Plaza Theatre

12788 Hawthorne Blvd. Hawthorne, CA 90250 | map |

Opened: November 28, 1927 as the Plaza Theatre. This pre-opening photo is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Note the "Grand opening" banner above the marquee. The theatre was a block north of El Segundo Blvd. and set back a block from the east side of Hawthorne Blvd. In the 1929 Hawthorne city directory it was listed as being at Hawthorne Way at the corner of Acacia Ave.

Architect: John J. Frankenfelder. His name is on the drawing that appeared in the January 17, 1926 issue of the L.A. Times. He's also mentioned as the architect in the the Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres in Los Angeles."

Seats: It was originally announced as 1,000. 891 was the capacity listed in the 1941 Film Daily Yearbook, according to Ken Roe. 

 

 

Chotiner Theatres was announced as the lessee in this January 10, 1926 news item located by Jerry Miles. Among other theatres, the Chotiner Brothers also had the Lomita, the La Brea, the Parisian and the Ravenna. Perhaps West Coast was also trying to get the lease and they cobbled together a project as a competitive move. Their Roosevelt Theatre was discussed in other ads and articles as actually being under construction but the project just vanished.

 

An article appearing in the January 17, 1926 issue of the Times. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. Even the Plaza didn't open "soon." It took another 22 months.

 

 

"This is the real opportunity for YOU in HAWTHORNE." There was a building boom on. This ad for property in the area from the January 17, 1926 issue of the Times discussed several parcels as being close to the two new theatres. Well, only one of them actually got built.

 

 

 

"Now being built by the Hopkins-McNeil Investment Co." The theatre was the centerpiece of the firm's Hawthorne Plaza project. This ad appeared in the January 17, 1926 issue of the L.A. Times. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it. 

 

 

The drawing of the theatre from the Hopkins-McNeil ad. 

Another ad appearing in the Times in 1926. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it. The grand opening was November 28, 1927.

 

 

The talkies came to the Plaza in April 1929. Thanks to Jerry Miles for locating this ad.

The theatres operated by Chotiner (if indeed they were the first operator) were taken over by Fox West Coast in the late 1920s and early 30s. Soon the Plaza was known as the Fox Plaza. 

The theatre and the Torrance Herald embarked on a Hollywood-style promotional venture in 1930. Thanks to Jerry Miles for researching it. He comments:   

"They announced that they were making a local movie using local people. It was to be called 'Cut Short' and must have been very short because other than these items I couldn't find out any more about it."

 

"Nominate a friend today..." A Herald story about the film. 

 

Another item about the Popularity Contest to select co-stars for the 1930 film. 

 

An entry form. Note that you had to be Caucasian. No voting for your Mexican or Asian friends. 

Another "Cut Short" entry blank that Jerry Miles located. He comments: "I do like the idea you get 5000 votes for merely filling out the entry form."

The Arcadia book "Theatres In Los Angeles" notes that in 1930 Fox West Coast added a miniature golf course around the theatre, claiming that it was the only one in the world to have that amenity. The 18 holes of the Fox Movietone News Course were designed to give you the feeling of a trip around the world with each hole themed to a different country.

 

"Free Souvenirs To Players." Thanks to Jerry Miles for locating this ad for the July 1930 grand opening of the miniature golf course. "Better Come Early!"

In the 1931 and 1933 directories it's the Fox Plaza Theatre at 201 Plaza Square. Later Fox dropped the operation. In the 1935, 1938, 1940 and 1942 directories it's the same Plaza Square address but not listed as the Fox -- just the Plaza Theatre. In the mid-1930s the theatre was operated by E.S. "Ned" Calvi, according to research by Jerry Miles. In 1937 Calvi also took over the Hawthorne Theatre, later known as the Rex and the Cal. 

In June 1949 Boxoffice noted that Sherrill Corwin and Lester Blumberg took over active operations of the Plaza Theatre and the Cal Theatre having acquired controlling interest in the two houses from Calvi. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for the research. At the time Calvi also had the Lomita Theatre.

A 1949 L.A. Times theatre listing for the area showing the Plaza and the Cal running in Hawthorne. 

A final address for the theatre was 4355 Plaza Square.

Closing: The Plaza closed December 31, 1964.

New owners bought it in 1965 but never got the place open. They lost it in 1970 via eminent domain when the site was being redeveloped as a regional shopping center, the Hawthorne Plaza shopping mall.

Status: The theatre was demolished in August 1971. This item in the March 5, 1972 issue of the L.A. Times was located by Ken McIntyre:

"Condemnation Settlement OKd by Jury - A Superior Court jury has made an award of $80,000 in a condemnation suit involving the Community Redevelopment Agency and the owners of the former Plaza Theater. The theater, built in 1928 as a legitimate theater and later converted to a movie house, was located at 4355 Plaza Square and has been torn down. 

 

"Owners of the land produced expert testimony that the land was worth $400,000. Agency experts placed the value at $73,200. The site is included in a 36 acre, $11 million redevelopment project near Hawthorne and El Segundo Boulevards. Planned for an eventual commercial regional shopping center, the project is expected to include a Montgomery-Ward store, a J.C. Penney store and a third department store." 

The mall, now dead, opened in 1976.

Interior views:

A look toward the proscenium. We're looking through the remnants of the CinemaScope screen to the painted design on the asbestos. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library - 1971

The house right organ grille area. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library - 1971

A side wall detail house right. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library - 1971 

Another sidewall view. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library - 1971

A ceiling detail, looking toward the proscenium. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library - 1971

The back of the auditorium. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library - 1971

More exterior views: 

1938 - A photo from Marc Wanamaker's Bison Archives that appears on page 120 of the terrific 2008 Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres in Los Angeles" by Suzanne Tarbell Cooper, Amy Ronnebeck Hall and Mr. Wanamaker. There's a preview of the book on Google Books. It's available on Amazon or from your local bookseller.

1940s/1990s - A detail from "Street Scene 3," a page with two panoramic shots on John Baker's site Cougartown. He notes that the upper shot, taken after the malling of the area, dates from 48 years after the lower view. We're looking at the east side of Hawthorne Blvd. with El Segundo Blvd. on the right. Note the Plaza set back from the street. Also see "Street Scene 2" for another version.  The site also has two vintage views of the west side of the street indexed on the "Street Scene" page.

1960s - The theatre closed and for sale. We're looking east toward the theatre from Hawthorne Blvd. Thanks to John Baker and his site Cougartown for the photo. 

1960s - A photo from a page devoted to the Plaza on the site Cougartown.

1960s - The north side of the building. Thanks to John Baker's site Cougartown for the photo.

1971 - An April photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. The theatre would be demolished that August. This cleaned up version of the photo appeared as a post on the Library's Photo Collection Facebook page.

1971 - The house right side of the building. We're looking northeast. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library

1971 - A view of the skinny stagehouse. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library

2019 - Looking in toward the site of the Plaza Theatre. On the right we're looking south toward El Segundo Blvd. Photo: Google Maps - 2019

More Information: In addition to the page about the aborted Roosevelt Theatre see the page about the town's first theatre, the Hawthorne. Later known as the Rex and the Cal, it was running as late as 1950.

There's a Cinema Treasures page on the Plaza. Cinema Tour also has a listing for the theatre.

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