Opened: The theatre was built in 1914, located three blocks west of Glendale Blvd. The 1982 photo of it operating as the Estudio 1 is from the now-vanished website American Classic Images.
Initially it was known as Miller's Creation Theatre, named after a local chiropractor and his mother who were the first operators. In the 1915 and 1916 city directories
it's listed as the Creation Theatre, running "moving pictures."
Seating: 500
Architect: Alfred Grayson
was the architect. Cinema Treasures contributor Lost Memory came up with
the information that the builder was J. Louis Pancoast, who had an
office down the street at 2121 Sunset.
Thanks to Alvaro Guevara, Al Medrano and other researchers who have
assembled a Ramona Theatre album with many clippings and photos for the Echo Park History Facebook group. They note that early owners of the building included Mark (Meek) Mitchell (1914), Nannie Ella Mitchell (1918), J.H. Phyn and R. Armour (1921), Chas M. Strect (1925), Tina F. Church (1929) and, from 1930 onward, the Lotito family including Carlo, Gioella, John and Virginia,
In the 1917 directory it's listed as the Sunset Theatre. It's called Mitchell's Theatre in the 1919 and 1920 directories. In the 1925 and
1929 city directories it's listed as the Garden Theatre. Then for a long period it was
the Ramona Theatre.
Someone was looking to take on a partner for the "talkie theater" in 1930. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the ad.
By 1974 it had become the HK Studio Theatre, still running mainstream Hollywood product. By 1982 it had become Estudio 1 and was showing Spanish language (or Spanish subtitled) films.
Sometime around 1986 the "E" of "Estudio 1" was pulled off the marquee and the house, once again called Studio 1, became a bargain operation, again running mainstream Hollywood product.
Closing: It was closed by 1995.
Status: Nothing remains of the building's theatrical past except the marquee. The building was gutted when converted for retail use. In the Ramona Theatre album on the Echo Park History Facebook group they note:
"Around 1998, a member of the Lotito family which has owned the building and much of the block for at least 75 years – decided to gut the interior, rip out the theatre seats and level the floor as part of a renovation to seek new tenants, possibly retail, but the building has remained empty."
The building was converted to a restaurant in 2011 called Mohawk Bend. The name derived from the fact that the venue is just east of a bend in Sunset at Mohawk St.
The building was sold to investment group Tova Capital in 2020. It had been in the same family for over 75 years but was put on the market by court order following a family dispute. Barry Lank covered the story in "Mohawk Bend building in Echo park sells for $2.5 million," his October 1 story for The Eastsider. Thanks to Sandi Hemmerlein for spotting it. The restaurant was leasing the entire building. No changes were anticipated at the time.
Mohawk Bend closed in 2023 after twelve years of operation. As of February 2024 Pitfire Pizza had this as a location. Eater had the story.
More exterior views:
1928 - It was in the Movies as the Garden Theatre. Silent film detective John Bengtson spotted "Garden Theatre" on a side wall in Echo Park in the sixteen minute film "Standing Pat" (FBO, 1928). He notes: "During this scene, traveling west along Sunset towards the fire station at Mohawk Bend visible to the left, you can see the east side of the Ramona Theater, known at the time as the Garden Theater."
The film stars the "Ton of Fun," the trio of obese comedians Frank"'Fatty" Alexander, Hilliard "Fat" Karr, and Kewpie Ross. Thanks to John for the screenshot. Keep up with his latest explorations via the Silent Locations blog "Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd film locations (and more)."
1934 - A trade magazine photo promoting Vitrolite. Thanks to David Zornig for posting it on Cinema Treasures. He credited Al Guevara for the find. "Operator 13" was a June 1934 release starring Marion Davies and Gary Cooper. "Queen Christina" was out in 1933.
1998 - Some renovations underway but no tenant lined up. Photo: Ed Ruscha - "12 Sunsets."
More information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the theatre, which they list as the Studio 1. Cinema Tour has several 2003 exterior photos by Bob Meza. See the 2010 LA Eater story about the conversion to a restaurant, "Inside the gutted Ramona Theatre."
There's a fine album of photos, ads, and historical data from Alvaro Guevara, Al Medrano and other contributors on the Echo Park History Facebook group.
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I grew up just blocks away from Studio 1 from 1961 to 1979. We would walk through the "Public Walk" from Coronado Terrace to Waterloo St, and then down to Sunset Blvd. It was our family go to movie theater. My first memory there was watching Mary Poppins. As a kid in grade school (Mayberry St), we kids would go to the matinee movies during the summer by ourselves! My oldest memory on a matinee movie was Bob Hope and Phyilis Diller in The Private Navy of Sgt O'Farrell. Admission for a double feature was just 50 cents for kids and $1 for adults. It was very safe, I never remember any issues. Just good clean fun. :)
ReplyDeleteHow cool.
DeleteI too would go to the Ramona and subsequently Studio 1 when it first reopened as Studio 1. I too attended Mayberry from Kindergarden thru 6th grade. King jr high first part if 7th grade then we moved to Cerritos.
I also would take that public walk from Waterloo to Coronado and go to King Coles market. Those days were different.
Do you remember any of your teachers from Mayberry? What year did you graduate?
Hey I live on Coronado Terrace now! Curious where this public walk was that you mentioned.
DeletePerhaps the "walk" was something that was filled in by later development?
DeletePossibly, however most buildings/houses in this area are the same ones that were here during that time too.
DeleteI grew up in Echo Park and we would walk from Elysian Heights Elementary to Studio 1 or take the bus. We would spend weekends in there. I remember seeing Bambi, Swiss Family Robinson and all the corny Disney movies. I will never forget the night the God Father opened at Studio 1. People were sitting in the isles. Admission back then, 50 cents.
ReplyDeleteThere was a public walk that ran from Carlton Way to Hollywood Blvd,. It was (roughly) across the street from the Florentine Gardens/Hawaii Theatre and is now part of the Toyota dealership.
ReplyDeleteWell, the Florentine Gardens/Hawaii Theatre location is 4 miles west of the Ramona/Studio Theatre discussed here on this page.
DeleteMy response was to an earlier post ab out "public walks". A couple of people didn't seem to be familiar with them.
DeleteSorry for the intrusion.
Not a problem. I just didn't understand the connection.
Delete