Los Angeles Theatres: Vogue Theatre

9325 Long Beach Blvd. South Gate, CA 90280 | map |

Opened: 1937 as the Vogue Theatre, a project of developer A.V. Perkinson. The photo is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. "Lady of the Tropics" was an August 1939 release.

South Gate is just south of Huntington Park and Walnut Park. Pacific Blvd. is the main north/south street heading through those two areas. It turns into Long Beach Blvd. as it heads south of Walnut Park.

Architect: S. Charles Lee

A drawing by Mr. Lee of the proposed theatre, at this point without a name. See eight Vogue items on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

Over 600 photos from UCLA's S. Charles Lee Papers Collection are on Calisphere where they can be searched by theatre name. They're also on the UCLA Library website. Most of the collection has not been digitized but items can be viewed by request at the UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library. There's a finding aid to the collection on the Online Archive of California site.

Seating: 800

In the 40s it was operated by W.J. Zimmerman and Albert Hanson of South-Lyn Theatres. They also had the Nubel and Circle in Bellflower, the Lynwood and Arden in Lynwood and the Allen Theatre in South Gate. Later Zimmerman was gone and Al's son Wayne was involved.

A March 28, 1947 ad for South Lyn Theatres that appeared in the South Gate Press. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a thread about the Allen Theatre on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

After closing as a film house around 1956 it became a Latino focused church. By 1967 it was reclaimed for theatre use as the Teatro Los Pinos for a mix of Spanish language films, music events and comedy shows.

Closing: The theatre closed for good in October 2014.

Status: It was demolished in January 2018 for construction of a new school to be built on the site. It had previously been closed and available for lease. Thanks to Tiffany Nitsche of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation for the update.

Interior views:

A vintage look at the inner lobby along the rear of the auditorium. The photo is from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

A lounge view from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

The lobby in the Los Pinos era. Photo: Ken McIntyre - 2008

A 30s view from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

A house left view: Photo: Ken McIntyre - 2008

A look across to house right. Photo: Ken McIntyre - 2008

The rear of the auditorium. Photo: Ken McIntyre - 2008

More exterior views:

An April 4, 1938 look along the Vogue Market toward the theatre. It's a G. Haven Bishop photo for Southern California Edison -- part of a series commissioned to show the effects of good lighting. The photo is in the Huntington Library collection.

Mr. Bishop's 1938 photo from across the street. It's in the Huntington Library collection.

A 1938 view from the north by G. Haven Bishop that's in the Huntington Library collection.

A 1939 photo from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

A 1939 ticket lobby view from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

A closer view of some of the display cases. The 1939 photo is from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. The eight Vogue items in the collection that have been digitized appear on Calisphere.