Opening: It was running as the Palace Theatre beginning around 1922. It's in the 1922-23 Watts-Compton city directory with an address of 528 Melvin Ave. In the 1925 Watts directory W.F. Broeske was listed as the proprietor of the Palace.
Melvin was just east of the Pacific Electric tracks, a street that's now called Graham Ave. The theatre was on the east side of the street about half a long block north of what is now called Century Blvd.
By the time of the 1927-1928 Watts-Compton directory it's been renamed the Sonora Theatre and we also have a new address: 9814 Graham Ave. Mrs. Elvira I. Fius is the lessee. Interestingly, in the same directory we also have a listing for Elizabeth Broeske living at 9816 Graham Ave. She was the widow of a John Broeske and perhaps the mother of the former theatre proprietor.
Closing: The end of the 20s was probably it for the Sonora. It's not in the 1932 Watts-Compton directory.
Status: It's been demolished. This area along side the Blue Line tracks is now all residential.
Looking north on Graham Ave. toward E. 97th St. The theatre would have been on the right up there about in the middle of the image. The right of way on the left was once used by Pacific Electric. Photo: Google Maps - 2019
More information: Sorry, this is all that there is. But you can see a nice 1919 Watts map on the page about the Linda Theatre. What's now E. 103rd St. used to be called Main St. It appears that what is now 97th St. used to be Ruoff St.
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