Los Angeles Theatres: Sunbeam Theatre

5722 N. Figueroa St. Highland Park (Los Angeles), CA 90042 | map |

Opened: 1914. Usually it was dishes. Or a car. But in this undated view from the Los Angeles Public Library collection the theatre is giving away a cow to some lucky ticket holder.

Architect: Arthur Lawrence Valk. Joe Vogel discusses Valk:

"Architect Arthur Lawrence Valk began practicing in New York City around 1885, as junior partner in has father’s firm, L. B. Valk & Son. His father, Lawrence B. Valk, was best known for his church designs, some of which were built as far afield as Louisiana, Ohio, and Michigan. By 1904, the Valks had moved to Los Angeles. There the firm continued to specialize in churches, but by 1913 Arthur Valk had become well enough known for his work on movie theaters to have been called a 'motion picture specialist' by trade journal Southwest Contractor & Manufacturer. Among his...movie houses were the Argus Theatre (later the Strand) in Santa Barbara, and the Sunbeam Theatre in the Highland Park district of Los Angeles. As he also designed the Globe Theatre # 2 (later the Florence Mills Theatre), it’s possible that he designed other projects for the Globe Amusement Company, perhaps including the Globe # 1 at Fifth and Los Angeles Streets and the Globe # 3 (Holly Theatre) in Echo Park..."

Thanks, Joe!

Seating: 1,296

It's listed in the 1916 through 1923 city directories as being at 5722 N. Pasadena Ave., the former name for this section of N. Figueroa St.. The building is on the east side of the street between 57th Ave. and 58th Ave.

A 1918 ad located by Ken McIntyre.

Closing: The theatre was purchased by the owners of the Highland Theatre and closed in 1925 so it wouldn't be competition.

The building later served as offices for the Highland Park News Herald. Joe Vogel notes that a remodel of the former theatre by Clifford Balch was announced in the July 28, 1933 issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor, perhaps on the occasion of the paper's taking over the building. In the 1980s the by-then-gutted theatre was used by a repertory company and called the Outback Theatre. Cinema Treasures contributor MRY886 reports that the rep troupe collapsed in the early 1990s.

Status: It's been remodeled and is now used for retail. U.S. Office Machines, Sunbeam Vintage and other businesses were tenants at last look. The vintage shop has a small showroom on Figueroa as well as a larger space using an entrance at 106 S. Avenue 58, on the side of the building.

Google offers a 360 degree interior walk through. Thanks to David Zierraton for finding it.

1916 - A sliver of the Sunbeam can be seen at the far left of the card. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for locating the card on eBay. It's featured on Noirish post #53666.

c.1920 - An amazing array of facade styles is featured in this photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. That's the Sunbeam on the far left. The Greek temple was for the Bank of Highland Park.