Franklin Theatre

5502 N. Figueroa St. Highland Park (Los Angeles), CA 90042 | map |

Opened: It opened November 5, 1936 with Shirley Temple in "Poor Little Rich Girl" along with "Poppy," starring W. C. Fields. The theatre was an operation of first-time exhibitor Harry L. Rackin. The location is the northeast corner of Figueroa and Avenue 55. 

 

A November 5, 1936 ad for the  "opening program." Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor 50sSnipes for locating this. A likely inspiration for the Franklin name is Franklin High School, just six blocks north up Ave. 54. 

Architect: Lyle Nelson Barcume and Harold P. King of the firm of Barcume & King did the theatre conversion of a 1922 vintage building that originally was the garage for an auto dealership. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor MRY886 for the research. Some of their comments: 

"The Franklin Theater building is a product of over 80 years of adaptive reuse. It was originally built in 1922 for Fred Stillwell as an automobile sales agency and garage. By 1929, it was operated by the local Chevrolet dealer. In 1934 new owner E. H. Rose converted the building to a market. The facade was redesigned in concrete by architect W. L. Schmolle. 

"The theater conversion occurred in 1936, when Rose hired architect Lyle N. Barcume, engineer Harold P. King and contractor G. S. Griffith to convert the existing structure into a theater. The marquee, which was engineered by Blaine Noice (who engineered many of the buildings at the old Walt Disney Studios on Hyperion Avenue) and designed and built by QRS Neon Corporation, Ltd., was installed in September of that year..."

MRY886 asserts that it first opened as the Hughes Theatre but there seems to be no evidence for that. 

Seating: 895 

 

The Franklin gets a mention in this article about L.A.'s "theatre building orgy" that appeared in the November 11, 1936 issue of Variety. Although the article makes it sound like the Trocadero on Sunset was ready to open, it's a house that never actually got built. The El Rey is now a music venue, the Lido was around until 1979, the house at Wilshire and Stanley is now the Fine Arts, the one on Wilshire at Doheny is the Music Hall. 

The Franklin is not listed in the 1936 or 1937 city directories but is in the 1938 directory.  

In 1938 the theatre was taken over  by Kurt Laemmle, a co-founder of the Laemmle circuit. Joe Vogel found mentions of the Laemmle involvement in issues of Boxoffice beginning in October of that year. It was the first L.A. theatre for the family. Kurt and his brother Max added the nearby Glassell Theatre in December 1938 and later acquired the Park Theatre. Additional expansions included the Ritz in Inglewood and the Los Feliz Theatre.  

This 1940 photo is one from the Laemmle collection. "Club de Femmes" was an August 1937 release with Danielle Darrieux and 200 French beauties. Not that she wasn't one herself. "Peter Ibbetson" was a November 1935 release with Gary Cooper and Ann Harding. The photo appeared with a 2021 Indie Focus article about Greg Laemmle on Boxoffice Pro. It's also been seen on the All Movie Theatres Facebook page.

Closing: It ran as the Franklin Theatre until 1952. 

By 1954 it had become the home of De Witt Moving and Storage. The building once had a fancy parapet and tower that were removed in the early 1990s. MRY886 notes on Cinema Treasures: "Since 1994 it has been protected by its inclusion in the Highland Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone."

Status: Since perhaps the 1980s the building has been used by a carpet company, Marin Pinedo Carpets, advertised on their sign as MP Carpets. Escott O. Norton comments: 

"The carpet company that owns it is very wary of people coming in to take pictures. They know the value and might not be using it as a theatre, but last time I was there they expressed that they have no interest in damaging what's left."

Interior views: 

A peek in to what had been the lobby's snackbar area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025 

 

A look in from the sidewalk at the screen end of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025

 

The painted ornament on the house right side of the proscenium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025 

 

Another angle on the area to the right of the proscenium. It's a 2017 photo by C. Stefanic posted on Cinema Treasures with this comment: "Not sure what construction has occurred in this area in the last 30 some odd years, but one can still make out the original EXIT door and side panels, which are still painted from the theatre’s thriving heyday."  

 

A proscenium view taken in 2017 by C. Stefanic. It was shared on Cinema Treasures with this comment: "Though the flooring has been concreted, the screen space and stage remain intact, complete with the luscious murals on the wall."

 

A look over to house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025 

 

 

 

The wide angle view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025 

 

 

A closer look at the house left wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025  

 

A detail from the previous shot reveals that the design of that side wall panel is mostly water damage and repaired cracks with the only painted ornament located in the upper right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025   

More exterior views: 

c.1940 - One of the gentlemen in front is Kurt Laemmle. They were running "Coast Guard," an August 1939 release with Randolph Scott and Frances Dee, along with "Only Angels Have Wings," a May 1939 release with Cary Grant and Jean Arthur. The photo is one displayed on the wall of the lobby at Laemmle's Royal Theatre.

2009 - Looking north on Figueroa. That's Avenue 55 on the right. Photo: Google Maps

 

2017 - A view south with the former theatre building in the middle of the image. Photo: Google Maps 

 

 

2025 - The north side of the building. Note the box on top for the booth and mechanical equipment. Photo: Bill Counter 

 

2025 - The building's facade. Photo: Bill Counter

 

 

2025 - The storefront that had been the theatre entrance. Inside, there's a huge piece of machinery. If you detour around it and go up a couple steps to a doorway through an added wall you're then looking at what had been the snackbar area. Photo: Bill Counter

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Franklin Theatre for nice research by MRY886, Joe Vogel and other contributors.

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