Opened: In 1938 on the site of the Sunbeam Theatre, which had closed after a bombing in December 1931. The location, in the Florence area, is on the west side of Compton Ave. at 66th St., 3 blocks south of Gage Ave.
Architect: S. Charles Lee. Joe Vogel reports the Southwest Builder & Contractor’s issue of August 8, 1937 announced that S. Charles Lee had prepared plans for the theatre.
Seating: 1,296 originally. Ken Roe notes that was the number listed in the Film Daily Yearbook editions of 1941 and 1943. At least the later year had noted it was closed. It was later down to 1,021
The 1938 photo from Marc Wanamaker's Bison Archives appears on page 118 of the terrific 2008 Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres in Los Angeles" by Suzanne Tarbell Cooper, Amy Ronnebeck Hall and Mr. Wanamaker. The page with the photo is included in the book's preview on Google Books. The book is available from Amazon or your local bookseller. The caption:
"'For 50 cents we took the middle-class man out of his home and gave him an environment only the church had given before,' the most prolific architect of Art Deco theatres in Los Angeles once stated. One hates to contradict S. Charles Lee but his 1937 Gentry Theatre has impeccable Streamline Moderne styling that has never been seen gracing any church. Speedlines streaked over portholes, evokinga sleek, new ocean liner. A neon-wrapped pylon thrust skyward and a rounded stairstep pattern echoed the ziggurats popular in the previous decade..."
Fox West Coast was going to call the new house the Sunbeam. An item in a January 1938 issue of Boxoffice that was located by Ken McIntyre:
"Work has begun this week on three new Fox West Coast theaters for this territory. First of the trio is the Lugo, 650-seater in Bell, which is being scheduled for a March 1 opening. Ground was broken at 64th and Compton Boulevards, where the Sunbeam, a 1,000-seater, will be built and construction was also begun on the Hippodrome at Bakersfield."
Closing: The date is unknown.
Status: It's currently used for warehousing and light manufacturing.
A look at the lobby:
A view from the 1949-1950 edition of the Quigley Publications Theatre Catalog. Thanks to the site Cinema Tour for putting it on their page about the Gentry.
More exterior views:
2007 - The theatre used as retail space. "Se Venden Retazos" = "We Sell Remnants, Odds and Ends." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for this view looking west. The photo appears as a 2011 post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality has a view of similar angle and vintage from the site LAHistorian on Noirish post #6425.
2007 - A wall detail from Ken McIntyre. Portholes with bars.
2008 - Sidewalk terrazzo looking south. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2008 - A sidewalk view looking north. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2008 - A detail near the entrance. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2015 - Looking south on Compton Ave. Photo: Google Maps
2019 - The Gentry with a new paint job. Straight ahead we're looking north on Compton Ave. Gage Ave. is three blocks ahead. On the left that's E. 66th St. Photo: Google Maps
2020 - A look south across the facade. Photo: Google Maps
More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Gentry.
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This one is still standing. One of the theater buildings that once was left in this area. Too bad its not in the best conditions. That exterior paint is daunting. Wish someone would get inside just to get a sneak peek of the interior.
ReplyDeleteI assume, investors will eventually buy the land rebuild and this will be another theater to add to the books.