Lynwood Theatre

There were two. The 1st one: 11179 Long Beach Blvd. Lynwood, CA 90262 | map |

Opened: This first Lynwood Theatre on the southwest corner of Long Beach and Elmwood Ave. opened August 14, 1925. That's Elmwood on the right, this section no longer existing under that name as it has become part of Imperial Highway. It used to be a block north of Beechwood. The theatre was a project of Mattie B. Vilven. Mattie and her husband Richard Tanton Vilven were local real estate agents.

The photo graphically showing the end of the theatre in March 1933 is from the Ronald W. Mahan Collection. Thanks to Ron for sharing this. As seen on the banner and the marquee, the last film the house ran was "State Fair" with Will Rodgers. Scott Pitzer comments: "They got to show 'State Fair' for just a day... and a half, I guess."

There are a number of 1933 photos of the theatre but evidently none that show it when it was in better condition.

Seating: 1,000 was the announced capacity. Ron Pierce notes that the 1928 Film Daily Yearbook listed it as 900.

Architect: Possibly it was Werner Ernest Noffke. He had done the plans for an earlier project nearby. Joe Vogel found a card in the Los Angeles Public Library's California Index that cited the Southwest Builder and Contractor May 9, 1924 issue. It noted that Noffke was preparing the plans for a theatre in Lynwood. But a card referring to an August 1, 1924 SB&C item gives us both a different location and a different owner than where the theatre finally ended up: 

"Theater, store and lodge building (Lynwood) -- H.B. Eachus...has been awarded the contract to erect a theater and lodge and store building at corner of Long Beach Ave. and Elizabeth St., Lynwood, for E.R. Pillet; the theater will seat about 1,000 people and there will also be 4 stores, lodge rooms...W.E. Noffke, architect."

Presumably Mr. Pillet gave up on his project. Did Vilven use the same architect? It's unknown. A third card Joe found, citing the SB & C January 16, 1925 issue, said that bids were being taken for the theatre by R.T. Vilven with the location as the southwest corner of Long Beach Blvd. and Elmwood Ave. That reference said it would be a 135 x 60 foot building with a capacity of 1,000 and costing $35,000. No mention of an architect.

The theatre was shown at Long Beach and Elmwood with the address indicated as 11179 on a 1925 Sanborn Real Estate Map, according to research by Ron Pierce. It's in the 1927-28 Watts-Compton city directory with an address of 11175 Long Beach Blvd. in Lynwood.

Thanks to Vilven family descendant Pamela Miller for locating an opening day article that originated with the Long Beach Press-Telegram:

"FINE NEW THEATER AT LYNWOOD OPENS ITS DOORS TONIGHT - Lynwood, California, August 14. -- Lynwood's beautiful new theater, built and owned by a woman, with a woman's orchestra, women ushers and women in the boxoffice, will open to the public this evening. The new place of amusement is probably the largest and most elaborate between Los Angeles and Long Beach and will be opened with fitting ceremonies which will include the personal appearance of representatives of the Hollywood moving picture studios.

"Mrs. R. T. Vilven, a pioneer resident and business woman of the new enterprise which is meeting a hearty welcome from the people of this community which has heretofore been without a moving picture house. The theater will seat approximately 1,000 persons. It is located on Long Beach Boulevard, at Elmwood Avenue and is seventy-five feet by 135 feet in size, the building alone, exclusive of all furnishings, costing in excess of $35,000. The theater is elaborately furnished and will rank, it is said, with amusement house [sic] in places many times the population of Lynwood."

Theatre sleuth Joe Vogel found a card in the Los Angeles Public Library's California Index listing an article in the August 22, 1925 issue of the California Graphic that noted: 

"Abbott Dancers Entertain at Theatre Opening. The Ethel Abbott Dancers were chosen by the management of the Lynwood Theatre, Lynwood, for its gala opening August 14... first run pictures and vaudeville acts will be featured throughout the year."

Richard Vilven and relatives in 1911. Thanks to Pamela Miller for the photo. She thinks it's Gertrude, Mr. Vilven's first wife, on the left. She adds: 

"It would have been R.T. Vilven's second wife, Mattie B. Vilven, who built it. My records indicate that they were married in 1918 in Los Angeles. I did a quick search and found Mattie and Richard Tanton Vilven in the voter registration records for Lynwood beginning in 1920 and ending with only Mattie in 1934. (He died in 1929.) Throughout that time, they are both listed sometimes as real estate agents....Richard at times as 'retired' and Mattie at times as 'housewife.'" 

Gertrude had perhaps died by 1919, Mattie lived until 1941.

Presumably the Vilven family operated the theatre until 1930. That year it was leased out to William J. Zimmerman. The 1930 date was noted in a May 15, 1962 Lynwood Press article located by Mark Brandl. That story, about an impending sale of the Arden Theatre, mentioned Zimmerman's earlier operations. 

