Los Angeles Theatres: AAA Theatre

8612 S. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90003 | map |

Opening: Sometime around 1921 as the Encell Theatre with an address of 8612 S. Moneta Ave. The street didn't become Broadway until around 1927. It's on the east side of the street, the third building south of Manchester.

Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing this 1955 photo from his collection. We're looking south from Manchester with the AAA running "So This Is Paris," a December 1954 release with Tony Curtis and Gloria DeHaven along with "Magnificent Obsession," an August 1954 release with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman.

Seating: 480 in later years.

Architect: Unknown. Joe Vogel notes that the City's Zimas system gives a 1921 construction date for the building.

It's in the 1922 and 1923 city directories. In a 1923 ad for Paramount Week it's listed as Encell's Theatre. In the 1929 city directory it had become the Mecca Theatre. In 1930 it was the Broadway Mecca.

It became the Pix on November 26, 1944 and the AAA on November 3, 1948. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Magic Lantern for these two dates. The AAA reopening was with with Paul Henreid in "Hollow Triumph" along with Alan Baxter in "Close-Up."

Nearby within a half block west on Manchester Ave. was the Manchester Theatre, originally a West Coast house, later operated by Fanchon & Marco's Southside Theatres. Two and a half blocks south of the AAA on Broadway was the Mayfair Theatre.

A 1950 ad located by Ken McIntyre.

More parking! Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this exciting July 2, 1950 story.

A December 1950 ad in the Times located by Ken McIntyre for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. In addition to the AAA, note that Fanchon & Marco's Southside Theatres circuit was running the nearby Mayfair Theatre. The Rio and the Southside were theatres built by the circuit. The Baldwin was a lease situation with the circuit as the initial tenant. Southside worked closely with Fox West Coast.

A 1959 Times ad located by Ken McIntyre showing the AAA as being operated by 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 Fanchon & Marco holdings as well.

"Whatever You Do ... Attend 1 Of The 2." It's a 1962 ad for the AAA and the Manchester Theatre around the corner on Manchester Blvd.

The theatre was usually a last-run house. Whatever you didn't catch elsewhere you could find at the AAA.

Closing: It closed c.1964.

Status: It's been churched. Perhaps business hasn't been so good lately. In 2020 the building was for sale.

2009 - A photo taken by Ken McIntyre. Thanks, Ken!

c.2016 - A view south across the facade. Ken McIntyre added this one as a comment to a post about the AAA on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

2017 - Manchester is over on the left in this view looking north from Google Maps.

The AAA Theatre in the Movies:

The AAA is seen on the right in this quick shot 6:42 into "Naked Alibi" (Universal-International, 1954). A policeman has been killed and all cars are called into action to hunt for the killer. The police car is turning north onto Broadway. On the marquee: Stewart Granger and Wendell Corey in "The Wild North" (1952) along with Errol Flynn in "Adventures of Captain Fabian" (1951).

That's the Broadway Merry-Go-Round Restaurant on the southeast corner of Broadway and Manchester with an address of 8606 S. Broadway. Their neon is advertising Barbecue, Donuts and Chops. The Arrow Furniture Exchange is next door at 8608 S. Broadway. The film stars Sterling Hayden, Gloria Grahame, Gene Barry, Marcia Henderson, Max Showalter and Stuart Randall. Jerry Hopper directed. The cinematography was by Russell Metty. We finish the action in Tijuana.

More information: See the Cinema Treasures page about theatre, which they list as the Mecca Theatre. Also see lots of comments about the AAA on the site's page about the nearby Manchester Theatre.

4 comments:

AnonymousJuly 1, 2022 at 11:22 AM
I went to this movie house every weekend with my six year old brother I was 7.5 years old. my parents would drop us off an 11am don't remember what the admission price was for kids but it was not more than a quarter but the show on Manchester ave just around the west corner I think was called The Balboa was 8 cents to get in for kids and had a balcony. AAA did not have balcony. Popcorn was 10 cents a bag and they had a drink dispenser that despenced a paper cup and you could press a button to select the flavor you could mix the buttons and get a blend which we called a suicide. We were very poor and rented a house on the corner of 108 south Broadway that was in back of the dry cleaners. the rend was $30 a month. We were dropped off like I said at 11 am or 12 noon we didn't care if the movie had already started we just stayed till we saw it all which was two features films, a lot of cartoons, previews, a serial. We would leave the movie when we came to the part we walked in on. wait outside the movie for mom to pick us up. They were doing the weekend shopping and sometimes they were late so we just started walking south to 108 south Broadway. We were free range kids.
AnonymousNovember 20, 2022 at 7:25 PM
The first time I went to the Triple A was probably around 1948, I was 11 years old. I didn't go there much, I preferred the Manchester. I do remember when they remodeled the Triple A and added love seats for two at the end of some of the aisles. I also sold newspapers on the corner of Broadway and Manchester. I worked for Dave, the old guy who owned the four corners.