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Grand Theatre / Torrance Community Theatre

1522 Cravens Ave. Torrance, CA 90501 | map |

Opened: May 25, 1939. It was on the north side of the street between Marcelina Ave. and El Prado Ave. This item appeared in the May 11 issue of the Torrance Herald:

 
Initially the Grand was operated by Pacific States Theatres, a company controlled by Adolph Ramish and the Gore brothers. Joe Vogel notes that in the June 3, 1939 issue of Boxoffice an item reported that the Grand had opened.

Architect: Presumably it was Clifford A. Balch. Joe Vogel comments:

"The four other theaters known to have been built for Pacific States Theatres - the El Rey on Wilshire Boulevard, the San Clemente (Miriamar) in San Clemente, the La Mar in Manhattan Beach, and the Studio City in the San Fernando Valley - were all designed by architect Clifford Balch. Though I haven’t found any sources saying that Balch designed the Grand, I’d be very surprised if he didn’t."

Seating: 654 at one time. Anthony L. Vazquez-Hernandez reports that the Film Daily Yearbook in 1942 listed it as 600. 

At the end of its movie house life it was operated by M & M Enterprises (Albert Mellinkoff and Harry Milstein) who also had the Stadium Theatre and the Torrance Theatre as well as the Park Theatre in Gardena.  

Closing: It closed as a movie theatre in the 60s and then was a venue for teenage dances. After 1969 it was the Torrance Community Theatre.

Status: It's been demolished and replaced with a huge condo complex.
 


A 1983 shot of the Grand in its Torrance Community Theatre days from the American Classic Images collection. 



The new buildings on the site. Photo: Bill Counter - 2019 

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the theatre, which they list as the Torrance Community Theatre.

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3 comments:

  1. CharleyMarch 13, 2023 at 6:19 PM

    I was a volunteer at the Torrance Community Theatre from 1976 into the '80s. If anyone has any photos or memories to share, could you post here? I cannot find any other online TCT references. Quentin Tarantino appeared in one play, long before he became famous. Character actress Pat Crawford Brown was a regular here as a director and producer. Charley Hepperle.

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  2. Aaron Scott BernardDecember 29, 2023 at 2:34 PM

    I acted in several plays at the theatre. We also bulit a threate upstars. It was called the Lynn Molchan Theatre. The upstairs thetresat about 30. I was in a play called Cops Dirrected by Susan Gordon. Jon Morgan also played the role of Jack Rolf. I perromed in Stalag 17 among many others at TCT this was all in the 80's.

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  3. AnonymousFebruary 26, 2024 at 11:06 PM

    I performed in 2 musicals at Torrance Community Theatre, I think in the early 80's. A production of "Celebration" (odd musical) and a great production of "Jesus Christ Superstar"! Great experiences!

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