Opened: 1913. It was on the east side of the street near the northeast corner of Central and E. 54th, about 5 blocks north of Slauson Ave. The 1942 photo by Julius Shulman is in the collection of the Getty Research Institute. The Institute has thousands of photos in their Julius Shulman Archive if you'd care to go browsing.
This photo plus two interior views of the Terrace Theatre in City Terrace are lumped together as Shulman's "Job Lee-T: Savoy Theatre, Terrace Theatre, 1942." Perhaps the Lee in the title indicates S. Charles Lee was having the Savoy scoped out for a remodel project. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Hoss C for finding the photos on the Getty site for his Noirish post #37256.
Seating: 700
Architect: Edward J. Borgmeyer. Joe Vogel located a reference to an item that appeared in the November 9, 1912 issue of Southwest Contractor & Manufacturer:
"Theater and Stores -- E. J. Borgmeyer, 317 Stimson Bldg, has prepared plans for a 1-story brick moving picture theater and store building to be built on the northeast corner of Fifty-fourth St. and Central Ave. for S. K. Lindley. Concrete foundation, 50x125 ft., cement floor, brick walls, stucco front, staff work, composition roof, plate and prism glass store fronts, marble and tile lobby, mahogany and pine trim, electric wiring. Bids have been taken." Thanks, Joe!
The Savoy is listed with "Gorge & Anderson, proprietors" at 54th & Central in this August 1914 ad from the L.A. Times. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it.
The Savoy is in the 1914 city directory with a 5026 address. It was
evidently a typo although Central did get some serious renumbering in the 1930s a few
blocks farther north. In 1915 and later directories it's at 5326. In the 1922 directory the listing for this address under "motion picture theatres" was for Oscar Anderson. Anderson evidently had an earlier theatre in the neighborhood. He had a listing in the 1912 directory for 5427 S. Central.
A 1936 filler item that Ken McIntyre located in the California Eagle, a newspaper serving the African American community in Los Angeles. He included it in a thread about the theatre on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
An April 1937 California Eagle article, another find by Ken McIntyre for his Savoy thread on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.
A 1950 ad. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
A 1951 ad in the California Eagle. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for adding it as a comment to a post about the Lincoln Theatre on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.
"Kiddie Christmas Party - Pictured above are some of the hundreds of
happy children who attended the Christmas party at the Savoy theater as
guests of the Eagle..." It's a photo that appeared in the California Eagle on December 27, 1951. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for including it in his Savoy thread on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.
The ads started saying "Temporarily Closed" beginning January 29, 1952. That closure was still reflected in this March 4, 1952 ad located by Ken McIntyre.
A 1952 item in the Eagle. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.
Closing: The date isn't known but it had closed by fall 1957.
It got churched Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this October 1957 item for a thread about the theatre on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.
A May 1958 announcement of the conversion appearing in the California Eagle. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this article to include in a thread about the theatre on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
The building survived until at least December 1970. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this story about it still being in use at that time as a church.
Status: The theatre building has been
demolished. The structure now on the site dates from 1987.
On the left we're looking north on Central. That's E. 54th on the right. Photo: Google Maps - 2020
More information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Savoy for fine research by Joe Vogel. If you're looking for the theatre in Pasadena once called the Savoy, you'll find it listed under its later name, the Oaks Theatre.
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