Opened: February 14, 1935 with "What Every Woman Knows" and "Babes in Toyland." The theatre is on the east side of the street three blocks north of Hollywood
Blvd. The opening night photo appeared in the March 9, 1935 issue of Motion Picture Herald
with an article titled "New Theatres From Old: The Front." Note the original array of cascading lights. The tower
was later modified.
Website: www.vintagecinemas.com/losfeliz | photo tour page | American Cinematheque
Phone: 213-664-2169
Architect: Clifford A. Balch. He was credited in the caption of the opening night photo when it appeared in the June 29, 1935 issue of Boxoffice. Thanks to ace researcher Joe Vogel for spotting it there. The caption in Boxoffice:
"The Los Feliz Theatre front is an excellent example of how color and motion can be combined to present an effective advertising appeal. The tower, representing a fountain in appearance, is given a mobile effect by the use of amber and green lamps on alternate circuits located behind the silhouette letters and behind the conical sections.
"The attraction sign, made up of silhouette letters on a
smoothly luminous flashed-opal background, is modern in appearance.
Designed and installed by Luminous Structures, Incorporated, Los
Angeles, Calif. C. A. Balch, architect."
The 1935 Motion Picture Herald article also included this diagram of the
"fountain that actually overflows with colored light." Note that they
have credited S. Charles Lee as the architect, evidently an editing
mistake. The article also featured a sketch of Lee's Studio/Holly Theatre in Hollywood. The sketch and specifications for the project were credited to General Electric Laboratories. Thanks to Bob
Foreman for finding the article. See his Vintage Theatre Catalogs site for a vast trove of tech and theatre history information that he has collected.
Variety noted the theatre's opening date in their March 20, 1935 issue. They also
mentioned that the original lessee was Herman Lewis. Thanks to Bob
Foreman for finding the item.
The venue was a second run family oriented single screen theatre
for
decades. Later it was an art house running for years under Laemmle management. Kurt and Max Laemmle had started their Laemmle Theatres chain in 1938 when they took over the Franklin Theatre in Highland Park. They later added the nearby Dale and the Park theatres as well as the Ritz in Inglewood. Kurt left the operation in the 1950s when business plummeted due to television and the chain dwindled until only the Los Feliz remained under Laemmle management. The circuit didn't begin growing again until the 1960s with the expansion into Westwood and other areas.
Under Laemmle management the Los Feliz became one of the premiere foreign film venues in L.A. The theatre was triplexed in the early 90s after the Laemmle circuit lost their lease.
Status:
The theatre continues to do well as a triplex offering first run
releases on the two smaller screens. Since August 2021 the larger house has been programmed by American Cinematheque with new releases and revivals. They have installed 35mm
equipment in that one. The theatre is operated by Lance Alspaugh's Vintage Cinemas, who also had the Vista Theatre before its 2021 sale to Quentin Tarantino.
The hall to the right of the two rear auditoria that leads to the larger house in front. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010
A look back to the booth. Digital in the middle, Simplex XLs on either side. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024
Thanks to Sean Ault for finding this view of the marquee taken during the run of "The Eleanor Roosevelt Story," a 1965 release.
A great 70s telephoto view looking north on Vermont from Hollywood Blvd. It was added by Don Sherman to the page for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group. The Los Feliz marquee is right under the "don't walk" sign. The corner on the left is the former location of the Studio Theatre.
Thanks to Wayne Lawless for this 80s view of the theatre in its single-screen days. He added it as a comment to a post about the theatre on the LAHTF Facebook page.
A night view of the Los Feliz Theatre neon. Thanks to Mark Peacock for his 2009 photo. It's from his Vintage Theatres set on Flickr. Also visit his blog: On the Road With Mark Peacock.
A closer view of the Boxoffice. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010
"10 Surefire Signs You're Not From L.A.," a fine November 2013 L.A. Weekly article by Dennis Romero, included this 2011 look at the front of the Los Feliz from Michael Locke on Flickr. It's on page three of the article.
Thanks to Shawn Dudley for his July 2017 photo, added as a comment on the Los Angeles Theatres Facebook page. Despite what the marquee says, the theatre didn't open until 1935.
"Is it safe?" "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night." "Just keep swimming..." Unlike some theatres (think Cinerama Dome) that just left signage up from whatever they happened to be playing when the virus lockdown was ordered, Vintage Cinemas had panels made with more interesting copy. Thanks to Eitan Alexander for noting the copy on the marquee. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2020
More Information: The Cinema Treasures page on the Los Feliz has lots of historical data on the theatre as well as links to more exterior photos.
Cinema Tour has a nice set of 2008 views (including interior shots) by Mark Campbell.
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