Broadway / Lincoln / Daly Theatre

2604 N. Broadway Lincoln Heights (Los Angeles), CA 90031 | map |

Opened: 1911. It's in the 1912 through 1918 city directories as the Broadway Theatre. The location is on the south side of the street one storefront east of Daly St.

Architect: Edward Borgmeyer. The December 1910 issue of the trade magazine Nickelodeon noted that "Architect Borgmeir [sic] has drawn plans for a moving picture building at North Broadway and Daly Street. The building, which will cost $10,000, has been leased to Gore and Stearns."

Seating: 440

In a 1915 L.A. Times ad it was advertised as the North Broadway Theatre. 

 

 

A name change to the Lincoln Theatre announced in November 1919. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this Eastside Journal ad for a post for the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.  

 

A 1922 photo of the Lincoln running "Tess of the Storm Country" with Mary Pickford. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo for a post for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group. 

It was labeled by the seller as 1914 -- Mary had also done a version of this title that year. The key to identifying both the year and the theatre's location is on the right -- signage for "Dr. A.W. A_____."  In the 1923 city directory Dr. Abbott is listed with an address of 2602 N. Broadway.  In 1914 Abbott was on the other side of the street at 2715. 

In the 1921 through 1929 city directories it's listed as the Lincoln Theatre. 

 

 

A March 1927 ad. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this and the other ads and news items below.  

 

 

A fire in December 1927.

 

 

A Mr. A. Burke takes over from Taylor as owner in April 1930. And the talkies have arrived. 

 

 

A May 1930 ad. 

 

 

Another fire in May 1930. 

 

 

A sad bit of January 1931 church news. A takeover. 

 

More news on the religion page in January 1931. They were offering a slide show as an adjunct to church services at what they were then calling the Broadway Revival Tabernacle. 

 

 

"The Little Family Theatre with the BIG SHOW." The movies were back in July 1931 and with a new name, the Daly Theatre.

 

The theatre was closed for a period and had a reopening in September 1933 as the "remodeled and redecorated" New Daly Theatre. Ladies were given a box of Luxor complexion powder and rouge at the reopening. Free ice cream cones for the kids at the matinees of the first weekend.

 

 

 

R.D. McGrew, previously at the San Carlos and the Starland, was named manager of the theatre. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this September 1933 article in the Lincoln Heights Bulletin to include in a thread about the area's theatres for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group. 

 

 

 

"Big Shows Are Back" Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this October 1933 ad. 

 

A Lincoln Heights Bulletin story Ken located about those "Big Shows" playing in September 1933.

 

A June 1935 ad located by Ken McIntyre. By this time they had dropped the "New" as part of the theatre's name. It's in the 1938 city directory as the Daly Theatre.

 

 

A canned food drive at the Daly in April 1940.  

 

 

Harold Wenzler was the new operator in September 1942. But he didn't stay long. Or maybe just sub-leased it a few months later. At various times Wenzler ran the Lux on 3rd St., the Granada on Temple St., the Roxy in Glendale and the Oaks Theatre in Pasadena. Before operating his own theatres, he had a long career as a theatre PR guy with clients including Sid Grauman. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this item for a thread about the Lux and Wenzler for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.

 

Another remodel, another operator. In 1943 the theatre was taken over by Jack Linder. The grand reopening was February 12. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this article for a thread about the Daly for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.  

 

New construction next door in October 1945. Ken McIntyre located the article.

Harold Wenzler was back operating the theatre in April 1946. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for the research.

Closing: 1946 might have been the end. Ken comments: "The Daly seems to vanish from sight after the April 1946 blurb."

Status: There's now a 99 cent store on the site. Joe Vogel says the theatre is truly gone, based on data from the Los Angeles City Planning Department which lists a construction date of 1968.

Looking east on N. Broadway. Down the street a bit, the tall beige building in the center of the photo is the Starland Theatre at 2624 N. Broadway. Photo: Google Maps - 2012

A rear view of the 1968 vintage building where the Daly once was. We're looking north on Daly St. toward N. Broadway. Google Maps - 2012

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Daly Theatre for data that Ken McIntyre and Joe Vogel have found in their researches. Thanks, gentlemen.

The Daly gets a mention in "L.A.'s North Broadway Area...," an article by Bruce LaLanne about Lincoln Heights theatres in the January 1993 issue of Tom B'hend's publication Greater L.A. Metro Newsreel. Thanks to Ron Mahan for scanning the article.

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