Los Angeles Theatres: Glassell / Dale Theatre

3526 Eagle Rock Blvd. Glassell Park (Los Angeles), CA 90065 | map |

Opened: July 30, 1926 as the Glassell Theatre, according to research by Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theatres. The location was on the east side of the street at Avenue 35. DMT notes:

"In April of 1929, the theatre was converted to sound using the Qualitone sound system. The theatre appears to have ceased operations under Al Hansen early in 1933 but found a new operator who relaunched with a reopening on June 8, 1933 in Zach Harris.

"When the competing Highland Theatre launched a Bank Night program, the Glassell Theatre successfully launched a lawsuit terminating the lottery-like bank night. In 1936, Al Bowman took on the venue giving it a refresh and, purportedly changing the name of the venue to the LaSalle Theatre. However, it appears that the Glassell name eventually stuck."

Seating: The capacity was 700 according to a mention in "Down Memory Lane," an article about theatres north of downtown appearing in the October 1991 issue of the Tom B'hend publication Greater L.A. Metro Newsreel. The issue is in the Ronald W. Mahan Collection. Thanks to Ron for scanning the article. It's reproduced at the bottom of the page.

The theatre is not in the 1926 city directory but is listed in both the 1927 and 1929 city directories as being at 3526 Glassell Ave.

The street got renamed in 1929. In this 1931 column of ads spotted by Ken McIntyre the theatre is using their new address of 3526 Eagle Rock Blvd. It's similarly listed in the 1932 and 1936 city directories.

In December 1938 the theatre was taken over by Max and Kurt Laemmle. This was the family's second theatre. Just months earlier Kurt had taken over the Franklin Theatre in Highland Park. Later expansions included the Park Theatre in Highland Park, the Ritz in Inglewood and the Los Feliz Theatre.

After the Laemmles gave the house a moderne makeover around 1940, it became the Dale Theatre. It's in the 1942 directory as the Dale.

The Dale is in the center of this c.1948 image from the Sean Ault collection.

A detail from Sean's photo. The marquee says "For Sale or Rent." Thanks, Sean!

Evidently it later reopened, still under Laemmle management. They continued to operate the theatre until at least 1951. The Dale was later run by Bill Jenkins. But not for long. Joe Vogel located an item in the September 10, 1955 issue of Boxoffice that was datelined Eagle Rock:

"[l]ong dark, the Dale Theatre here has been reopened by W. C. Jenkins and Peter Fox."

Closing: An October 1955 fire was the end of the building.

An item appearing in the October 5, 1955 issue of the Times. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it.

The fire was noted in the October 8, 1955 issue of Boxoffice:

"A recent blaze damaged the Dale Theatre in Eagle Rock so badly that owner Bill Jenkins has decided not to rebuild, at least for the time being. He took over the showcase some time ago from Kurt and Max Laemmle."

Is this the interior of the Glassell? Possibly. It's an unidentified photo included with the Newsreel article. The illustrations appear to follow the order of the theatres as discussed in the text.

Status: It's now a parking lot next to a thrift store, a building that dates from 1939, formerly used as a hardware store.