The demise: It collapsed in the March 10, 1933 Long Beach earthquake and was subsequently demolished.

 

A March 17, 1933 article from the Lynwood Press:  

Thanks to Mark Brandl for locating the article! 

More post-quake photos:

Two unidentified gentlemen exploring the damage. That sign used to be on top of the stagehouse. Thanks to Gary Simon for sharing the photo. It's one he found in a family album belonging to Abe Lyman although it's unknown what connection he had to the theatre. There's also a version of the photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.  

 

An organ chamber detail from the Abe Lyman photo. 

 

 

A ruins shot located by Ken McIntyre for a Facebook post on Ken's Movie Page. 

Tourists driving by the side of the building to look at the ruins. Note the person in the rumble seat. Over on the left note another view of the theatre's vertical sign. It's a C.C. Pierce photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.  

"Note pipes of pipe organ at right." The exposed chamber is a little in from the right, in beyond the open air dressing rooms. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the card on eBay.

Another side wall view. This one taken by Stephen T. Yocom is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

Another Elmwood Ave. view by Stephen T. Yocom that's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Note the nice view of one rank of pipes in the organ chamber.

Another angle on the stagehouse roof and the sign. It's unknown who the gentleman is. Perhaps Mr. Zimmerman, the operator of the theatre at the time. Thanks to Kenneth Jacowitz for locating this photo for a post on Cinema Treasures.

The corner site of the 1st Lynwood Theatre. On the left we're looking south on Long Beach Blvd. On the right it's more or less where Elmwood Ave. was, now Imperial Highway. The 76 station uses a 11175 Long Beach Blvd. address. Photo: Google Maps - 2015



The replacement theatre: 11606 Long Beach Blvd. Lynwood, CA 90262 | map |

Opened: This second Lynwood Theatre opened in 1935, a project of the newly formed Lynwood Theatre Corporation. It was leased to William J. Zimmerman, who had been operating the earlier theatre. The location was about 7 blocks south of the site of the earlier theatre. It was on the east side of the street, just south of where the 105 now is. 

The project was announced in a May 20, 1934 L.A. Times item that was located by Ken McIntyre:

"Lynwood to Get $25,000 Film House - Work on Quake-Proof Theater Scheduled to Start Next Month - Construction of a quake-proof theater building at a cost of $25,000 will be started here soon after June 1, it was announced today by W.J. Zimmerman, who formerly operated two show houses in this area. 

 

"The theater will be completed and in operation by September 1, he said, giving Lynwood the first motion-picture house it has had since March 10 of last year, when the earthquake destroyed the Lynwood Theater. The new structure, to be located at Long Beach Boulevard and Lynwood Road, will be of steel and concrete construction, 50x138 feet in size. It will be erected by the Lynwood Theater Corporation, recently organized. Zimmerman has leased the building and will operate it."

Architect: Paul Kerr. Thanks to Joe Vogel for the research. He located a card in the Los Angeles Public Library's California Index that cited an item in the September 28, 1934 issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor noting that plans were being prepared by Paul Kerr for a new theatre on Long Beach Blvd. for Lynwood Theatre Corp. 

A December 14, 1934 item in SWB&C gave the address as 11600 Long Beach Blvd. In the 1940 city directory it's listed with the address of 11612 Long Beach Blvd. 

Seats: 715

A December 5, 1941 article in the Lynwood Press announcing construction plans for the nearby Arden Theatre noted that this theatre was still being operated by Zimmerman, although they gave his middle initial as "F" instead of "J." The corporation was then called South-Lyn Theatres and the Arden was their new project. Zimmerman noted that the plan was to keep running the Lynwood after the Arden opened but at reduced admission prices. The Arden project, however was delayed until 1947. Thanks to Mark Brandl for the research. 

At the end of its life the Lynwood was still operated by South-Lyn Theatres. In addition to the Arden they also had the Nubel and Circle theatres in Bellflower and the Tower Bowl in San Diego, an S. Charles Lee design. Zimmerman was still with the firm as late as 1962. Later it was run by Albert and Wayne Hanson. Al Hanson had become part of South-Lyn sometime before 1941.

Closing: The date is unknown -- it was running at least until 1950. Sometime before 1957 it became a bowling alley, the South-Lyn Bowling Lanes.

Status: It's been demolished.

Looking north toward the 105. There's no sign of the 2nd Lynwood Theatre anymore. It's a 2020 image from Google Maps. 

More information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Lynwood Theatre (2) for some fine research about both theatres by Joe Vogel, Ken McIntyre and other contributors. There's also a page started about the Lynwood Theatre (1).

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