Los Angeles Theatres: Main Theatre

438 S. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90013 | map |

The Main Theatre was a porno house running from the 70s into the 90's. Here we've caught the "Grand Opening" in this c.1975 photo by William E. Ault. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing the photo taken by his grandfather. Just a bit south of the Main note the venerable Regent Theatre at 448 S. Main, here on a $2.00 porno policy.

The theatre was located in a storefront in the Canadian Building, a 1909 structure by Parkinson and Bergstrom. It was a conversion from retail space.

Cinema Treasures contributor describes a 1983 visit, with perhaps some elaboration:

"...Flashing neon outlined the Main Theatre...Admittance was through a single set of hammered glass doors. The lobby was a long and narrow hall, decorated in 1940’s bright modernist design. An elongated chrome trimmed boxoffice/concession counter guarded the mirrored right wall. At the far end of the lobby were four steps that lead up to the auditorium entrance. Steps necessary to provide a slope the auditorium floor.

"One tufted leather door opened onto the one and only auditorium aisle that ran along the left sidewall. All chair rows dead ended against the right sidewall. Back rows were of the loge variety. All other rows were typical upholstered metal theatre seats. Walls were veneered in knotty pine. Scalloped plumb velvet covered the worn ceiling. A bunched purple velvet valance dressed up the proscenium arch, but no other stage drapery was apparent."

Captain Bazzark added:

"I always thought the auditorium pine paneling gave the Main Theatre an informal, relaxed feeling, and those loge seats were very comfortable. The lobby was not all that narrow, maybe ten feet wide by twenty feet deep. There was a narrow hallway with restroom doors between the lobby and auditorium..."

Closing date: Unknown. Its last reported sighting was in the 1996 film "Eye For An Eye."

Status: The building survives and the theatre space has been through several retail tenants. As of 2024 it was vacant. The Canadian is on the east side of the street at the corner of Winston and Main.

More street views:

1974 - A fine shot of the building before 438 became the Main Theatre. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting this one on eBay. That's Winston St. on the far left. And, for you Tarantino fans, note The Red Apple over near the corner.

1983 - A view from the now-vanished American Classic Images website.

1983 - The Regent and its neighbor to the north, the Main Theatre, are captured in this photo from the American Classic Images collection.

2010 - Looking north along the facade toward Winston St. That's a bit of the Regent on the far right of the image. Photo: Bill Counter

2010 - The storefront that was used as the Main Theatre. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - The pinkish storefront was once the Main Theatre. That's a bit of the revitalized Regent Theatre on the right. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - Looking north toward Winston St. On the far left that's the San Fernando Building on the southeast corner of 4th & Main. Photo: Bill Counter

2024 - A view north across Winston toward 4th. The former home of the Main Theatre is still in pink. Image: Google Maps

2024 - The vista south toward 5th St. with the Rosslyn Hotel buildings on the right. Image: Google Maps

The Main Theatre in the Movies:

On the left the white signage at the Main was caught pre-opening in this shot during a car chase in "Uptown Saturday Night" (Warner Bros. / First Artists, 1974). The "open soon" on the Regent's marquee may have been be overly optimistic. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for another shot a few moments after this one as well as views of the Follies Theatre and the Burbank Theatre from the film.

The Main's unpainted signage is seen north of the Regent in Billy Wilder's "The Front Page" (Universal, 1974). The seedier streets of L.A. in 1974 were doubling for Chicago in the 20s. Here they were driving by the 400 block during the chase for Austin Pendleton, who was actually hiding in a desk at the city jail. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for one more shot showing the Regent as well as seven interior views of the Orpheum from the film.

We see the Main storefront, still with the sign unpainted, as well as the front and the back of the Regent in the pilot episode for "Starsky and Hutch" (Spelling-Goldberg, 1975). Here we're looking south across Winston St. We also get quite a tour of other downtown Los Angeles locations as well. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for five shots of scenes at the Galway Theatre.

The Main is over on the left with "XXX Movie" signage in this view from Kiefer Sutherland's SRO room in John Schlesinger's "Eye For An Eye" (Paramount, 1996). The Regent was also in an XXX mode. The film also features Sally Field, Ed Harris, Joe Mantegna, Beverly D'Angelo and Philip Baker Hall. Sally's character is on a hunt for the man who raped and murdered her daughter. Thanks to Eric Schaefer for getting the screenshot. He comments: "Well, not a good movie but this one does look great thanks to cinematographer Amir Mokri." See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for two nice views of the Roxie and Cameo.

Los Angeles Theatres

Main Theatre

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