Opened: This vaudeville and film house opened January 8, 1913. It was on the northwest corner of 6th and Palos Verdes St., across the street from the San Pedro Opera House. Thanks to Elmorovivo for locating the early photos for a post on Cinema Treasures.
The house, referred to as Globe Theatre #5, was one among seven that the short-lived Globe Amusement Co.
was operating, or was in the process of opening: the Globe on E. 5th St. in downtown L.A., one in South L.A. (later renamed the Florence Mills Theatre), a Globe in Echo
Park (later named the Holly Theatre) and one at 18th and Main (later renamed the Victor). Later there was one in Lincoln Heights (later called the Starland) and they acquired the Starland on the Ocean Park Pier.
Architect: Arthur Lawrence Valk. In addition to the theatre there was an upper floor with offices and lodge rooms. Joe Vogel discusses Valk:
"Architect Arthur Lawrence Valk began practicing in New York City around 1885, as junior partner in has father’s firm, L. B. Valk & Son. His father, Lawrence B. Valk, was best known for his church designs, some of which were built as far afield as Louisiana, Ohio, and Michigan. By 1904, the Valks had moved to Los Angeles. There the firm continued to specialize in churches, but by 1913 Arthur Valk had become well enough known for his work on movie theaters to have been called a 'motion picture specialist' by trade journal Southwest Contractor & Manufacturer.
"Among his other movie houses were the Argus Theatre (later the Strand) in Santa Barbara, and the Sunbeam Theatre in the Highland Park district of Los Angeles. As he also designed the Globe Theatre #2 (later the Florence Mills Theatre), it’s possible that he designed other projects for the Globe Amusement Company, perhaps including... the Globe # 3 (Holly Theatre) in Echo Park..."
Seating: 622 was a later number appearing in a Film Daily Yearbook.
The project was announced in a May 5, 1912 article in the Los Angeles Times:
"PLAN FIFTH THEATER - The Globe Amusement Company, incorporated a short time ago for the purpose of building and operating a circuit of suburban theaters, has just completed a contract on the basis of a long-term lease with Luke Kelley [sic] of San Pedro, who will build for the company a $55,000 theater, to be known as Globe Theater No. 5. The building will be one of the most pretentious of the port section, and will be situated at Palos Verdes and Sixth streets. The second story of the building will be occupied by large rooms.
A nice illustration appearing with the May 5, 1912 article in the L.A. Times. The drawing, however, isn't what was designed for San Pedro. It's actually the Echo Park Globe, a building without a full upper floor of offices and lodge rooms like the San Pedro project. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing this as well as many other Globe items for a Facebook thread on Ken's Movie Page.
Joe Vogel did some additional research and found this item in the July 13, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World:
And some old news in the July 20, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World:
This September 15, 1912 Times article outlined the progress the circuit was making. But there were problems. That five-story building on W. 3rd St. near Figueroa was never constructed although there were two smaller projects opened around this time: the Tunnel Theatre at 712 W. 3rd. and the Lux Theatre at 827 W. 3rd. The 9th and Georgia house appears to be the venue later known as the Georgia Theatre but it's unknown if Globe ever operated it. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the article. Down toward the bottom we get some overly optimistic San Pedro news:
"Globe Theater No. 5, at Palos Verdes and Sixth street, San Pedro, is up to the height of two stories and will be opened not later than November 1."
Local historian John Houston noted that Luke Kelly, the building owner, was a well known San Pedro saloon
owner and politician. Houston added:
A January 5, 1913 item in the San Pedro Daily News (or was it the Pilot?) noted:
"The Globe Theatre, which is conceded to be the prettiest
piece of architecture west of New York, will be fully completed and
thrown open to the public at 6 o'clock Wednesday night, January 8. Mr.
Luke Kelly erected this beautiful structure for the citizens of this
progressive city at almost $90,000."
The Globe is in the 1914 L.A. city directory as at "6th nw cor Palos Verdes" and in the 1915 directory as 202 W. 6th. It's in the 1917 and through 1922 L.A directories and the 1923 and later San Pedro directories with the 204 W. 6th address.
