Metropolitan / Estella Theatre

515 N. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 | map |

Opened: Sometime around 1911. It was listed as the Metropolitan Theatre in the 1911 through 1921 city directories. Sometimes it's listed at 513 N. Main, sometimes at 515. It was at least partially new construction as a smaller building was shown as being on the site in a 1910 real estate map. Abraham L. Gore is listed as the proprietor in the 1912 directory.

"The last stand of the 'wild west' picture show." We're looking north toward the Plaza church after the theatre had become the Teatro Estella. Thanks to Sean Ault for finding the photo. It appeared with "Main Street! Back to the Plaza...and Back," an article by Charles K. Bowen in the February 1924 issue of the Pacific Electric magazine. The building on the right that's on the north side of the Plaza can be seen more clearly in photos #83150 and #2027, two 1920s views from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

The 513-515 N. Main addresses are shown as a theatre in the center of this detail from Plate 003 of the 1914 Real Estate Survey from Historic Map Works. The location is a few storefronts to the left (south) of the Plaza church.

In the 1915 city directory the Metropolitan is listed in the alphabetical section on Main St. but under "motion picture theatres" but they use a 257 E. 5th address. It's a goof. The theatre on 5th was using the Metropolitan name in 1908 and 1909 but not much beyond that. In the 1916 directory this theatre on Main made it into the alphabetical listings but missed a listing under "motion picture theatres." Maybe they were still trying to figure what went wrong with their listings in 1915.

A 1918 ad for the theatre as the Metropolitan. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it. 

 

In the 1922 directory the theatre had become the Estella, still at 515 N. Main. This listing for the Estella appeared as part of a "Paramount Week" ad in the L.A. Times in 1922. The theatre also appeared in a "Paramount Week" ad that ran in the September 2, 1923 Times.  

 

The Estella was one of many area theatres running "The Fighting Ranger," an eighteen episode serial starring Jack Dougherty and Eileen Sedgwick that was released between May and September 1925. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the L.A. Illustrated Daily News ad for a post on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group. Also see a smaller ad for the serial that Ken located. 

The Estella was still operating in 1929. They were running a Chinese film in February of that year:

Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the article.

The Estella was still listed in the 1930 city directory.

Closing: The closing date unknown but it evidently survived at least until 1930. There's nothing listed at 513 or 515 N. Main in the 1932 city directory.

Status: The building was demolished sometime prior to 1949.  

 

 

1888 - Before the Estella's building was constructed. The theatre site is just left of center, between those two palms. It's a photo from the L.A. County Natural History Museum collection that's on display in Olvera St. That's the Plaza Church on the right. The caption on the wall:  

 

"Plaza 1888 (looking west). The five story Vickrey Building on the left had just been built. Next to it stood Philip Garnier's Plaza House. Both were designed for residential and commercial use. These buildings are today owned by the County of Los Angeles and need rehabilitation."  

 

Since the display was installed the buildings have indeed been rehabbed and are now the home of the Chinese American Museum. Ken McIntyre located an 1894 news item:

"La Fiesta Notice - A large line of photographs of the historical procession of yesterday is now on sale at the Tourist View depot, 515 N. Main street."

 

 

1924 - An aerial view with the Estella's building on Main St. indicated. That's Los Angeles St. on the other side of the Plaza and Alameda St. diagonally crossing the upper left. The shot is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. 

 

c.1930 - The Estella had been in the squat building just this side of the one with the Coca-Cola sign on it (the Plaza Hotel building). It's unknown if it was still a theatre at the time of this shot -- the facade appears to have a number of flags on its facade. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

 

c.1930 - Another view south toward City Hall. It's a card from the Ernest Marquez collection that's now in the collection of El Pueblo Monument. It appears on the Los Angeles Public Library website. The LAPL gives it a 1931 date.  

 

 

c.1937 - On the left it's the former Estella Theatre repurposed as a Mexican market. It's a Herman Schultheis photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. 

 

1946 - The former Estella is on the far left in this fine view looking northwest. Thanks to Cinema Treasures researcher Joe Vogel for finding the photo in the city's El Pueblo Monument collection. 

 

2019 - The site of the Estella. The signage says that a Historic Paseo Walkway is under construction. That's a bit of the former Plaza Hotel building at the left, also referred to as the Garnier Block. Photo: Bill Counter

 

2024 - New arches to commemorate the site of the Estella. Sorry, I just made that up. But they are nice. Photo: Bill Counter

 

2024 - A display in the park. Nothing about the Estella but that bottom block does discuss the Pico House and the Merced Theatre. Photo: Bill Counter

 

2024 - Looking out from where the Estella's front doors once were to the Pico House and Merced Theatre. Photo: Bill Counter

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Estella for lots of discussion about this location and the Teatro Hidalgo at 373 N. Main St.

The other Metropolitans: See the Metropolitan Theatre page for data on the earlier house at 257 E. 5th St. The big theatre using the name, the Metropolitan/Paramount, opened in 1923 at 6th and Hill.

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