Opened: 1920. It was on the southwest corner of Sartori and Marcelina Ave., just west of Cabrillo Ave. Thanks to Sam Gnerre for the 1936 photo. It appears with his 2009 South Bay Daily Breeze article "South Bay Movie Theaters of the Past."
Architect: Allan E. Sedgwick. Cinema Treasures contributor Joe Vogel has done the research:
"Several mentions of the Torrance Theater appear in the L.A. Library’s California Index. The earliest cites Southwest Builder & Contractor of February 20, 1920, with an announcement that architect Allan E. Sedgwick was preparing working drawings for the theatre. The project included two stores and would cost an estimated $40,000. The theatre was to have 800 seats, was designed for both motion pictures and stage productions. The owner was the Torrance Auditorium Company, Inc. The magazine’s issue of March 12 announced that Huram E. Reeve of Torrance had secured the contract to build the project.
"The L.A. Times mentioned the project, and named Sedgwick’s firm as Sedgwick & Alpagh, in its issue of May 2, 1920. Motion Picture Herald of February 27, 1932 mentioned that a J.F. Higgins had purchased the Torrance Theater from 'Pacific National' (perhaps Pacific National Bank?). Then the theatre must have undergone either a major remodeling or closure in 1937, when the Better Theatres section of Motion Picture Herald’s April 3rd issue announced that the Torrance Theater’s furnishings and equipment had been purchased by Harry Milstein and Albert Mellinkoff."
"The L.A. Times mentioned the project, and named Sedgwick’s firm as Sedgwick & Alpagh, in its issue of May 2, 1920. Motion Picture Herald of February 27, 1932 mentioned that a J.F. Higgins had purchased the Torrance Theater from 'Pacific National' (perhaps Pacific National Bank?). Then the theatre must have undergone either a major remodeling or closure in 1937, when the Better Theatres section of Motion Picture Herald’s April 3rd issue announced that the Torrance Theater’s furnishings and equipment had been purchased by Harry Milstein and Albert Mellinkoff."
Seating: 705. Anthony L. Vasquez-Hernandez reports that the 1942 Film Daily Yearbook listed it as having 650 seats.
Closing: It was running into the 50s. Joe Vogel reports that it got sold to a bank in 1955.
Status: The building has been seriously remodeled. It's now a Wells Fargo branch.
An undated look south down Sartori Ave. with the theatre in the next block. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the photo.
A 1951 Julius Shulman photo in the Getty Research Institute collection. He was commissioned to photograph various Bank of America branches. Thanks to Bill Gabel for locating this one in the collection for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
A detail from the Shulman photo. Bruce Kimmel notes that "The Frogmen" and "According to Mrs. Hoyle" played the theatre the week of August 15, 1951.
The remodeled building in 2018. That's Cabrillo Ave. off to the left and Marcelina Ave. heading off on the right side of the building. The block of Sartori in front of the building has been filled in with a park. The rest of the street continues off to the right out of the frame. Photo: Google Maps
More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Torrance Theatre.
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