"San Pedro's Most Popular Photoplay House." A 1919 ad that appeared when the house was known as Young's Globe, "The Shrine of the Silent Art."
A Christmas 1927 ad for "5 Acts of Better Vodvil" along with "The Girl in the Pullman." Not to mention their upcoming Christmas treat "When A Man Loves." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on Photos of Los Angeles.
Silent films lasted at the theatre until March 15, 1930 with "The Last Performance," a 1927 feature starring Conrad Veidt and Mary Philbin, as the final feature before sound equipment was installed. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theatres for the data.
The Globe sustained heavy damage in the 1933 earthquake. Evidently some of the damage included the dome on top, the 6th St. parapet and a portion of the east wall.
A May 8, 1934 San Pedro News Pilot ad from the theatre clipping file of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for taking a photo of it. You can browse over 40 of her shots of theatre clippings from the SPBHS in an album on Google Photos.
A 1940 News Pilot ad in the collection of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for taking a photo of it.
A personal appearance at the Globe in 1946.
Closing: It closed October 28, 1962 with the exploitation documentary "Forbidden Paradise," according to research by Ken McIntyre. Dallas Movie Theaters reports that days later there was an auction of signage and interior items.
Status: The Globe was demolished in 1971 as part of the redevelopment of the Beacon St. area.
c.1916 - A postcard view looking north showing in the center (right behind the telephone pole) the Globe at 6th and Palos Verdes and, in the distance off to the left, the Auditorium Theatre on 5th St. It's from the collection of Joe McKinzie and appears in his 2007 Arcadia Publishing book "San Pedro." There's a preview on Google Books. Joe comments:
"This postcard, mailed on September 15, 1918, shows the hilly geography of San Pedro from Plaza Park looking toward the brick A.P. Ferl Building that was on the northwest corner of Beacon and 7th Streets. The office of the Daily Pilot newspaper is in the left corner of the building next to the empty lot. Beyond it, in the center of the photograph, is the white elaborate architecture of the very popular, domed-roof Globe Theatre. The large building in the distance is the Auditorium Theatre, which advertised first-class musicals and comedies."
c.1920 - A bit closer view looking east. The card is from the collection of Joe McKinzie and appears in his Arcadia Publishing book "San Pedro." He notes that his copy was postmarked September 27, 1920.
early 1920s - A view west on 6th from Beacon St. with the dome of the Globe visible a block away on the right at Palos Verdes St. In the foreground on the right, the building with the clock was the Bank of San Pedro. The tower was dismantled following the 1933 earthquake. It's a card from page one of the postcard gallery of the site SanPedro.com. There's also a page 2 to their gallery of cards. A version of the card is also on the San Pedro page of the site Penny Postcards from California.
The entrance to the Victoria Theatre was in one of the squat buildings in the middle the block we see on the left, between Beacon and Palos Verdes. Across the street from the Globe, the San Pedro Opera House had been located either in the Mansard-roofed building on the left (beside the third telephone pole) -- or perhaps just beyond.
mid 1920s - Another view west toward the Globe. It's a postcard that appears on a Water and Power Associates Museum page of early San Pedro and Wilmington views. They credit the image to the Los Angeles Public Library. Across the street from the Globe in this view we see a new white-columned bank building.
1928 - Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this photo.
1931 - A postcard view east on 6th with the dome of the Globe, and part of the signage on the side of the building, visible in the distance on the left. It's on the site Card Cow. In addition to this one, they have over 200 more San Pedro postcards to browse.
1933 - A post-earthquake photo that, sadly, doesn't show us what happened to the dome. A portion of the parapet on 6th St. was evidently also a casualty along with an upper chunk of the east wall, as we see by the rubble. Oh, yes. The Moose Hall sign also fell down. Evidently they had been renting the 2nd floor. At the time the theatre was running "Air Mail," a November 1932 release with Pat O'Brien and "Big Cast" along with something called "Fangs of Death Valley." The end panel of the marquee notes: "Plenty Good Seats 15 Cts.
