1966. The location was on the north side of the street between Sweetzer and Harper. 

 

 

A May 1966 L.A. Times ad. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this and other ads for this venue for a thread on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

 

Running Fellini's "Juliet of the Spirits" and Antonioni's "Red Desert" at the Classic Art in May 1967. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for digging out this column of Hollywood theatre ads. 

 

A September 1968 ad.

 

"Girl" in Cinemascope. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting this April 1971 listing in the L.A. Times. 

 

 

"Girls, Girls, Girls." It's a 1972 listing for the Classic Art. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this. He notes that ads for the theatre stop in 1972. 

 

 

Coronet Theatre  366 N. La Cienega Blvd. West Hollywood 90048 | map |
 
It was opened in 1947 by Freida Berkoff, a member of a famous Russian dancing family. The Coronet has been mostly famous as a legit venue, hosting over 300 productions. Throughout the 50s it was a venue for independent and experimental film programmed by Raymond Rohauer. In the 70s it had a fling as both a gay film venue as well as a live straight burlesque house. Later it went back to legit use. Since 2008 it's been the home of Largo at the Coronet, featuring comedy and music performances. For more information see the page about the Coronet Theatre.


Film Festival  1066 N. Western Ave. Los Angeles 90029 | map |

Running in the 70s -- at least from 1971 to 1974, perhaps beyond. The location was on the east side of Western just south of Santa Monica Blvd.

A 1971 ad in the Times for the Film Festival. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding it.  

It looks like the building is gone. Just north of the lot is Catalina's Market, at 1070 N. Western. Just up the block was the Flick Theatre. Cinema Treasures has a page on the theatre but there's not much additional data.


Flick Theatre 1082 N. Western Ave. Los Angeles 90029 | map |

It was a porno venue running from late 60s into the 80s. The location was on the east side of Western just south of Santa Monica Blvd. Evidently it was also known as Le Sex Shoppe.

A 1969 ad in the L.A. Times. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it.  

 

The building's still there, now a medical clinic. For more information see the Cinema Treasures page on the Flick. 

 

 

Gallery / Quickie 8325 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood 90069  | map |

Beginning in the the 60s it was a legit operation called the Players' Ring Theatre. In the 70s as the Gary Theatre this was a twin screen revival house. Later as a porno operation it was the Gallery and the Quickie. By 1980 it was the Pan Andreas, a 99 seat Equity Waiver operation. Finally it ended up as the Coast Playhouse. It's now owned by the City of West Hollywood. For more information see the page about the Coast Playhouse. Also see the listing here on this page for the OTHER Quickie location at 8253 Santa Monica Blvd.

 

Hollywood Center  1445 N. Las Palmas Ave. Los Angeles 90028 | map | 

It's also been known as the Hollywood Playhouse and many other names. This 220 seat venue just south of Sunset is in a building dating from 1905 but its opening date as a theatre is unknown. Although mostly a legit house, it had occasional periods running films of all sorts including revivals and porno. For more information see the page on the Hollywood Playhouse. 


Hollywood Century Theatre  5903 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90028 | map |

A storefront gay porno venue running in the 70s. This location just west of Bronson shouldn't be confused with the other Century Theatre, a 20s film house at 5115 Hollywood Blvd. that went porno at the end.

It's now the location of Atomic Tattoo. For more information see the Cinema Treasures page on the Hollywood Century. 

 

 

Le Sex Shoppe 5507 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90028 | map |

A lovely 1977 shot located by Art Gamboa for a post on the Facebook group Lost Angeles. The location was on the north side of the street just west of Western Ave.

 

 

A 1981 view from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

The Le Sex Shoppe in the Movies: 

 

We get a fun scene on this block in "Trackdown" (United Artists, 1976) when James Mitchum is trying to find information about what various lowlifes did to his missing sister. The guy in front has been enlisted by James to help get some information from a barker working a "Semi-Naked Girls" venue across the street. He's trying to get him to come over. He does and gets hoisted up onto the roof of the Le Sex Shoppe. Richard T. Heffron directed. The film also features Karen Lamm, Cathy Lee Crosby and Anne Archer. Cinematography was by Gene Polito. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for four more shots from this scene plus views of the Pussycat, Fox, Holly, Hollywood Pacific, Vogue and Palace theatres.

