Opened: 1915 or a bit earlier, first called the Merryland Theatre. It was on the north side of the street between Gladys Ave. and Ceres Ave. That's about 4 1/2 blocks east of San Pedro St. Thanks to Charmaine Zoe for finding the 1930 trade magazine photo. She has it on Flickr in her Vintage Cinemas: California album.
Seating: 400
It's in the 1915 through 1932 city directories as the Merryland, sometimes listed as at 1013 E. 7th, sometimes at 1015.
The Merryland was advertising in the L.A. Evening Express in 1918. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the ad.
Charmaine Zoe notes that the copy with the 1930 photo she found said that the theatre had just been acquired by 27 year old David A. Miller. The previous owners had run it into the red. It was still showing silent movies, plus five vaudeville acts once a week.
The theatre was evidently dormant from 1933 to 1937 -- there are no city directory listings for those years. By January 1938 it had become the Columbia Theatre and it's listed as such in the 1938 and 1939 city directories. In the 1940, 1941 and 1942 city directories it's called the Dorkel Theatre.
Closing: The closing date is unknown. Perhaps it ran into the early 50s. It was gone by the time of the 1956 telephone directory.
Status: It's been demolished. There's a newish warehouse building now on the site.
The site of the Dorkel Theatre. It would have been about where the tents are. That's Gladys Ave. on the left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Dorkel Theatre for research by Ken McIntyre and others.
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