Riviera Theatre

5002 W. Adams Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016 | map |

Opened: Early 1925 as the Riviera Theatre. The building is on the southwest corner of W. Adams and Longwood Ave., a block east of La Brea Ave. It made it into the 1927 city directory with the 5002 address.

Seating: 801 at one time. It's now a flat-floored hall with no fixed seating.

Architect: Unknown

Website: www.therivieratheatre.com

It was an independent house, initially operated by Miguel Montijo. Joe Vogel found a reference to an item in the October 24, 1925 issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor:

"Motion Picture Theater—Scott Building Company has contract for 1-story motion picture theater at southwest corner of Adams and Longwood for Miguel Montijo, 5000 West Adams; 50 x 166…seating capacity 801 people, large lobby, rest rooms, organ loft, foyer; $30,000."

He also located an item in the December 26, 1924 issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor advising that Lowith Iron Works would erect an ornamental iron marquee at 5000 W. Adams Blvd. "…for M.M. Mantijo" [sic] at a cost of $800. Thanks, Joe!

 

The Montijo family, who lived in a house two lots away from the theatre, lost the property in the early 30s. It continued to run under other ownership. It's consistently listed (except for 1936) as the Riviera with the same address in the city directories through 1942.  

 

A June 1935 ad located by Ken McIntyre, included in a post about the theatre on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

 

It was renamed the Fremont Theatre in 1944 and reopened February 16 with "Government Girl" and "Tender Comrade." Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating the ad. 

 

A February 15, 1945 ad located by Ken McIntyre in the Culver City Evening Star-News.

A 1945 L.A. Times ad located by Ken McIntyre.

 

 

A 1947 ad in a neighborhood paper. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. 

 

 

Still in business in August 1951. But only open on Saturdays and Sundays.

 

 

A September 1951 listing in the Times.

 

Closing as a film house: September 1951 was the end of it.

 

"Captain Hornblower" and "Belvedere Rings the Bell" was the final program. This September 30, 1951 ad in the Times was the last one for the Fremont. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for doing the research.

The floor was leveled and the building was later used as a warehouse space. Around 2007 it was occupied by a firm called Chestnuts & Papaya, a rental house featuring furniture and accessories for film shoots. 

Status: It's been all cleaned up, renovated, and back to using the Riviera Theatre name. It's available for short term rentals for events, film shoots, etc. 

 

A plan of the building from the Riviera Theatre website. The portion of the building labeled "The Front" was originally two retail spaces with the theatre entrance in the center. The projection booth was originally where the "Upstairs" lettering is on that plan.

 

Interior views: 

 

Inside the front door. Longwood Ave. is to the right. Photo: Riviera website

 

 

Looking toward house left in the former lobby. The door to the right of the stairs is an entrance into the auditorium. The area on the left of the image had initially been a separate storefront. Photo: Riviera website

 

The house right side of the lobby, part of which originally been a separate storefront. Photo: Riviera website

 

 

The center of the lobby space from upstairs. Photo: Riviera website

 

The auditorium is beyond that white wall. On the upper level that's the back wall of the projection booth. This center area between the two retail spaces may have been an open-air ticket lobby with the entrance doors in arch of the brick wall.  

 

What had been the projection booth. The openings on the left look down onto the lobby. The auditorium is off to the right. Photo: Riviera website

 

 

Looking back toward the booth in the now flat-floored auditorium. Photo: Riviera website

 

 

A view toward what had once been the screen end of the auditorium. Photo: Riviera website. See the site's gallery page for many more c.2021 photos.

 

Exterior views: 

 

The east wall in 2007. Photo: Ken McIntyre 

 

 

A corner view. Photo: Ken McIntyre - 2007

 

 

The facade as seen from across W. Adams Blvd. Photo: Ken McIntyre - 2007

 

 

The building in 2018. We're looking east on W. Adams Blvd. with Longwood Ave. just beyond the building. Photo: Google Maps

 

A c.2022 corner view from the Riviera Theatre website.

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Fremont for some research by Joe Vogel, Ken McIntyre and other contributors.

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