California / Columbia Theatre

238 S. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012  | map |

Opened: Sometime around 1909 as the California Theatre. The location was on the east side of the street between 2nd and 3rd. In this trade magazine photo the theatre is running "The Tout's Remembrance," a September 1910 release starring Broncho Billy Anderson.

The photo appears on page 238 of the 2008 book "Los Angeles Before Hollywood: Journalism and American Film Culture, 1905-1915" by Jan Olsson. It's available on Amazon. The full book is also available as a free pdf from the National Library of Sweden. The photo comes from the AMPAS Tom B'hend-Preston Kaufmann Collection.

The theatre is listed as the California in the 1909, 1910, 1912, 1914 and 1915 city directories. In 1911 the listing is for W C Rolfes, in 1913 for Long, Barlow & Uhrlaub. It's not listed in the 1916, 1918 or 1920 directories. 

 

By the Fall of 1920 it had reopened as the Columbia Theatre. Obviously whoever reopened the theatre couldn't call it the California anymore as the new California Theatre had opened on Main St. in 1918.  

 

"9th Big Week!" An October 1920 ad for "Temptation" Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. 

It's in the 1921 city directory as the Columbia.

A March 1922 listing of films the Columbia was running. It was part of a much larger ad in the Times. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

The Columbia is listed in the city directories through 1927. 

Closing: The date is unknown. 1927 might have been about it. It's not in the 1928 or 1929 city directories.

Status: The building the theatre was in has been demolished. There's a parking garage on the site.

The last bay of that lovely parking garage is where the California Theatre once was. The white side of the building we see behind the garage over on Main St. is the Downtown Independent. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019

More Information: Cinema Treasures has a page started for the California Theatre but there's no additional information.

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