4409 W. Adams Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016 | map |
Opened: August 4, 1926 by Lou Bard as Bard's West Adams.
The initial engagement was a world premiere of the film "Shipwrecked."
The location is on the north side of the street just west of Crenshaw
Blvd., in the West Adams district. The front of the building had
apartments and offices on the second floor. The theatre had a full stage with dressing rooms and fly capability.
Also see our page for the Adams Theatre at 1898 W. Adams, 1.7 miles to the east.
An entrance detail taken from Eric's photo. The easel in the center is advising that as a result of an "Our Gang" contest that they filmed you could "See your kiddies on the screen today." The usher cutout at the right has a promo for the feature they would be running Friday and Saturday: "Dress Parade," an October 1927 release with William Boyd and Bessie Love. In the "Coming Soon" display case on the far right they're advertising "What Price Glory," A November 1926 release that played first-run for more than six months at the Carthay Circle.
Architect: Lewis A. Smith, who had done several other venues for the
circuit. You wouldn't know it from the exterior but inside it was the
favorite Bard theme, Egyptian. The project was noted in an item in the January 30, 1925 issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor:
An article in the L.A. Times that appeared on the theatre's opening day, August 4, 1926. They evidently didn't run any ads.
Bard operated a number of other theatres including Bard's 8th St., later called the Olympic, and two Hill Street theatres nearby, the Town Theatre and the College Theatre. Bard's was the circuit that also built the Vista Theatre on Sunset Dr. in the Los Feliz area. Bard's Egyptian Theatre in Pasadena (later called the Colorado) is still running as the Academy 6. Bard also had the Glen Theatre in Glendale, and the Garfield in Alhambra.
A 1947 ad. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
An item on page W-4 of the September 11, 1961 Boxoffice magazine noted that Western Amusement Co. was the owner of the theatre and they were selling it to the Toyo Theatre Co. for exhibiting Japanese films. A complete redecoration was planned. Evidently this deal wasn't consummated.
An
August 1962 item in Boxoffice located by Ken McIntyre noted:
"Allied Theaters, operated by Bob Helm, Phillip Hoffman and Sam Decker,
has taken a 20 year lease on the Bard Theater, 1,200-seat neighborhood
house, which they have renamed the Adams West and switched to a first-run policy. The Bard had been closed for the past five years."
A June 1972 ad Ken McIntyre located in the Times.
1973 brought Hollywood films back to the theatre but it soon closed for good as a film house. As a later black cabaret venue in the early 80s it was for a short time known as the Apollo West and Bard's Apollo.
Closing: Its last use as a theatre was around 1981.
Status: It's been a church since at least 1983, going through several owners. The current group, something called Iglesias de Restauracion, has had the building since 2000.
An interior view:
A rare look inside at the theatre c.2010. Sorry, the exotic original decor is gone. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for posting the photo on Cinema Treasures.
More exterior views:
1983 - The theatre in use as the "temporary home" of a church. Note that much of the 30s marquee was still intact, although missing all the neon. That newer vertical still had some of the "Apollo West" lettering on it. Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images website for the photo.
2002 - Thanks to Ken Roe for this fine view of the west side of the building. It was a post on Cinema Treasures.
c.2005 - The theatre gets its pre-cleanup portrait by German photographer Martin that appeared on his now-vanished site You-Are-Here.com.
2012 - Looking north on Crenshaw toward the intersection with Adams. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for his photo, shared as a post for the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
2012 - Another fine gas station shot with a bonus peek at the stagehouse. It's another by Ken McIntyre that appeared as a post for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.
2013 - The cleaned up facade. It's a Ken McIntyre photo from another post for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.
2014 - A look at the east side of the building and stagehouse. Photo: Google Maps
2014 - Acres of free parking. We're looking at the west side of the building. Photo: Google Maps
2018 - A closer view of the west side of the building. Photo: Bill Counter
2018 - Looking east along the facade toward Crenshaw Blvd. Photo: Bill Counter
A possible lobby photo:
This 1929 trade magazine ad for Mohawk Carpet was identified as a view of Bard's Colorado, the theatre in Pasadena now known as the Academy 6, when it was reproduced (poorly, sad to say) in the October 1992 issue of the
Tom B'hend publication Greater L.A. Metro Newsreel.
The West Adams salvage department:
A wall sconce in the collection of Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation co-founder Hillsman Wright. He comments: "Before
the church took over and rehabbed - it was in miserable disrepair - big
holes in the roof. I rescued this sconce from a trash heap outside."
More information: See the Cinema Treasures
page on the Fox Adams for many historical tidbits and some nice
comments about the Bard circuit by contributors Joe Vogel, Hadabob, Art1956 and Bill Gabel.
Pacific Coast Architecture Database
has a listing for the Bard's Adams, however they have it jumbled together with
the other theatre called the Adams at 1898 W. Adams Blvd. Also included
are several items about the earlier project by different
architects that was to be on the corner of Crenshaw and Adams.
The other Adams Theatre at 1898 W. Adams opened in 1914 as the La Salle. Another Japanese language house in the neighborhood was the Crenshaw Theatre, running as the Kokusai in the 1970s and 80s.
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I see that there is no mention of the kabuki Theatre being and after hours jazz spot where all the top jazz musicians would come and play at 2am to 6am in the morning on Saturday. Being a youngster back then I had the opportunity to see many of the greats of jazz. Back in the early sixties
ReplyDeleteAre you sure you're not thinking of another nearby theatre, the Crenshaw? It was for a time called the L.A. Jazz Concert Theatre before it too went to Japanese films. In that era it was called the Kokusai. It's currently for lease if you want to revive it. Here's the page: https://losangelestheatres.blogspot.com/2017/06/crenshaw-theatre.html
DeleteI have a photo of John and Alice Coltrane from 1964 sitting in a booth at the Kabuki with a poster advertising an upcoming gig with singer Author Prysock in the background with the theater name and address clearly in view.
DeleteI'd love to see the photo, Michael. I'm at counterb@gmail.com. Definitely interested in filling in some gaps about this venue. Cheers!
DeleteMy best friend and I, still in high school, heard about Jazz after hours at the Adams West mentioned on KBCA-FM and went there many weekends to hear the many great Jazz legends, those who lived in south central and those on the road.
DeleteWent to The Bards as a kid - circa late ‘40’s - early ‘50’s. Remember the Saturday kiddie matinees with actors from the films appearing live. Saw Glen Strange who played Frankenstein’s monster in @Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein” and the Three Stooges.
ReplyDeleteIn 1942 I ushered at the Bards Theater. We had live shows and movies. My sister also worked there. I was 14 then , am 95 today. Thank you for the memories
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteThis is Randy Bard. My Fathers Father was Lou Bard. My Father Robert is now 100 years old. Lou's wife Eunice lived to 101 years. I miss her the most. Robert was head of Max Factor in Hollywood for 25 years in the 50s to 70s My Aunt Gloria was the very first cruise specialist in the USA Bon Tour Travel on La Cienega. I have heart failure so sayonara fans.
ReplyDelete