Opened: 1947 as the Puente Theatre. It's a photo on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
Architect: S. Charles Lee. He designed the building using a patented Lamella wood roof system that employed short pieces of lumber fitted together in a unique way rather than more expensive wood trusses or steel. Lee used the system for a number of projects including the Avo Playhouse in Vista (1948, surviving) and the Garmar Theatre in Montebello (1950, demolished).
A rendering by Lee for the theatre before it had a name. The drawing appears on Calisphere. The theatre is indexed in the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers as the Puente. The portion of the Lee collection that has been digitized can be searched on Calisphere or the UCLA Library website. Also see the Finding Aid for the the complete collection on the Online Archive of California.
Seating: 599
It's unknown when it got renamed the Star Theatre. It became a porno venue in 1978. In 2001 it got a makeover and went through periods of running family films with Mexican subtitles, first run Hollywood releases, and hosting occasional live performances.
Closed: The theatre closed in 2007.
Status: Despite advocacy for its preservation by the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation and other groups, the Star was demolished in June 2019. Twenty-two condos will rise on the site.
The project was unanimously approved by the La Puente city council in April 2019. An earlier mixed-use project for the site called Puente Plaza is outlined on Wikimapia.
The Star on TV:
The theatre appeared in a 2006 Liberty Mutual commercial. It can be seen on YouTube. Thanks to Michael Baughn for spotting the ad.
Roof framing complete. It's a photo on Calisphere from the the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
A detail of the Lamella wood truss system. The photo is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
Framing going up for the wall to close the screen end of the building. It's a photo on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
Wood cladding added to the screen end. It's a photo on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
The house right side of the auditorium after the exterior cladding was installed. The photo is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers collection.
The interior during construction. The photo is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
S. Charles Lee (on the right) shakes hands with the Star's owner in the lobby on opening night. It's a photo on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
S. Charles Lee (on the right) shakes hands with the Star's owner in the lobby on opening night. It's a photo on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
The boxoffice on opening night in 1947. The photo is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
The theatre running "The Road To Rio," a December 1947 release. Thanks to Bill Gabel for finding the photo to include on the Cinema Treasures page about the theatre. And thanks to Joe Vogel for noting the "Puente" letters atop the readerboard.
Thanks to Bob Meza for this August 2006 photo. It's on the Cinema Tour page about the Star with ten other photos he took including two lobby views.
A 2007 post-closing view by Tangice Photo appearing on Flickr.
A 2008 view of the theatre from A Box of Pictures on Flickr. The project by Odyssey Homes that was advertised on the marquee never happened.
Thanks to Corey Miller for this 2009 photo appearing in his Theatre Signs album on Flickr.
The theatre in 2011. Photo: Google Maps
The signage in 2012. It's a photo from A Box of Pictures on Flickr.
A look upward in 2012 from A Box of Pictures on Flickr. See the Star/Donut Hole set for several more views.
The theatre half gone. It's one of twelve June 17, 2019 photos by Sarah Reingewirtz appearing with a San Gabriel Valley Tribune story about the demolition.
A look from from the screen end of the building. It's from a June 17 post on the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Facebook page that includes five additional photos.
The sign, left standing temporarily after the rest of the demolition. Thanks to Sal Gomez for his photo.
A photo that once appeared on the City of La Puente website.
A call for help. The 2017 photo is one that appeared on the Star Theatre Facebook page.
Awaiting demolition. It's a January 2019 Google Maps photo.
The theatre half gone. It's one of twelve June 17, 2019 photos by Sarah Reingewirtz appearing with a San Gabriel Valley Tribune story about the demolition.
The facade crumbling. It's a Sarah Reingewirtz photo for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
Chomping on the remains. It's a Sarah Reingewirtz photo for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
A look from from the screen end of the building. It's from a June 17 post on the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Facebook page that includes five additional photos.
The sign, left standing temporarily after the rest of the demolition. Thanks to Sal Gomez for his photo.
A signage detail. It's a June 17, 2019 Sarah Reingewirtz photo for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
A view toward 1st St. Thanks to Sal Gomez for his June 17, 2019 photo.
A view toward 1st St. Thanks to Sal Gomez for his June 17, 2019 photo.
More information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Star. The page has links to a number of 2008 exterior photos by Ken McIntyre. Cinema Tour has eleven 2006 photos from the Bob Meza collection.
The L.A. Conservancy has a page about the Star. Wikipedia has a 2008 photo of the Star. There's a Save the Star Theater - La Puente page on Facebook. Also a Star Theater La Puente page.
Open Source Ecology has an article on the Lamella Roof system. Either wood or steel can be used for this mode of construction. Brittanica notes that this roof design was used for the Astrodome in Houston and the Superdome in New Orleans. The Vine Cinema in Livermore, a 1956 design by Gale Santocono, features a Lamella roof.
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My father owned the star from 1966 to 1971 ,it was a family theater my dad would never run any movies with nude scenes he would edit any nude scenes when he got the films in during the build up onto the reels my family ran it with pride ,until my dad sold it in 1971 we moved to largo Florida and purchased the largo theater it looked like the star ,but lost money we moved back to California in 1973 , most of my family were movie projectionist in local 150 projectionist union ,yes that memory will always be with me ,I will have to send some of are family pictures of the star .thank you .David Easter
ReplyDeleteDo you remember the feed store that was across the street?
DeleteThank you so much for the info. I had a friend from Bishop Amat High School (we were both class of 1980), and he told me once he saw "Night of the Living Dead" there as a kid. Since that movie was released in 1968, do you recall your dad screening it? Could you recall any of the films that you're certain your dad screened? I'm a major movie buff and have taught cinema-history courses in high school. I really enjoy hearing the films that played at theaters I'm familiar with. But if you can't recall, that's okay. Much thanks for your dad's legacy, and again thank you for the post! -- Paul
ReplyDeleteAfter I was born I lived in the Bassett area of La Puente from 1954 to 1960. I began my educational years at Bassett Elementary and my family attended St Josephs church. My dad worked at a gas station in the downtown La Puente area until he got a job at the La Puente post office, where he began by delivering mail riding a bicycle. I fondly remember attending weekend matinee movies at the Star theater with my older brother. My brother was in 3rd grade and I was in 1st grade and my parents would drop us off at the theater and pick us up after the show. It was a much different world back then. I think it was a lot of Three Stooges, Martin and Lewis, Doris Day movies as well as monster movies at the Star weekend matinees. There were weekend family nights at the Star as well, which were still very much family movies. In 62 we moved to Covina and so Covina walk-in and drive-in theaters were our new movie venues. Sad to see the Star go down and to see the pictures of only the sign standing. Reminds me of another sad day when I sat in the parking lot of Eastland Shopping Center watching the wrecking ball demolish the May Co tower sign. So glad to have lived those times in the good old San Gabriel Valley.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in La Puente, LPHS '74, the star theater was an icon. I saw the Beatles movies A Hard Days night and Yellow Submarine and the movie Island of the Blue Dolphin. Sad that it is gone but the memories will live forever!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know which developer bought the lot?
ReplyDeleteWell, I sure don't. Sorry. They should be able to tell you at City Hall.
Delete