Los Angeles Theatres: Fox Cabrillo

115 W. 7th St. San Pedro (Los Angeles), CA 90731 | map |

Opened: November 15, 1923 as the West Coast Cabrillo. It was on the south side of the street between Beacon St. and Palos Verdes St. This opening night shot was from the Motion Picture News. Thanks to Charmaine Zoe for finding it to include in her Theatres: Stage and Movie album on Flickr. Many volumes of Motion Picture News are available to browse on Internet Archive.

West Coast Theatres was the lessee. The theatre had a full stage with fly capability, dressing rooms, an orchestra pit, and an organ console on a lift. In addition to the theatre, it contained stores and offices. In the 1924 San Pedro directory West Coast Theatres was listed as in "rm 2."

Seating: 1,535 when it opened.

The theatre was constructed for the Dodson family. In Sam Gnerre's South Bay History article "Land grant heiress fostered development of San Pedro’s landmark Fox Cabrillo Theatre" he notes that the Dodson house had been moved to clear the lot. The family still owned it at the time of its closure in 1957. Shortly after it went dark Brynner Martin noted in a "The Pilot's Log" column for the San Pedro News-Pilot:

"The Fox Cabrillo Theatre building was erected in 1923 by the James H. Dodson Sr. family. Mrs. Dodson was Rudecinda Supulveda, daughter of Jose Diego Sepulveda, who was one of the owners of the Rancho Los Palos Verdes. Two of James H. Dodson's children — Florence Schoeneman and Carlos D. Dodson — I understand, now own the building."

Brynner also noted that S.C. "Doc" Crews was the initial manager for West Coast Theatres and still on the job as late as 1929. By 1939 Dave S. Boyd had taken over.

Architects: Mendel S. Meyer and Philip W. Holler, Meyer & Holler. The construction was by M&H's in-house construction arm Milwaukee Building Co. The firm did many commercial buildings in the 20s. Among their theatres done on a design-build basis were a few little ones like the West Coast in Long Beach, the Fox Fullerton, Grauman's Egyptian and Grauman's Chinese. Meyer retired in 1936. The firm was dissolved in 1941.

Looking for bids in October 1921. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting the article for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

A drawing of the project that appeared in the June 19, 1922 issue of the San Pedro Daily Pilot. It's from the News-Pilot Archives. Thanks to Sam Gnerre for locating this.

It wasn't exactly news that the theatre was being constructed but the Daily Pilot gave it a mention in this June 1922 roundup of recent construction activity that Ken spotted.

A luncheon for theatre men in late June 1922. It's another item located by Ken McIntyre. They didn't do well with the name of one of the West Coast Theatres partners. It was Sol Lesser, not "Saul Lessor."

Offices and stores for rent in October 1923. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the ad.

The opening was November 15, 1923. On the screen it was "The Bad Man" starring Holbrook Blinn. In Sam Gnerre's South Bay History article "Land grant heiress fostered development of San Pedro’s landmark Fox Cabrillo Theatre" he notes:

"The vaudeville portion of the show preceding it included Edith Clifford, the Kirksmlth Sisters, Althea Lucts and Company, the Florentine Quartette and Wild and Bedalla. It was described in the News Pilot as 'a whole show in itself.' Theatergoers admired the lush Spanish-styled interior decor, which featured an alcove in the lobby where an oil portrait hung of Rudecinda Florencia Sepulveda de Dodson dressed in a traditional Spanish gown."

A November 22, 1923 ad that Ken located.

The Daily Pilot newsboys get a theatre party in May 1924. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting the story.

A c.1925 ad for the theatre. Thanks to Johnny M for finding it for a post on Cinema Treasures. The page also has two other early ads he located.

An October 1927 ad for the mentalist Gene Dennis appearing with "The Magic Flame," a film with Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky. Ken McIntyre located the ad.

A fine December 1927 ad in the San Pedro Daily Pilot for "Figures Don't Lie" and a "Good Vodvil Show." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

An October 25, 1928 San Pedro News-Pilot ad for "While the City Sleeps" located by Sam Gnerre for his South Bay History article about the theatre. The San Pedro News and the San Pedro Daily Pilot had become the News-Pilot in March 1928.

West Coast Theatres became Fox West Coast in 1929. The San Pedro city directories list the theatre as the Fox Cabrillo from 1930 through 1956.

This October 28, 1929 ad for a talkie presentation appeared in the San Pedro News-Pilot. It's a clipping in the collection of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for the photo of it. You can browse over 40 of her shots of clippings from the SPBHS in an album on Google Photos.

A May 8, 1934 ad appearing in the News-Pilot. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for this image of a clipping in the San Pedro Bay Historical Society collection.

1939 directory listings for the theatres in San Pedro that were spotted by Ken McIntyre. See the pages on the Barton Theatre, the Strand Theatre, and the Globe Theatre for data on those. It's unknown why the Warner wasn't listed.

An August 31, 1940 Fox West Coast ad from the News Pilot. It's another from the San Pedro Bay Historical Society collection. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for taking a shot of it.

A 1940 Christmas ad that Ken McIntyre located.

"The Last Days of Pompeii," "She" and a "Pre-New Year's" kiddie show playing in December 1948. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for the ad.

"The Snake Pit," playing as the December 1948 New Year's show. Ken found the ad.

An August 1954 ad for "On The Waterfront" that Ken McIntyre located.

"The Place To Go." But just for one final week at the Cabrillo. It's an August 8, 1957 Fox ad that included the Strand in San Pedro and the Granada in Wilmington. Also see an August 12 ad that Ken McIntyre located.

