Opened: In June 1937 as part of the Pacific States theatre circuit. It's on the north side of Wilshire Blvd. four and a half blocks west of La Brea Ave. Photo: Bill Counter - 2007
Phone: 323-936-6400 Website: www.theelrey.com | on Facebook
In 1940 Fox West Coast added it to their circuit and it was later operated by their successor companies National General and Mann Theatres. Mann pulled out of the El Rey in the late 70s during a time when they were dropping many of their older single screen theatres.
It was closed for a while and then ran as an independent and by the mid 80s was a third run venue and in need of repairs.
Architect: Clifford A. Balch designed this Miracle Mile art deco gem. The theatre was designated as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 520 on February 26, 1991.
Seating: 900 originally. Current capacity as a club is 771.
Status: In the late 80s it became a dance club called Wall Street. Since 1994 it has been a club, again called the El Rey, offering live concerts and other bookings. There's not much of interest left inside. All the fun is on the sidewalk: the terrazzo, the facade and the neon.
Interior views:
A look across the house mix position toward the front of the auditorium. It appears on Yelp's El Rey Theatre page from Brian W., one photo in an album that at last look had 447 others. The photo also appears on the Skyscraper City forum Historical Theatres post #13 by Commandant.
A busy night at the theatre. The photo once appeared on a Biz Bash El Rey page but seems to have vanished during a makeover of the site.
The rear of the hall. It's another photo posted by Brian W. on Yelp. No photos of the auditorium as a movie theatre have yet surfaced.
More exterior views:
More exterior views:
1937 - A view of the El Rey running "Maid of Salem" with Claudette Colbert, a February release. The photo appears on page 52 of the Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres in Los Angeles" by Suzanne Tarbell Cooper, Amy Ronnebeck Hall and Marc Wanamaker. Most of the photos in the book are from Mr. Wanamaker's Bison Archives. There's a preview of this fine volume on Google Books.
1937 - Looking east with the El Rey on the left and the Fox Ritz farther down on the right. The photo by the Dick Whittington Studio is in the USC Digital Library collection.
1937 - A detail of the El Rey from the USC photo. They're running "The League of Frightened Men," a May release with Walter Connolly and Lionel Stander along with "You Can't Beat Love" with Preston Foster.
c.1937 - Christmas on the Miracle Mile. We get a bit of the El Rey on the left in this Herman Schultheis view from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. On the right is the Desmond's / Wilshire Tower Building at 5500 Wilshire.
c.1939 - Another Dick Whittington Studio photo in the USC Digital Library collection.
c.1939 - A detail from the USC photo above. Free parking!
1945 - "You Came Along" and "Christmas in Connecticut." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo for a post on Photos of Los Angeles. Bruce Kimmel notes that this program was playing the El Rey the third week in September.
1946 - A photo from the Bruce Kimmel collection. The film was a May release. Thanks, Bruce!
1946 - A "Badman's Territory" photo from the Marc Wanamaker collection appearing on the site Hollywood Historic Photos. Thanks to Gary Parks for spotting it. Joel Sanoff included it and the photo below in a post on the Facebook page Vintage Neon Heaven. The film was a May release.
1946 - Another "Badman's Territory" photo from Hollywood Historic Photos.
1947 - Looking east toward the El Rey running "Mr. District Attorney" with Dennis O'Keefe and Adolphe Menjou along with "Strange Journey." It's a Burton Frasher photo from a postcard in the Pomona Public Library collection. Their Frasher Foto Postcard Collection has hundreds of photos from all over southern California. Bruce Kimmel notes that this program ran the week of January 28.
c.1948 - A postcard view looking east from Burnside with a bit of the El Rey Theatre on the far left. The roof sign of the Fox Ritz is down the street in the middle of the image. Thanks to Elizabeth Fuller for the card. It's in her wonderful Old Los Angeles Postcards collection on Flickr.
In the distance beyond at La Brea is the E. Clem Wilson Building. On the
right it's Desmond's department store and the Wilshire-Dominguez
Building. A version of the card is also in the collection of the Miracle Mile Residential Association where they credit as being from the collection of the California State University at Dominguez Hills.
1951 - They were running "The Frogmen" along with "Fugitive Lady" in this image from 11 minutes of wonderful Miracle Mile footage shot for process photography use that's on Internet Archive from A/V Geeks. Bruce Kimmel notes that this double bill played the theatre the week of August 1. A delightful colorized version, "California 1950s: Driving Wilshire Blvd.," is on YouTube from Nass. Thanks to Scott Santoro for spotting it.
1951 - Another shot from the A/V Geeks footage.
1954-55 - The theatre during the run of "Romeo and Juliet" with Lawrence Harvey. Also on the bill was "A Time Out of War," a twenty minute short. Thanks to Bruce Kimmel for sharing this from his collection in a post on the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles. He notes that the film opened December 22 for a nearly eight week exclusive run.