 

This brand at times was also on Western Ave. at what was also known as the Flick Theatre, 1082 N. Western Ave. There was another location in the storefront just west of the Cave Theatre, 6315 Hollywood Blvd. That page has many photos that also show the Le Sex Shoppe.

 

The McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection has a 1975 shot of a Le Sex Shoppe location at 5224 Hollywood Blvd., their #MP-007. See their gallery of photos of Massage/Adult Stores. The 5224 storefront is also seen on the left in an Ed Ruscha shot with our listing here for Richard's Theatre, in the same building at 5228. Also in that building in the early 70s was a revival house called the Odyssey Cinema at 5220. There's a bit of information about that venue on our 16mm revival house page.

 

 

Paris Theatre 8163 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood 90046  | map | 

 

The 1,098 seat theatre was a design by Lewis A. Smith. It opened in 1924 as the Carmel, a West Coast Theatres operation. It was later known as the Fox Carmel. By the early 60s it had gone to a porno policy and was renamed the Paris Theatre -- the "newly beautiful Paris." The theatre closed in 1976 -- it was destroyed by fire. For more information see the page on the Paris Theatre.

Po-No Theatre  1610 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles 90028  | map |

Running in the 70s in a building on the east side of the street, just north of Selma Ave. Thanks to the Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for this 1971 photo, their #CA-014. On the signage it was the "Por-No."

This May 1971 ad was located by Ken McIntyre.

Thanks to Ken McIntyre on Photos of Los Angeles for this 1972 ad.

The space is now part of the Velvet Margarita Cantina. 

 

Pussycat Theatre  6656 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90028  | map |

This opened in 1940 as a newsreel theatre called the News-View. It became the Pussycat in 1974 and closed as a revival house called the Ritz in 1991 and was was later used as a church. In 2017 and 2018 it was the Hologram USA Theater. The 400 seat theatre was designed by Norstrom & Anderson, a conversion from what had been retail space. For more information see the Pussycat Theatre page.

 

 

Pussycat / Tomkat / Studs  7734 Santa Monica Blvd. WeHo 90046 | map |

This 638 seat theatre four blocks east of Fairfax opened in 1940 as the Monica Theatre running Hollywood product and then foreign films. As a porno house in the 60s it was the Left Bank Theatre and then became the Pussycat. Later as a gay porno venue it got rebranded as the Tomkat, Studs Theatre and then Studs at the Pussycat. It was converted into a four screen operation in 2011. Now closed and vacant. For more information see the page on the Pussycat / Studs Theatre.

Quickie Theatre  8253 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood 90046  | map |

 

Running in the early 70s as a gay porno venue. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating this September 14, 1970 ad. Visit his site: Movie-Theatre.org

 

The exterior is seen in the film "Love Me Deadly" (1974) according to Cinema Treasures contributor David DeCoteau. The Quickie operation later moved to 8325 Santa Monica Blvd. See the page for the Coast Playhouse, a later name for the theatre at that address.

The space at 8253 is now used for retail. For more information see the Cinema Treasures page about the Quickie Theatre.


Richard's Theatre  5228 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90027  | map |

 

A gay porno operation three blocks east of Western Ave. Earlier it had been called the Cine III, as can be seen on the sign that they hadn't yet removed. The photo is one by Ed Ruscha that's in the Getty Research Institute collection. The "Adult Books" venue on the left was later rebranded as a "Le Sex Shoppe" location.

Thanks to Ken McIntyre for posting this 1972 ad on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

 

More information: See the Cinema Treasures page about Richard's. 

