Los Angeles Theatres: Tower Theatre

111 N. Long Beach Blvd. Compton, CA 90221 | map |

Opened: The Tower Theatre opened February 7, 1936 with "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Stormy." The building is on the west side of the street just north of Compton Blvd. It was operated by Fox West Coast and was also known as the Fox Tower. The uncredited photo is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. "Woman Wanted" was an August 1935 release with Maureen O'Sullivan and Joel McCrea. Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps" with Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll was another August release.

Architect: S. Charles Lee

The UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection has mountains of drawings and other materials, only a small fraction of which have been scanned. The S. Charles Lee Papers home page on Calisphere allows a search over 600 images and other items that have been digitized. These items are also indexed via the UCLA Library website. For a guide to the items not yet digitized, see the S. Charles Lee Papers Finding Aid on the Online Archive of California site.

Seating: 1,000

The project for a "new de luxe-type theater" was announced with this item that appeared in the September 1, 1935 issue of the L.A. Times.

"Nearly Finished" advised the January 31, 1936 issue of the Lynwood Press. Thanks to Eric Costello for locating the article to add as a comment on Martin Turnbull's post about the theatre on his Garden of Allah Facebook page.

A pre-opening article. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this item as well as many more for a post about the Tower on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.

A February 7, 1936 opening day item. This item and the eleven below were all located by Ken McIntyre.

A swarm of activity in December 1940 for a Christmas food drive.

An August 1947 ad for the Fox Tower.

The Tower is mentioned at the bottom of this October 1947 article that Ken located about the sale of two theatres in Bellflower. The house at the time called the Bellflower soon morphed into the Nubel. Leslie Funk, the former owner of those two theatres, noted that Al Hansen owned the Tower. It's indeed possible that he owned the building, but it was operated by Fox West Coast.

A May 1948 listing for several Fox West Coast theatres.

Saturday kiddie matinees advertised in September 1948.

Running "Alias Nick Beal" and "Knock On Any Door" in May 1949.

Playing "Lady and the Tramp" in 1955.

The Tower as part of a wide release for "The Mating Urge" in 1958.

A booking for "Alexander the Great" in May 1960.

Iron Eyes Cody making the rounds for appearances in September 1960.

Bill Jenner, who had managed the house for years, died in 1963. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this, one of many, many items about the theatre appearing as comments to his post about the Tower on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.

Closing: The theatre was running into the mid-60s when Compton was still a safe place to go to the movies. After that it turned into a war zone and all the theatres closed. Actual closing date is unknown. The owner has constructed a series of stores along the front of the property.

Mike Callahan comments: "Not much on this theater in the local press. In January 1974 the address is listed as Chester Center conducting adult education. Jump ahead to February 1986, some crooks entered via the roof and stole money from a safe at Plasma Biomedics. The tower portion of the building is long gone. The 111 address was being used as a church, now closed. The auditorium portion runs 90 degrees to the former entrance."

Status: The auditorium is still there but unused except for storage.

Interior views:

A look in toward the lounge area. The photo by Watson Photo is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

Another lobby view by Watson Photo. It's on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

A view across the back of the house by Watson Photo. It's on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

Looking toward the screen. It's a "Watson Photo" on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

More exterior views:

1935 - An entrance detail. The photo by Watson Photo is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. The posters are for "Woman Wanted" and "The 39 Steps."

1935 - "Here comes the Band" with Ted Lewis and his orchestra was out at the end of August. "Transatlantic Tunnel," an October release, starred Richard Dix and Leslie Banks. The uncredited photo is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. The area to the right of the entrance, here seen as a small parking lot, later got filled in with a string of retail buildings.

2007 - The former theatre entrance from across the street. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing this photo as well as the four below as part of this post about the Tower on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.

2007 - Looking north across what had been the entrance. Photo: Ken McIntyre

2007 - Another angle on the terrazzo. Photo: Ken McIntyre

2009 - The screen end of the building. Photo: Ken McIntyre

2009 - A closer look at the ornament on the corner. Photo: Ken McIntyre. Thanks!

2019 - Looking north on Long Beach Blvd. That gray facade to the right of the first tree is where the theatre entrance had been. The store buildings farther off to the right were added later in front of the auditorium. On the far left it's the intersection at Compton Blvd. Photo: Google Maps

2019 - Looking above the added store buildings to the tops of some decorative columns along the side of the auditorium.

2019 - The terrazzo at what had been the theatre entrance. Photo: Google Maps

2019 - A detail of the terrazzo. Photo: Google Maps

2019 - The screen end of the building. On the left we're looking south toward Compton Blvd. Photo: Google Maps

2019 - A detail of the tops of the side wall columns. Photo: Google Maps

2019 - In the alley. On the left we're looking along the screen end of the building toward Long Beach Blvd. To the right we're looking south along the house left wall of the auditorium. Photo: Google Maps