1956 - A terrific look west on Wilshire from the Richard Wojcik collection appearing on Alison Martino's Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles. Playing at the El Rey is "Private's Progress," a British film directed by John Boulting. Thanks to Stephen Russo for spotting the post on VLA. Bruce Kimmel notes that it had an Academy qualifying run at the El Rey beginning December 21, 1956 and returned on March 29 and played until the end of April 1957. A black and white version is on Photos of Los Angeles from Ken McIntyre.
1967 - Lining up at "The All New Fox El Rey" for "Femmina" with Mireille Darc and Hardy Kruger. "Wild Wings" was a 1966 short from Britain that won an Oscar in 1967. Many thanks to Sean Ault for finding the rare photo.
1967 - Lining up at "The All New Fox El Rey" for "Femmina" with Mireille Darc and Hardy Kruger. "Wild Wings" was a 1966 short from Britain that won an Oscar in 1967. Many thanks to Sean Ault for finding the rare photo.
1967 - It's a great 4 minute drive along the Miracle Mile in "Wilshire Blvd. Miracle Mile December 1967" on YouTube. In this shot from the Producers Library footage looking east the El Rey is over on the left. We also get a drive by of the Four Star (with 4 flashing stars atop the tower) and the Ritz theatres.
1970 - The theatre playing "Myra Breckenridge" with Raquel Welch. Bruce Kimmel notes that the second feature was "John and Mary" and that this bill opened September 16. It's a shot from the 2022 documentary "Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill" by Andy Brown and Brian Lindstrom. Thanks to Donavan S. Moye for locating it.
1972 - A view east toward La Brea. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing this photo from his collection.
1972 - A detail from Sean's photo. The El Rey was running "Chato's Land," a May release with Charles Bronson,
Jack Palance and James Whitmore. The co-feature was Woody Allen's
"Bananas." Bruce Kimmel notes that this bill opened May 17.
1972 - A photo by Tom Zimmerman. "Fiddler on the Roof" had begun its roadshow engagement at the Fox Wilshire in November 1971. Thanks to Bill Gabel for posting this on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. The photo can also be seen in the collection of the Miracle Mile Residential Association. Also on the MMRA site: facade view 1937 | Frasher photo 1947 | looking west 1956 |
1972 - The theatre with "The Doberman Gang" and "The Twilight People." Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting this one when it was for sale online. Bruce Kimmel notes that this bill played the theatre the week of September 1.
1978 - A shot from the collection of Bill Gabel, a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. "Thank God It's Friday" was a May release starring Donna Summer and Valerie Landsburg.
1978 - A view of the El Rey during a vacant period. The Anne Laskey photo is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Also see another facade view by Ms. Laskey.
1978 - A signage detail. Photo: Anne Laskey - Los Angeles Public Library
1978 - A facade ornament detail. Photo: Anne Laskey - Los Angeles Public Library
1978 - The boxoffice. Photo: Anne Laskey - Los Angeles Public Library
1978 - Entrance terrazzo. Photo: Anne Laskey - Los Angeles Public Library
1978 - Another terrazzo detail. Photo: Anne Laskey - Los Angeles Public Library
1982 - Costa-Gavras' "Missing" with Jack Lemmon along with "The Amateur." It's an April photo that appeared on the now-vanished American Classic Images website. Bruce Kimmel notes that this program was playing around April 16.
1984 - A detail from a photo taken in June that was in the American Classic Images collection.
c.1985 - Looking west toward the El Rey when it was running as a bargain house. The undated photo by Tom LaBonge is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.
1987 - A William Reagh photo in the collection of the California State Library as their item #1383438.
1989 - Still vacant. It's a Steve Grayson photo in the Herald Examiner collection at the Los Angeles Public Library.
2000 - The El Rey back in business again as a concert venue. The photo taken by Robert Pacheco is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.
2002 - A Betty Sword photo from the Theatre Talks collection of Brooklyn-based theatre researcher Cezar Del Valle. Thanks, Cezar!
2005 - A detail of the terrazzo. Thanks to Ana Zapata for sharing this photo on Flickr. Also see her photo of the boxoffice and entrance doors. They're part of Ana's Wilshire Beauty album.
2009 - Thanks to Scott Pitzer for this great look west, once appearing as a post on Photos of Los Angeles.
2009 - A nice sign detail by Mark Peacock. It's a photo on Flickr, part of his Vintage Theatres set.
2012 - Thanks to Ken McIntyre for this facade detail. It's a photo he posted on Photos of Los Angeles.
2014 - The entrance at night. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart Architectural Photography for this photo. HunterKerhart.com | Facebook.com/HunterKerhartPhotography
2014 - The facade from across Wilshire. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2016 - An entrance photo from Howard Gray that appeared on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
2017 - The signage at twilight. Thanks to Shawn Dudley for this lovely photo, posted with another view on the LAHTF Facebook page.
2017 - A detail of the vertical. Thanks to Steve Milner for the photo, one in a set of four from a post on the Facebook page Vintage Neon Heaven.