Star Theatre  5544 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90028 | map |

 

This 600 seat house, originally called the New Apollo, opened in 1921. In later years it ran foreign films and then became an "adult art" theatre as the Apollo Art. In the 70's it was a grindhouse called the Star. It closed in 1975, was gutted by fire in 1976, and demolished soon after.  For more information see the page on the Star Theatre.

 

 

Sunset Theatre 1508 N. Western Ave. Los Angeles 90027  | map | 

 

It was located at Western and Sunset and opened in the 1920s. As part of the Rosener circuit in the 40s and 50s (and up at least to 1960) the 535 seat house ran foreign films and revivals. Then it started running adult product under new management and became a Pussycat Theatre in 1966. It closed in 2003 and was demolished for housing and a Walgreen's parking lot. For more information see the listing for the Sunset Theatre.

 

Tiki Theatre  5462 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles 90029  | map |

 

A 50 seat straight porn house a block east of Western Ave. It used to have live shows with the films. 

Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing this photo he took.

The entrance to the Tiki. It's a Sean Ault photo.

Another entrance view from Mr. Ault.

The Tiki from across the street. It's a photo from the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles. 

A lovely evening view by Ken Wallace that once appeared on Photos of Los Angeles.

A look at the famous Tiki Theatre from inside the restaurant across the street. It's from "Cop Out," a 1979 episode of the TV show "Hart and Hart." Thanks to Sean Ault for the screenshot. As you might guess by the bus in the photo, transit history is his major passion. But theatres have a habit of popping up in the background of many of his finds.

 

 

 

Earlier, it had been called the Mini Theatre. Thanks to Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles for including the 1974 Ed Ruscha shot on a Facebook post. His studio is around the corner on Western Ave.

 

 

A 2017 shot by Carolina A. Miranda taken to accompany her L.A. Times article "The last (porn) picture shows: Once dotted with dozens of adult cinemas, L.A. now has only two."

 

 

An auditorium view of the Tiki taken by Ms. Miranda for her 2017 Times article. She also pays a visit to Studs in West Hollywood, the former Monica Theatre. 

 

 

A look into the auditorium by Brian van der Brug. It's one of nine photos that appeared with "Inside the last porn theater in Los Angeles," the December 2023 L.A. Times article by Angie Orellana Hernandez.   

For more information see the Cinema Treasures page on the Tiki. Also check out "The Last Dirty Picture Show," a 2021 article by Megan Koester on the site Popula. The Tiki even has a page on Yelp. 

 

 

Venice Adult Theatre 8912 Venice Blvd. Culver City 90232  | map | 

 

This was on the south side of the street between National and Robertson. 

 

A February 1972 ad located by Ken McIntyre for the Venice and two of its sister theatres in the Valley, the Sandbox and the 1st Run Theatre. 

 

 

Vista Theatre  4473 Sunset Dr. Los Angeles 90027  | map |

It opened in October 1923 as Bard's Hollywood Theatre. It had a run as a porno house in the 1960s and 1970s before it was cleaned up by Mike Thomas to become a revival venue. It's now owned by Quentin Tarantino. For more information and many photos see the page on the Vista Theatre. 

X Theatre  5959 Hollywood Blvd.  Los Angeles 90028 | map |

 

It was built in the 1930s as a market and converted into a twin theatre by Carlos Tobalina, who also ran the Mayan downtown. In the 70s the two sides were called the Adam and Eve Theatres. Usually the shows were porn but frequently Tobalina ran regular Hollywood double features in one auditorium. Thanks to Michel Bouchet for the photo. The building was demolished in 2016. For more information see the X Theatre page. 

Xanadu Pleasure Dome  7308 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles 90046  | map |

A 1972 ad. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for posting it on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

A 1974 ad that was posted by Ken McIntyre on Photos of Los Angeles where it inspired a number of comments about various Xanadus as well as concerning adult motels. The ad appeared directly above similarly sized one for the Plitt Century Plaza, running "Last Tango in Paris" with Marlon Brando.

The space once used as the Pleasure Dome has returned to retail use. For more information see the page about the Xanadu on Cinema Treasures.

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