Southside Theatre

11243 S. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90044 | map |

Opened: September 21, 1949 with Burt Lancaster in "Rope of Sand" plus a sneak preview. It was operated by the Fanchon & Marco chain Southside Theatres. Looking somewhat like a Quonset hut, the building utilizes Lamella style wood roof construction. It's on the west side of the street a half block north of Imperial Highway. The pre-opening photo of "The Southside's Smartest Theatre" is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

Architect: Clarence J. Smale  

 
Seats: 1,466, all on a single level.

 

An item in the December 18, 1948 issue of Boxoffice:

 

"Award Los Angeles Job - Contract has been awarded for construction of a new theatre and store building at Vermont avenue and Imperial boulevard here for Southside Theatres, Inc. The reinforced concrete structure will contain 1,500 seats and will provide for six stores. Plans provide for an air-conditioning system and for an asphalt parking area. Designed by architect Clarence Smale, the building will be erected by contractors MacIsaac and Menke. Cost of the project is not disclosed."   

The September 21, 1949 ad in the L.A. Times. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating it.

Fanchon & Marco also had the Rio Theatre, the Baldwin and the Manchester, among other southend locations. At the time they also operated the El Capitan (then called the Hollywood Paramount) and the Metropolitan (then called the Downtown Paramount). Their chain was operated in conjunction with Fox West Coast with offices at Fox's Boulevard Theatre on Washington Blvd. It was convenient to film row on Vermont. 

 

 

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Some of the copy and data appearing in an article about the theatre on pages 62 and 63 in the 1949-50 edition of "Theatre Catalog" from Jay Emanuel Publications, publisher of Motion Picture Exhibitor. Also of interest might be the lead article for that particular year: "The Work of S. Charles Lee." Twenty-five years of the Catalogs are on Internet Archive. 

 

 

A plan appearing with the "Theatre Catalog" article. That's Vermont Ave. running along the bottom of the image. 

 

Thanks to Chris Nichols for spotting the article. He's a senior editor at Los Angeles Magazine. His latest book, written with Adriene Biondo, is "Bowlarama: The Architecture of Mid-Century Bowling," a 2024 Angel City press release.

A 1949 Times ad.  

 

 

A May 1951 ad located by Ken McIntyre. 

The Fanchon & Marco locations were sold off in 1959 to the ElectroVision Corp., aka EVC. A July 1959 L.A. Times article titled "ElectroVision in Aquisition" noted that the company (headed by Edwin F. Zabel) had purchased theatres in the area operated by Robert Lippert. At the bottom it was mentioned that they had earlier picked up the F&M holdings as well.

A 1959 Times ad located by Ken McIntyre showing the Southside as being operated by EVC. By the mid-1960s they were gone and the Southside, as well as a number of these other locations, were then operated by Statewide Theatres, headed by Fred Stein. 

Closing: The date is unknown. It was running as late as 1970.

Status: It's now a church.

 

Interior views:  

A lobby view appearing with the article about the theatre on pages 62 and 63 in the 1949-50 edition of "Theatre Catalog" from Jay Emanuel Publications, publisher of Motion Picture Exhibitor. Thanks to Chris Nichols for spotting this. The Catalog's copy about the lobby:

"The lobby has a chartreuse ceiling with walls of chocolate brown and deep green. Carpeting is in a philodenron pattern carried out in beige and maroon, and all lighting is indirect... The philodendron theme is naturalized through the use of a living bed of interior growing plants in the spacious lobby. Confection vending facilities to meet modern demands." 

 

The mural in the ladies lounge. It's an image Chris Nichols spotted in the 1949-50 edition of "Theatre Catalog." They note: 

"The ladies lounge is particularly attractive with silver foil paper covered walls adorned with black and red butterflies. An edge-lighted light trap mural depicts a conventional motion picture studio theme."  

 

The left side of the lobby in 2025. Photo: Bill Counter  

 

 

 

The right side of the lobby. The auditorium is off to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025

 

An auditorium view from the 1949-1950 edition of "Theatre Catalog." Note the lobby's philodendron theme carried into the auditorium. They note: 

 

"The auditorium is highly ornamental due to the elaborate and generous festoon draperies and the large figured patterns on the side walls... Walls of the auditorium are blue green with large philodendron leaves and the ceiling is gold. The proscenium wall is draped from side to side with coral festoons and chartreuse hangings. The traveler curtain is yellow Lighting is through indirect lighted central ceiling coves and side coves." 

More exterior views:

1949 - A crowd to see "My Friend Irma," an October release with John Lund, Diana Lynn and Marie Wilson. The co-feature was "Prison Warden" with Warner Baxter. It's a photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1949 - The Southside running two November releases: "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" with Mark Stevens and June Haver along with "Chinatown at Midnight" featuring Hurd Hatfield and Jean Willes. The photo appears in the 1949-1950 edition of "Theatre Catalog."

2003 - Thanks to Ron Pierce for this photo, one appearing on the Cinema Tour page about the Southside.  

c.2008 - Thanks to Debra Jane Seltzer for this look at the theatre's vertical. It's included in her wonderful coverage of California theatres on the ever-growing site Roadside Architecture.

2015 - Looking north on Vermont. Photo: Google Maps

2019 - The entrance, largely unchanged since 1949. Photo: Google Maps

 

2019 - The view toward the theatre from the north. Photo: Google Maps 

 

2024 - The vertical lit up by the church. It's a photo by Juan Urzua shared as a post for a South Central LA Facebook group. Thanks to Marco Diaz for spotting the post and sharing the photo with the Lost Angeles Facebook group. 

 

2025 - Looking south. Note the bump-out on the end of the building for the speakers. Photo: Bill Counter

 

2025 - That's Imperial Highway on the left. Photo: Bill Counter

 

2025 - A closer view of the entrance. Photo: Bill Counter

 

2025 - Looking north toward the boxoffice. Photo: Bill Counter

 

2025 - Behind the boxoffice. Photo: Bill Counter

 

2025 - The south end of the building. Note the interesting exit from the booth, with a ladder down the wall. Photo: Bill Counter

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Southside Theatre. The site Cinema Tour also has a page about the theatre. 

In 1948 the Southside Theatres circuit was planning a 1,700 seat house at Vermont and Imperial Highway to be called the Life Theatre. It was to be a design by William Pereira. For reasons unknown, that version of the project was abandoned.   

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