2017 - The front of the marquee. It's a Steve Milner photo on the Facebook page Vintage Neon Heaven.
2017 - Thanks to Sean Ault for this Sunday morning view of the neon.
2020 - A view west by an unknown photographer that Ken McIntyre located to add as a comment to a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
El Rey in the Movies and on TV:
In the film "Night of the Comet" (Atlantic Releasing,1984) we see a lot
of the El Rey. It's about two girls from the Valley who survive a toxic
comet. Here, a rare look at the El Rey lobby.
Larry the projectionist after a night of sleeping bag sex on the booth floor with an usherette in "Night of the Comet." See the Historic L.A. Theatres In Movies post about the film for more lobby, booth and exterior shots. Nope, no auditorium views.
Part of the El Rey scene from "Night of the Comet" appears in Mariska Graveland's "Do Not Pay Attention to That Man Behind The Curtain," a delightful assemblage of booth scenes that have appeared in movies. It's on Vimeo. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting it.
Part of the El Rey scene from "Night of the Comet" appears in Mariska Graveland's "Do Not Pay Attention to That Man Behind The Curtain," a delightful assemblage of booth scenes that have appeared in movies. It's on Vimeo. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting it.
The El Rey had a Woody Allen double feature of "Zelig" and "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" in this shot from "Ninja Turf," aka "L.A. Streetfighters." (Ascot Entertainment Group, 1986). It's a tale about a Korean immigrant who resists joining a street gang at his school. Featured are Jun Chong, Phillip Rhee and James Lew. Woo-sang Park directed. The cinematography was by David Kim and Maximo Munzi. Thanks to Eric Schaefer for watching this piece of high culture and getting the screenshot. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for a S.F. Examiner ad for the film plus a link to the L.A. Times review.
A look at the El Rey in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (Touchstone, 1988). It's a good mockup of the facade, actually a set on Hope St. between 11th and 12th. Thanks to Bill Volkmer for the photo. You can see his whole set taken during the shooting on the website Dave's Rail Pix. The "El Rey" shooting site is now a vacant lot. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for two more filming views plus a shot of the "El Rey" in the completed film.
The El Rey is a nightclub in "License To Drive" (20th Century Fox, 1988) with Corey Haim and Carol Kane. Jason Vega found the screenshot on the El Rey's Facebook page.
We've got a shooting in the theatre related to a drug gang an hour and six minutes into "Whatever It Takes" (Dominion / Hudson
River, 1998). Undercover cops are investigating the trade in
steroids and other drugs to bodybuilders. Featured are Don Wilson, Andrew Dice Clay,
Leslie Danon and Fred Williamson. Brady MacKenzie directed. The
cinematography was by Andrea V. Rossotto. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the theatre. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for seven more shots of the action at the El Rey.
The El Rey appears as the site of a film premiere in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (Dimension / Miramax, 2001). Thanks to Joe Pinney for the tip on this one. The screenshot comes from a page about the film's shooting locations on the site Filming.90210locations.
In Paul Schrader's "Auto Focus" (Sony Pictures Classics, 2002) the El Rey, thinly disguised as the "El Roy," is the theatre where the Bob Crane film "Superdad" is playing. This view is followed by a shot or two of people watching the movie inside but those weren't done at the theatre. Starring in the film are Greg Kinnear, William Dafoe and Maria Bello.
We
get the theatre dressed as if it's 1970 for a shot in Episode 1 of the
mini-series "The Offer" (Paramount+, 2022) about producer Albert S.
Ruddy's experiences making "The Godfather." Thanks to Donavan S. Moye
for the screenshot. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for more theatre shots from the series.
The El Rey appears as the site of a film premiere in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (Dimension / Miramax, 2001). Thanks to Joe Pinney for the tip on this one. The screenshot comes from a page about the film's shooting locations on the site Filming.90210locations.
In Paul Schrader's "Auto Focus" (Sony Pictures Classics, 2002) the El Rey, thinly disguised as the "El Roy," is the theatre where the Bob Crane film "Superdad" is playing. This view is followed by a shot or two of people watching the movie inside but those weren't done at the theatre. Starring in the film are Greg Kinnear, William Dafoe and Maria Bello.
Mia
(Emma Stone) goes to the El Rey to see her boyfriend Sebastian (Ryan
Gosling) playing keyboards with The Messengers, a band fronted by Keith
(John Legend) in Damien Chazelle's "La La Land" (Lionsgate, 2016).
Sorry, we don't see much of the building itself. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for views from the film of the Rialto in South Pasadena, the Magnolia in Burbank and the Variety Theatre in West Adams.
More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the El Rey Theatre. Wikipedia has an article on the El Rey.
There's a Facebook page about this strip of Wilshire: I Heart Miracle Mile. The site Public Art in L.A. has two photos of the El Rey's signage.
Once on the Miracle Mile as neighbors: The Ritz and the Four Star.
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