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Lankershim Theatre

5323 Lankershim Blvd. North Hollywood (Los Angeles), CA 91601 | map |

Opened: 1923 or earlier. It was on the west side of the street just south of Chandler Blvd. The district, now called North Hollywood, was then known as Lankershim.

It's listed in the 1923 city directory with a 5319 Lankershim address. In 1924 the listing has an address of Lankershim Blvd. near Wilcox Ave. In 1925 it's listed as 5321 Lankershim, in 1926 and 1928 it's listed as being at 5323.

Closing: The date is unknown. Presumably around 1928. In 1926 the El Portal Theatre would be built in the block south of the Lankershim and probably contributed to its demise.

Status: It's now a vacant lot.



A c.1925 look south. The protruding marquee this side of the drug store may be that of the Lankershim Theatre. It's a detail from a C.C. Pierce photo from the California Historical Society that appears on the USC Digital Library website.

Down in the next block, where the trees are, the El Portal Theatre would open in 1926. See a 1926 photo on the USC Digital Library website looking north as the El Portal was getting finished.

In the 1926 city directory the drug store is at 5319, there's a jewelry store at 5321, the theatre is at 5323, nothing is listed at 5325 and 5327. Of the two shops in the squat building nearest us, the one with no signage was Allison's clothing store at 5329 and it's Bush's Variety Store at 5331. 



A c.1927 look south along the 5300 block of Lankershim from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. The bank building at the far end of this block would later get expanded. The El Portal has opened down in the next block. 



A 2014 Google Maps view looking south. The theatre was once in the vacant lot at the right. Down in the next block we get a view of the El Portal Theatre facade.

More information: There isn't any on this one yet. Also see the page on the Lankershim Theatre that opened in the 1940s at 7532 Lankershim Blvd. 

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