Allen Theatre

3809 Tweedy Blvd. South Gate, CA 90280 | map |

Opened: 1924 as the Garden Theatre. It's on the north side of the street 11 blocks east of Long Beach Blvd. The neighborhood was part of the Home Gardens tract (thus the theatre's name), an area later annexed by South Gate. The 1981 photo appears with many other views on the South Gate High 56 "Memories of the Allen Theatre" page.

Architect: The original architects are unknown. Joe Vogel reports that an item in Southwest Builder and Contractor's issue of November 17, 1936 noted that the theatre was getting a remodel by architect Clarence G. Smale. It's unknown who designed the 1946 remodel.

Seating: 673 was the number in the 1952 Film Daily Yearbook, according to Ken Roe.

The L.A. Times announced the project at Tweedy Rd. and San Gabriel Ave. in their May 25, 1924 issue. Thanks to Saraswati 8 for locating the story. The Times noted that the theatre portion of the project had been leased to operators named Johnson and Martin for a period of five years. A July 21 story reported that the theatre would be finished in about 45 days.

In the 1930s the theatre, in addition to films, occasionally hosted plays produced by a local theatre company. The Garden was later renamed the South Gate Theatre, probably after the 1936 remodel. The owners were A.E. and Lawrence W. Allen, brothers who also operated other theatres in the area. Unrelated related to these Allens were Robert J. Allen and William Lanier Allen, operators of the Avon Theatre on Santa Ana St. in South Gate. See the Cinema Treasures page about the Avon.

After a 1946 remodel it was renamed the Allen Theatre. The Allen clan must have retained ownership of the building but the operators at this time were W.J. Zimmerman and Albert Hanson of South-Lyn Theatres. They also had the Nubel and Circle in Bellflower, the Lynwood and Arden in Lynwood and the Vogue in South Gate. Later Zimmerman was gone and Al's son Wayne was involved. 

 

"A South Lyn Theatre - Well Presented Entertainment." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this September 1946 South Gate Press page of congratulatory ads for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. 

 

 

A March 28, 1947 ad for South Lyn Theatres that appeared in the South Gate Press. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it. 

A major burglary in 1955. 

 

Another call to the police in 1955. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the two crime reports.

From at least the late 1960s onward the theatre was operated by Hugh Dallas. Joe Vogel found an item in the May 4, 1973 issue of Boxoffice mentioning him as the owner of what was then the only theatre operating in town. He was returning the house to a policy of family movies. 

 

Malcolm Hardy, who later operated the Wardman in Whittier as well as many other theatres when he was doing business as Century Theatres Inc., notes that Hugh also had the Golden Gate Theatre in East L.A. and adds: 

 

"Hugh Dallas was my best friend. It was he who got me into the business. He had a heart attack around 1978 or 79 chasing some kids out of the back door of the Palm Theatre in Imperial Beach, which he also owned."

 

Ken McIntyre notes that in the early 80s the Allen was being advertised as the New Allen Theatre.

Closing: It was still running as a single screen movie house well into the 80s (as a $1.00 house at the end) and then became a venue for rock performances. Olga Kerr purchased the theatre in 2000.

Status: It's still there but it has been unused since 2007. See the 2012 story in the South Gate - Lynwood Patch about the owner's hopes to attract new promoters to the space for plays and concerts. The story noted that the theatre had largely been stripped of equipment inside, including seats.


A lobby view:

An 80s look at the Allen's snackbar. Thanks to Suelyn for posting this one on Cinema Treasures.

More exterior views:

1942 - A photo from the UCLA collection taken when the theatre was called the South Gate. Thanks to Suelyn for finding it for a post on Cinema Treasures. She found the image in a book she doesn't identify. It appeared with this caption: "View of one of South Gate's business districts along Tweedy Boulevard, 1942. The retail base of South Gate grew substantially in the 1940s, a result of economic expansion during and after World War II. Federal Writers Project collection, Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, UCLA."

c.1945 - At the gas station across the street. Thanks to Ozfan 22 for finding this shot to share on Flickr. Suelyn also has a version of this one on Cinema Treasures. The origin of the photo is unknown.

c.1970 - Thanks to Suelyn for this photo, a post on Cinema Treasures. She comments: "One of many parades that marched down Tweedy Mile. Most likely for the Azalea Festival. This was early 70’s. Note the front of Allen Theatre still has its original maroon tile across the front and there was a barber shop to the right hand side."

c.1978 - The Allen running "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Logan's Run." The photo appears on the Southgate High 56 "Memories of the Allen Theatre" page as a contribution of Rick Albright. Ozfan 22 also has this one on Flickr.

c.1980 - A view of the Allen's maroon-tiled boxoffice. Thanks to Ozfan 22 for posting the photo on Flickr. It also appears on the South Gate High 56 "Memories of the Allen Theatre" page.

c.1986 - Looking toward the missing boxoffice. It's a photo on the South Gate High 56 "Memories of the Allen Theatre" page. Suelyn also has a version of this one posted on Cinema Treasures. She comments: "Yuri’s records on the corner next door to Allen Theatre. 1986 or 1987 note there is an operational pay phone. (I spent many conversations on that pay phone). The poster on the record store is for 'The Dead Kennedys.' Notice the maroon tile on Yuri’s no longer continues across the front of the Allen Theatre face."

c.2000 - A photo from the South Gate High 56 "Memories of the Allen Theatre" page.

2007 - Thanks to Michael Poulin for his photo, one appearing on Flickr.

2008 - Thanks to Ken McIntyre for this signage detail.

2008 - A view from across the street taken by Ken McIntyre

2008 - The east side of the building. Photo: Ken McIntyre

2008 - The screen end of the theatre. Photo: Ken McIntyre. Thanks, Ken! Several more of his 2008 photos are on Photobucket: another street view | display cases | entrance doors |

2009 - A signage detail taken by Don Solosan that was part of a survey by the now-dormant Historic Theatre Committee of the L.A. Conservancy to determine the condition of surviving vintage theatre buildings in L.A. Thanks to Hillsman Wright of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation for making Don's photos available.

2009 - A tower view by Don Solosan.

2009 - The theatre's display cases. Thanks to Don Solosan for his photo.

2012 - A look at the front of the closed theatre from the South Gate - Lynwood Patch story "Locals Hopeful Allen Theatre Can Fulfill Entertainment Needs Once Again."

2013 - A noirish view of the theatre on Facebook from its neighbor Yuri's Records.

 

2019 - A view west on Tweedy Blvd. Photo: Google Maps 

 

2021 - Thanks to the Facebook page Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles for this signage detail. 

 

2023 - Alas. Still sitting vacant. Thanks to Chris Nichols for getting this shot in July. He's an editor at Los Angeles magazine and is also the author of the Taschen book "Walt Disney's Disneyland."

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Allen for interesting research on various South Gate Theatres by Joe Vogel and Saraswati 8. There's a South Gate Old Photos group to browse on Flickr.

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