Los Angeles Theatres: California Theatre

341 N. Brand Blvd. Glendale, CA 91203 | map |

Opened: December 25, 1928. The California Theatre was part of the building that also housed the California Hotel, located on the southwest corner of Brand Blvd. and Lexington Dr. This December 11, 1937 view with the street all decked out for Christmas is a photo from the Herald Examiner collection at the Los Angeles Public Library.

Architect: Unknown

Seating: 772

In the 40s the California was being operated by Fox West Coast. Joe Vogel found a mention in the November 7, 1941 issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor noting that S. Charles Lee was designing a renovation that would include alterations to the entrance, boxoffice and lobby for a cost of $12,000.

Closing: It closed in 1956 according to Bill Gabel.

Status: After closing as a theatre, the space became a furniture store. It was later demolished. There's now a Bank of America branch on the site. The adjacent Lexington Hotel, now called the Brandwood, survives.

Interior views:

In the main lobby with a view toward the house left aisle. It's one of seven interior views of the theatre taken in 1928 by Mott Studios. They're in the California State Library collection, cataloged as their set # 001387144. "The Man Who Laughs" was a November 1928 release with Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt.

Looking back out to the main lobby from near the house left aisle. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1928

A peek in from the back of the main floor. Note the organ console in the left side of the pit. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1928

A view of the rear of the house. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1928

A bit more of the ceiling revealed. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1928

A balcony shot. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1928

A balcony seating detail. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1928

More exterior views:

late 1920s - Looking north on Brand toward the California Theatre. It's a photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Their caption: "The Lexington Hotel and Hotel California are the two large buildings across the street. White building on the left belongs to the Glendale News- Press."

1935 - A photo on the Cal State Oviatt Library website from the Glendale Police Photo Collection at the Glendale Public Library. Their caption: "Brand Boulevard in Glendale near the Glendale News-Press building and the Lexington Hotel in the 300 block, 1935. A officer for the Glendale Police Department is visible at center, examining the street. Pacific Electric tracks and power lines run down the center of the street. The California Theatre is featuring the movie 'Dark Angel' (1935) starring Frederic March, Herbert Marshall and Merle Oberon."

1937 - A detail from the Los Angeles Public Library Herald Examiner collection photo at the top of the page. They were running another film about angels. This "Angel" was an October 1937 release with Marlene Deitrich, Herbert Marshall and Melvyn Douglas.

c.1940 -This postcard view from the Glendale Public Library appears with several other images of the building on page 57 of the 2007 Arcadia Publishing book "Glendale" by Juliet M. Arroyo, Katherine Peters Yamada and George Ellison. The page is included in the book's preview on Google Books.

1953 - A look at the theatre and the Hotel California taken by Glenn B. Ward Commercial Photography. The California was playing "Come Back Little Sheba." The smaller Lexington Hotel building south of the theatre still survives. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for including the photo on Noirish post #10303.

1953 - A detail from the Glenn B. Ward photo. Bruce Kimmel comments: "For such a beautiful house, it got films way later than everyone. This double bill began on June 24th and played a week. Oh, second feature is 'Call Me Madam.'"

c.1955 - The tower of the California is in the distance in this image taken by Jim Danforth. Thanks to Ron Strong, of the Bijou Memories theatre history site, for locating the photo. He comments:

"I stumbled upon this rare photo taken by a teenaged Jim Danforth, later to be the renowned visuals effects artist for the Dragon in 'The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm,' the Loch Ness monster in 'The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao' and for the marvelous if loopy Hammer film 'When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth.' The latter was nominated by the Academy for Best Visual Effects in 1972."

c.1955 - On the left it's a fine view of the California Hotel's oil-derrick style roof sign but the theatre is lost in the shadows. It's a photo by Roger Titus from the Los Angeles Railway Heritage Foundation collection. Thanks to Richard Wojcik for sharing it in a post on the Mid Century Modern private Facebook group.

1950s - The tower of the California can be seen way in the distance in the 300 block. On the left the modern Leed's facade is on what had been the Palace Grand Theatre, 131 N. Brand. On the far right note the spire of the Alex Theatre in the next block at 216 N. Brand. Thanks to Don Sherman for locating the postcard. A different version of it from the Glendale Public Library appeared in a 2010 post on their Book Talk blog.

c.1958 - The theatre as Scott's Furniture is on the far left. Thanks to Deanna Bayless for locating this sad view.

1960 - The redone signage at dusk. Thanks to Charles Phoenix for sharing this photo from his collection as a Facebook post. He notes that the Glendale Federal Savings building dates from 1958.

Los Angeles Theatres

California Theatre

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