The photo is one that appeared in the San Pedro News Pilot on June 18, 1998 under the heading "Harbor Area Heritage." Their caption: "The Globe Theatre, at 6th and Palos Verdes streets, is shown after an earthquake centered in Long Beach." They credit the photo to Matty Domancich/Elks Club Scholarship Fund. They printed it with a noticeable tilt to enhance the effect. A clipping of the photo is in the theatre file at the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for taking a photo of it.
c.1944 - A photo acquired from Marc Wanamaker that's in the Tom B'hend - Preston Kaufmann Collection. The collection is part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library Digital Collection.
A cropped version of the photo also appears on page 122 of the 2008 Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres in Los Angeles" by Suzanne Tarbell Cooper, Amy Ronnebeck Hall and Mr. Wanamaker. It's available from Amazon or your local bookseller.
c.1944 - "See Lobby Poster For To-Day's Show - The Biggest Show The Smallest Price." It's the same copy as on the marquee in the previous photo. They weren't putting titles on the marquee as they couldn't turn the signage on at night anyway due to wartime lighting restrictions. It's another shot in the Tom B'hend - Preston Kaufmann Collection that was acquired from Marc Wanamaker.
In a post about a wartime shot of the Earl Carroll Theatre on Martin Turnbull's Hollywood's Garden of Allah Novels Facebook page Suz Milner had this to say about the blackouts in L.A.:
"We didn't have a lot of them. We had to get all organized for them with everyone getting blackout drapes or other suitable coverings. Streetlights had their tops painted black. After June of '42 and Battle of Midway, we had only one or two big drills and they were not city wide all at the same time. We had zone blackouts. The military sites like much of Santa Monica, Pedro, Long Beach, Terminal Island, carried on with semi-blackouts every night. There were check points if you were driving, approaching those area. You had to have working headlight covers to go into those areas and they warned you of other rules and hazards. I seem to recall by late '44, even the military and aircraft factories were able to loosen some of the blackout restrictions."
1940s - A view north from the YMCA building at 9th and Beacon. The large blank wall is the back of the stagehouse of the Fox Cabrillo. The street on the left is Palos Verdes. Look up a couple of blocks for the white facade of the Globe on the left. It's a postcard from the collection of Joe McKinzie and appears in his 2007 Arcadia Publishing book "San Pedro."
1940s - A great postcard view east on 6th toward the Globe with "2 Big Features" and, beyond, to a liner in port. It's a card from the collection of Joe McKinzie and appears in his terrific 2007 Arcadia Publishing book "San Pedro." Thanks, Joe!
1965 - A photo, presumably taken by Tom Owen, that appeared with an article by Mr. Owen in the August 1986 issue of a newsletter called "The Shoreline." Part of the article, mostly about the Fox Cabrillo and Fox West Coast Theatres, is available as a three page PDF from the Los Angeles Public Library. Thanks to Joe Vogel for finding the item in the Library's collection. He comments:
"Having seen the photo my memory has been jogged and I now recall having seen the theatre itself, at least once. My dad patronized a tailor who kept a shop on the other side of 6th Street, up the hill a way. I remember sitting in our parked car in front of the tailor shop and seeing that building down the block. This was in the 1950s.
"Sixth Street was already very shabby, but also quite impressive, being fairly consistently Victorian and Edwardian in style for the first couple of blocks up from the waterfront, and most of the buildings being solid structures of two or three floors. It was the best collection of such buildings I ever saw in Southern California. Within a few years it was all demolished for an urban renewal project. Had it been preserved, today that neighborhood could be as popular and valuable as Main Street in Ocean Park or Old Town Pasadena."
2018 - Looking toward the northwest corner of 6th and Palos Verdes St. That's 6th going off to the left with the Warner Grand a couple blocks up the street. On the extreme left it's signage for the Crown Plaza Hotel, on the site of the San Pedro Opera House. Photo: Google Maps
More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Globe Theatre for some fine research by Joe Vogel, Ken McIntyre, and other contributors.
John M. Houston asserts that the theatre was once called the Baby Doll but perhaps that was not the Globe but a nearby storefront porno operation.
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