Opened: 1923. It was on the south side of the street at Camulos St. That's a long block west of Euclid Ave. Thanks to Charmaine Zoe for locating the 1926 trade magazine photo for her Vintage Cinemas California album on Flickr. Note part of the vertical sign on the far right. "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp" was a March release with Harry Langdon and Joan Crawford that involved a cross-country hiking contest.
Architect: Julian T. Zeller. Thanks to Joe Vogel for researching the building. He found a card in the Los Angeles Public Library's California Index
with data from the November 17, 1922 issue of Southwest Builder and
Contractor:
"Theater and stores -- Architect J. T. Zeller has prepared
plans for a brick store and theater building on Whittier Blvd. near
Camulos Street for Anderson & Wagoner. Dimensions 48x63...$25,000."
Seating: 806
The Crystal was one of many theatres listed in a September 2, 1923 L.A. Times ad celebrating Paramount Week. Thanks to Jeff Bridges for posting the directory listings from the ad on Flickr. The theatre made it into the city directories beginning in 1925.
A 1936 ad appearing in the Eastside Journal. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for adding this and the 1940 ad below as comments to a post of another Crystal ad on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
A 1940 Eastside Journal ad.
In the 40s Eastland Theatres was running the Crystal.
Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating these April 1942 listings from the
L.A. Times. He added this as a comment to a post of some 1935 East L.A. theatre ads on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
"The New Hygiene Thunderbolt!" It's a 1947 ad from the Eastside Journal. Thanks again to Ken McIntyre for adding this as a comment to a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
Closing: The date is unknown. It was still listed in the 1942 city directory as the Crystal Theatre. In the phone company's 1956 and 1965 criss-cross directories it's listed as a church.
Status: It's been demolished. The site is now a parking lot for the Kipp LA Prep school.
1972 - Looking west on Whittier toward the closed Crystal Theatre and Camulos St. beyond. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Hoss C for locating the photo on eBay for his Noirish post #48674. He comments: "Las Margaritas Restaurant is still trading at 2914 Whittier...but most of the other buildings have gone. The Mexican-American Opportunity Foundation was at 2834 Whittier."
1972 - A detail of the theatre building from Hoss C's photo.
1974 - A City Planning Department shot. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
2019 - The view west toward downtown with Las Margaritas on the left. Beyond it's a new YMCA and then Kipp LA Prep school. The theatre site is down beyond the last of the big trees on the left. Photo: Google Maps
2019 - Looking east with Whittier Blvd. on the left and Camulos St. on the right. The parking lot for the preparatory school was the site of the theatre. The school building is using a 2810 Whittier address. Photo: Google Maps
More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Crystal Theatre.
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