Opened: The L.A. Times reported that this open-air venue operated by Sam M. Stutz was running in 1910. It was on the east side of the street just north of 12th St. in a lot between two two-story buildings. Stutz also operated another theatre nearby, perhaps the Angelus. The Hub was also in the neighborhood but it didn't come along until later.
Julian Johnson, in a July 17, 1910 article headed "Picture Show is Omnipotent - Sixty Theaters For Film Play in Los Angeles," asks "How many theaters are there in Los Angeles?" He mentions a manager of "a little canvas airdome," but not this location specifically. The article is reproduced at the bottom of the page.
A patron was killed in mysterious fashion while watching a show in September 1910. The shooting was detailed in the September 20 L.A. Times article "Out of Space Comes Death." The article is at the bottom of the page.
Seats: 247 according to Cinema Treasures.
Closing: Maybe 1910 was the only year it operated. It didn't make it into the 1909, 1910 or 1911 city directories.
Status: The theatre packed up and went away. The lot now has a single story building on it that dates from 1974.
The Airdome was in the lot to the left of the building on the corner. Although it doesn't look it, the Karlido Hotel building on the corner dates from 1897. That's 12th St. on the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019
More Information: There isn't any. Cinema Treasures has a page started on the Airdome. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for a bit of research.
There was also an Airdome Theatre on E. 1st St. The story "Juvenile Actor Is Stabbed In Quarrel" in the August 15, 1911 issue of the Times was about one of its employees. The injured boy was a runaway who "was unable to resist the lure of the footlights."
This November 1910 ad located by Ken McIntyre offers an Airdome for sale without noting its address. That 2129 E. 1st address was the location of the Athens / Nickelodeon / New Library Theatre.
About this same time there was also an Airdome Dance Hall at 547 S. Broadway, a building that had the Shell Theatre on the ground floor.
Evidently there were lots of venues calling themselves "Airdomes." In 1911 the city was concerned about fire safety as these venues seemed to be skirting fire regulations by not calling themselves theatres.
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