Closing: The final double bill on August 13, 1957 was "Gun Glory" with Stewart Granger along with "Man on Fire" starring Bing Crosby. Thanks to Bill Gabel for the data.

The closing was noted by Brynner Martin in his August 17, 1957 "Pilot's Log" column for the San Pedro News-Pilot. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the story.

An attempt to save the "abandoned" theatre was outlined in this June 1960 story located by Ken.

A January 6, 1961 item from the News-Pilot. It's a story archived by the San Pedro Bay Historical Society collection. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for sharing it.

Status: The city ended up with the property and it was demolished in two phases in 1961 and 1962. See some demo photos lower on the page. The site is now a parking lot.

Interior views:

A 40s or 50s view of the proscenium and the asbestos curtain from the balcony. Note the simplified decorative scheme and Skouras-style repainting on the area around the proscenium arch. Those 1923 vintage seats look pretty ragged. It's a photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. A version with slightly less cropping appears in the AMPAS Tom B'hend and Preston Kaufmann Collection.

A closer view of the same vintage. Here we can see the steps installed to cover the orchestra pit. It's another photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

More exterior views:

1920s - A view of the roof sign and part of the stagehouse. Thanks to J.C. Wood for posting it on Cinema Treasures. He notes that the photo was in an old album belonging to his great aunt.

1935 - The stage end of the theatre is on the left and the San Pedro City Hall is on the right. It's a September 9 view taken on the occasion of the groundbreaking for a new post Office. The Daily Breeze file photo appeared with Sam Gnerre's now-vanished 2015 article "Time stands still at the San Pedro Post Office." Thanks to Bruce Dunseth for spotting the article and sharing the photo in a 2023 post on the Southern California Nostalgia private Facebook group.

1937 - In this photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection they were running "Camille" and "Off To The Races." Note the larger "Fox" vertical replacing the earlier one saying "Cabrillo."

1939 - A fine view of the theatre running "Honolulu," a February release. Thanks to Ann Hubbell Tompkins for locating the photo taken by John F. Brown. His business, Brown Studio, was located at 717 S. Pacific in San Pedro.

1940s - A view north from the YMCA building at 9th and Beacon. The large blank wall is the back of the stagehouse of the Cabrillo. The street on the left is Palos Verdes. Look up a couple of blocks for the white facade of the Globe Theatre on the left. It's a postcard from the collection of Joe McKinzie and appears in his terrific 2007 Arcadia Publishing book "San Pedro." There's a preview on Google Books.

1945 - The Fox Cabrillo running "You Came Along" starring Robert Cummings and Lizabeth Scott along with "Delightfully Dangerous" with Jane Powell and Ralph Bellamy. It's a Los Angeles Public Library photo.

c.1958 - A post-closing view in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

c.1960 - A view with the Fox Cabrillo visible to the left of the Municipal Building, the tall building at 7th and Beacon St. in the lower center. The white stagehouse of the Warner Grand is another street to the right and up in the center of the image. The photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection appears on a Water and Power Associates Museum page of early San Pedro and Wilmington views.

1961 - "On the Way Down." It's a photo that appeared in the San Pedro News-Pilot on January 14. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it. The caption:

"Demolition crews are rapidly knocking down the east wing of the old Fox Cabrillo Theater building, Seventh and Beacon Sts., in preparation of a paved parking lot for vehicles owned by city employees. The $13,395 job is scheduled to be completed about the first of next month. The balance of the theater will be demolished when new funds are provided in the 1961-1962 budget, upcoming in July. A Whittier firm is tearing down the east wing."

1962 - "Nearly Down." This photo appeared in the News-Pilot's January 25 issue where it was spotted by Ken McIntyre. The caption:

"Only remaining portion of the old Cabrillo theater awaits its doom as huge wrecking ball swings closer and closer. Remnants of air-conditioning system lies twisted on top of San Pedro landmark. Building is being cleared to make place for parking lot at Seventh and Palos Verdes Sts."

1962 - "Fearless Workers." Another one located by Ken McIntyre. It appeared in the News-Pilot on March 2 with this caption:

"Workers at the site of the old Cabrillo Theatre, Seventh and Palos Verdes Sts., are not scared by the cracking asphalt behind them as the four-ton demolishing ball (arrow) cracks repeatedly against the concrete retaining wall. Wreckers had intended to fill the basement of the theater with dirt, but recent rains weakened the wall. Now they must collapse it and sacrifice part of the City Health Department's parking lot before completing the grading job."

2019 - Looking east on 7th with the parking lot on the right where the Fox Cabrillo once was. On the far right it's Palos Verdes St. The building on the left on Beacon St. is the City Hall, about the only building in the area that didn't get bulldozed in the ill-conceived the Beacon St. redevelopment scheme in the 1970s. Image: Google Maps

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Fox Cabrillo. The site Cinema Tour has a page but there's not much on it.

Don't miss Sam Gnerre's "Land grant heiress fostered development of San Pedro’s landmark Fox Cabrillo Theatre" on the South Bay History blog. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting the article for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

See our Theatres Along the Coast page for listings of the many other theatres that were once in San Pedro. Also see three 1984 articles appearing in the San Pedro News-Pilot with data compiled by San Pedro historian John Houston for his "Assembly Halls to Picture Palaces" project. They're at the bottom of the page about the Victoria Theatre.

An article by Tom Owen appeared in the August 1986 issue of a newsletter called "The Shoreline." Part of the article, mostly about the Fox Cabrillo and the Fox West Coast circuit, is available as a three page PDF from the Los Angeles Public Library. Two of the pages: