Parisian Theatre

803 S. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90005 | map |

Opened: 1922 by the Chotiner Bros. as the Roosevelt Theatre. It was on the west side of Vermont Ave. two blocks south of Wilshire Blvd. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing the 1936 photo. It's one by Peerless Photo Service that once was in the collection of Johnny Bresnik. 

Max Chotiner and his brother also operated the Ravenna Theatre, farther north on Vermont, and the La Brea Theatre as well as other properties.  

Architects: A. R. Walker & P. A. Eisen designed the original building. The design for the 1930 deco style remodeling was by Richard D. King.

 

 

A drawing of the new theatre from the L.A. Times on Feb. 5, 1922. Thanks to talented researcher Jeff Bridges for locating it. He has it on Flickr.

Seating: 800

In 1922 the Chotiner Co. acquired property next door to the theatre as a parking lot. In a 1923 Paramount ad it's listed as the Roosevelt Theatre, 8th & Vermont. Chotiner Bros. offices are listed at 805 S. Vermont in the 1923 city directory. The theatre itself is listed at 805 in the 1929 directory with the offices at 3000 W. 8th.

"...twelve previews at the Roosevelt..." The theatre is mentioned alongside Loew's State and the Grauman theatres in this article about the state of the business that appeared in the November 5, 1923 issue of the Long Beach Daily Telegram:

 

 Thanks to Ron Mahan for locating the article.

The 1930 deco remodel, in addition to restyling the earlier facade, added more second floor rental spaces on the 8th St. side of the building. The theatre was known after the remodeling as Chotiner's Parisian. 

Later it was operated by Fox West Coast as the Fox Parisian. It became an art venue, still under Fox West Coast management, in the 1950s.

The theatre closed around 1958. The lobby was then used as dining room space by a restaurant that had started in the corner retail space and expanded after the theatre closed.

Status: Demolished. 

 

 

c.1930 - The theatre after its deco remodel by Richard D. King. Sorry there's no larger version of the photo. A bigger one was once on the Cinema Treasures page for the Parisian from John Chappell but now it's gone.

 

1936 - A view east on 8th St. from the Los Angeles Public Library Blackstock Negative collection. That's the back of the Fox Parisian over on the right. The entrance is around the corner on Vermont. 

 

1950 - Looking south on Vermont at 8th. As a streetcar rounds the corner we get a look at the north end of the Parisian's marquee advertising "The Gunfighter." Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing the photo from his collection.

 

 

1950s - A view looking west on 8th from Vermont. In the shadows on the left we get a look at the vertical sign on the side of the building for the Parisian. Photo: Sean Ault collection

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Fox Parisian for all the known information. Joe Vogel has, as usual, done some nifty research on the building.

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