Star Theatre

827 W. 6th St. Los Angeles, CA 90017 | map |

Opened: Late 1913 or early 1914. It was on the north side of the street just one building east of Figueroa. The brick building was a $6,000 project by property owner R.W. Hite. It's listed as the Star in the 1914 city directory. 

This c.1950 image of the building, taken long after its theatre days, is a detail from a much larger photo by Arnold Hylen that appears lower on the page. Thanks to eminent L.A. historian Nathan Marsak for locating it. He's the author of the 2020 Angel City Press book "Bunker Hill Los Angeles: Essence of Sunshine and Noir." It's available at your local bookseller or from Amazon.

Architect: Lester Sherwood Moore. He's noted on the building permit. 

A 1913 news item located by Nathan Marsak.    

 

The building permit, dated November 8, 1913:

Thanks to Nathan Marsak for locating this. 

 

 

Building owner R.W. Hite died in 1917. Thanks to Lisa Kouza Braddock for locating this item in the February 23 issue of the L.A. Times.

Closing: Perhaps 1918 was it for the Star. After closing as a theatre the building was remodeled for retail use.

 

Supposedly Mr. Epstein had a ten year lease. But, you, know? Things happen. It's listed in the 1916 city directory. In the 1917 edition J.C. Fighiera was listed as the proprietor. There's nothing in 1918 at the Star's address. In the 1920 directory 827 1/2 is listed as a cigar and billiards establishment.

 

 

The theatre's location is indicated in green in this detail from Plate 008 of the 1921 Baist Real Estate Survey Map from Historic Map Works. That's Figueroa St. running vertically up the center of the image and 6th running horizontally across the center. The Bellevue Terrace Hotel we see here in orange on the northwest corner of 6th and Figueroa became the site of the Jonathan Club. 

 

A c.1950 shot by Arnold Hylen that was located by Nathan Marsak. The image at the top of the page is a detail from this. That's the Jonathan Club, a 1924 design by Schultze and Weaver, that we see across Figueroa St. The west storefront of the former theatre building was in use for an all-purpose store offering "Cosmetics - Notions - Toys - Hardware." The east half was Everybody's Books & Magazines. Thanks, Nathan!

Status: The building was demolished long ago. The City National Bank towers are now on the site.

The site of the Star Theatre now. Well, it's been a while. That's a bit of the Jonathan Club on Figueroa St. on the extreme left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 

More information: There isn't any yet.

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