Manhattan / Denver Theatre

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

Opened: The opening date is unknown. It was running by 1910. It's listed as the Manhattan Theatre in the 1910 through 1913 city directories. The location was the east side of the street mid-block between 2nd and 3rd. Farther south on this side of the block were the Electric and the Liberty. Across the street were the Crystal, the Linda Lea and the Nickel.

 

Running fight films at the Manhattan in 1910. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding this ad for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. 

A curious classified ad for the Manhattan in 1911. It was another find by Ken McIntyre. 

It's listed as the Denver Theatre in the 1914 city directory.

 

 

It's lettered in lightly as "THEATRE" at 238 in the center of this detail from plate 002 of the 1914 Baist Real estate Survey Map from Historic Map Works. It's still marked as a theatre on the 1921 Baist Map.

226 and other adjacent addresses were later the home of the Union Rescue Mission. Left toward 3rd St. the building Tally's Electric had been in is seen at 260-264 and the Liberty is shown at 266.

Closing: Perhaps 1914 was it. The theatre isn't in the 1915 city directory.

Status: Whatever historic buildings were on the site have been demolished. The garage for the LAPD motor pool is now on the site.

 

A c.1939 Dick Whittington view north on part of the 200 block. The theatre was once in a building out of the frame to the right. On the right side of this image is a building once called The Lewis at 228-230-232. Next is the shorter of the two Union Rescue Mission buildings, formerly The Dresden, at 222-224-226. The taller building beyond is a former I.O.O.F. Hall at 218-220. And St. Vibiana is at the corner of Main and 2nd. The photo is in the USC Digital Library collection.

Looking south in 1959. On the left is a bit of St. Vibiana. The building with two arches, the taller of the two Union Rescue buildings, is the former I.O.O.F. Hall. The next building was once The Dresden. The vacant lot beyond once had The Lewis at 228-230-232. Part of the array of single story buildings beyond had once been home to the Manhattan/Denver Theatre. It's a photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. 

 

A view north toward 2nd in the early 1970s. The building in the foreground is possibly the former home of the theatre. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the photo on eBay.

On the right side of the image is the former theatre location, now with the LAPD garage on it. We're looking north with Stoa, a new residential building at 222, and the former St. Vibiana Cathedral, now an events space, beyond. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019

| back to top | Downtown: theatre district overview | Hill St. and farther west | Broadway theatres | Spring St. theatres | Main St. and farther east | downtown theatres by address | downtown theatres alphabetical list | 

| Westside | Hollywood | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | theatres in movies | LA Theatres on facebook | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |