Bentley Grand / Hart / Hip / Strand Theatre

319 on the Pike Long Beach, CA 90802  | map |   

Opened: 1908. It was on the north side of The Pike in the middle of the block between Cedar Walk and Chestnut Pl. That's the tapered top of the theatre's stagehouse in the center of this detail from a c.1908 postcard. On the left is the Virginia Hotel, begun in 1906 and opened in 1908. Just to the right of the Bentley, behind that yellowish bandstand on the beach, can be seen the spires of the entrance to the Tarrytown Theatre. On the right is the curved roof and Mission-style facade of the Majestic Rink, with its "dancing" sign on the roof. 

The Bentley building's address slopped around a bit, both when it was a theatre and later when it was repurposed as retail spaces: 315-317-319. At one time or another there were eight theatres on the 300 block. The Bentley's nearest theatre neighbors on the north side were the Tarrytown / Palace of Pictures / Pastime at 311-313 on the east and the Bijou Theatre, on the west at 333.

Construction of the new Bentley, along with other theatre action, had been noted in a March 5, 1908 L.A. Times that was located by Ken McIntyre:

"SURFEIT OF THEATERS The city, after a famine, is to have a surfeit of playhouses. A deal for a third theater was closed today between the Seaside Water Company and the E.C. Edmundson and R.C. McDonald, former manager of the Long Beach Theater. The site leased is a 58 x 200 foot lot between the bath-house and the Majestic Rink, and heretofore has been used as a children's playground. 

"Mr. McDonald has the plans and capital for a modern theater which will be erected at once and will cost $40,000. Meanwhile, the new Tarrytown, a block west, is being built, and the Naples Construction Company today signed contracts to begin work on the Bentley Theater, west of the Majestic Rink."

Evidently the "third theater" noted in the article to be "erected at once" by McDonald didn't happen. The site between the bathhouse and the rink got a theatre on it in 1910, the Columbia, at 235 The Pike. Later on the site was Hoyt's, a house that ended up as the Strand Theatre.

 

Seating: 1,500 is one number that has appeared. An April 1919 article gave the capacity as 700. 

Architect: Unknown

 

 

The Bentley appears on the north side of The Pike (aka the "Walk of a Thousand Lights") in this detail from a 1908 Sanborn Map appearing courtesy of Ronald W. Mahan. This area of the map can also be seen as plate 37 on the website of Historic Map Works.

 

November 19, 1908 ads for the Bentley Grand and several of its competitors on the Pike. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this for a thread for the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.   

 

In the 1908 Thurston city directory the Bentley Theatre is listed as 317 "On The Pike." It's listed as the Bentley Grand, 317 "On The Pike," in the 1909-1910 Thurston directory with Perry Girton as manager. In the 1911 through 1916 city directories of several different publishers it continued to be listed as the Bentley Grand at 317.  

 

 

"High Class Vaudeville and Moving Pictures." It's a September 1910 ad located by Ken McIntyre for a Facebook post on Ken's Movie Page. 

 

An October 1910 program for "The Loan of a Wife" listing Ross and Kennedy as running the theatre. Thanks to Jeff Greenwood for sharing this from his collection of memorabilia related to his great-grand-aunt Anna Robinson. She was a singer, actress and vaudeville performer here playing the parts of an actress and a maid. When she worked as a solo singer she was sometimes billed as "The Little Girl with the Big Voice" and "The Great Coon Shouter."  

 

 

 

Anna in costume in a photo from the Jeff Greenwood collection. It was taken in Long Beach on October 7, 1910. 

 

A review of the Kelly & Massey Tivoli Musical Comedy Co. production of "An Easy Mark" with Anna Robinson featured. This item from Jeff's collection is presumably also from 1910.   

 

 

 

A review of "The Christening" at the Bentley, a show featuring Anna, here referred to as "everybody's favorite." The date is unknown. Also in this show was Anna's husband, Frederick Palmer. With a magic act they appeared in vaudeville theatres for years together with acts such as "Palmer and Robinson, The Sorcerer and the Soubrette" and "The Maid and the Mountebank." In 1905 they had played at Fischer's Theatre and the Unique Theatre in downtown L.A. Solo engagements by Anna in the area included the Colonial in East L.A., the Optic in Whittier and the Byde-A-Wyle on the Pike, then called the Boston Theatre. Thanks, Jeff!  

 

In 1912 the Bentley Grand was being operated by Messrs. Howell and Skinner. The Bentley is mentioned in an article about them being new lessees of the Grand Opera House on Main St. in Los Angeles. At the time they were also operating the Lyric Theatre in downtown L.A. 

The theatre suffered some damage in a 1913 earthquake. This item appeared in the July 19, 1913 issue of Southwest Builder and Contractor: 

"Long Beach -- plans are being prepared for the reconstruction of the Bentley-Grand Theater on The Pike, east of Chestnut Place, owned by Eastern capitalists, at the head of which is I. H. Bentley of Minneapolis. The building will be brick and will have a seating capacity of 1,200..."

 

 

They were soon back in business. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this August 1913 ad for a program headlined by the Hawaiian Serenaders. It was included by Ken in a thread about the theatre on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group. 

 

 

A "wonderfully correct version" of Quo Vadis" with the co-hit "Wildest America" on the big screen at the Bentley Grand in August and September 1913. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the ad. 

 

 

An October 18, 1913 ad for the Vernon & Willard Stock Company.  

 

 

An article about the Vernon & Willard troupe that also appeared in a Long Beach paper on October 18, 1913. Thanks to Ken Crossley for locating these two items. He notes that the real name of Jack C. Vernon was Charles Vernon Jackson. Ken also located "Too Realistic, He Nearly Dies," an August 19, 1909 LA Times story on the "hard-luck actor, whose realism continually lands him in hospital." It can be downloaded as a PDF using the "actions" pulldown from the post on the site Family Tree.

 

The Bentley Grand is seen in this detail from image 28 of a 1914 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map in the Library of Congress collection. Between the Bentley and Cedar Walk to the east were the earlier Tarrytown / Palace of Pictures at 313, not shown as a theatre on the map, and the Pastime at 311, indicated as "Moving Pictures."

West of the Bentley toward Chestnut Pl. shown as moving picture theatres on the map were the Bijou Theatre at 333 (here seen as 329-331 and [sic] 335) and the Arrowhead / Joyland at 339. On the Beach side were the Art Theatre at 314, the Wonderland / Gaiety at 330-332, and the Boston at 348-360. Earlier that one had been called the Byde-A-Wyle with an entrance at 336.  

In the 1916-17 Long Beach directory published by Los Angeles Directory Co. it's called the Empress Bentley at 317 The Pike. E. E. Gagnon was the manager at the time. 

 

 

A May 1916 ad for a big giveaway at the Empress-Bentley that was located by Ken McIntyre. 

 

In 1917's city directory by Seaside Printing Co. we get a listing under theatres for "Hart Bros." at 319 The Pike. In Seaside's 1918 directory it's the Hart Theatre. 

 

 

A rare c.1918 look at the entrance when the Hart Brothers were running the theatre offering productions of the Hart Players and "The best in vaudeville." Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing the photo. After the Hart guys left this venue they were operating the Hart Theatre on Anaheim St.  

 

 

Otis Hoyt buys the place in 1919 and renames it the Hip Theatre. This April 2 article notes that his new Hoyt's Theatre on the Pike was nearing completion. That was the theatre that ended up as the Strand. Poor Hoyt had contracted with so many vaudeville acts from the Hippodrome and Pantages circuits that he needed another theatre. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this. It was included by him in a thread about the theatre on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group. 

 

 

"Real Vaudeville" -- meaning acts from a major circuit. An interesting article about the opening of the Hip that appeared in the May 7, 1919 issue of the Long Beach Press. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it. 

 

 

A few day's shutdown caused by a flaming flea circus. It's another item located by Ken McIntyre. This one appeared on July 16, 1919. Up next was the "Famous Mystic" and then a new policy.

 

 

A White Mahatma, the Great Murdock, comes to the Hip to answer questions and do some tricks. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this July 16, 1919 ad. 

 

The July 21, 1919 issue of the Long Beach Telegram noted "Big audience thinks at Hip Theater," whatever that meant. 

 

In the 1919 directory it's listed as the Hip, again with a 319 address. In the 1920 city directory issued by Western Directory Co. it's called the Strand Theatre at 319 and under the management of Beier & Freshwater.  

 

 

 

A December 21, 1920 Daily Telegram ad for the theatre as the Strand. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing it. See the page about the other Strand Theatre, the former Hoyt's in the 200 block, that stayed with the name substantially longer.

Closing: 1921 was it for the Bentley. The Los Angeles Public Library's California Index summarized an item that had appeared in the January 21, 1921 issue of Southwest Builder and Contractor: 

"The former Bentley Theater, Long Beach, will be remodeled into a dance hall; address given as 319 The Pike; estimated cost $25,000." 

The theatre is not listed in the 1921 or later directories. 

Status: The building was repurposed. In later years it saw use as a billiard hall, restaurant and other uses. At some point the stagehouse was removed. Demolition was sometime in the 1970s. 

 

The remodeled Bentley building is seen at #317-319-323 just to the right of Biona Ct. in this detail from image 28 of the 1950 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map that's in the Library of Congress collection. 

 

 

More images: 

c.1907 - An early Pike postcard with not much development yet on the west end. The Virginia Hotel is under construction. This side of it there's no sign of the Bentley yet. The card was on eBay where Deleah2 got $12.50 for it. The building with the classical columns is the Bathhouse, dating from 1902. Beyond is the arched roof of the Majestic Rink, first used for roller skating, later for dancing.

 

 

 

c.1908 - This is the postcard view of the west end of The Pike that the detail at the top of the page was taken from. From the left, the major buildings are the Virginia Hotel, the Bentley Theatre, the Majestic Rink with its arched roof, and the Bathhouse. The Tarrytown Theatre at 313 was to the right of the Bentley. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for spotting the card on eBay.

The rear of the card says: "VIEW OF STRAND, LONG BEACH, CAL., Seen on Tilton's 100-Mile Trolley Trip. Here is what it would cost you to visit the points seen on Tilton's Trip: Pasadena and Ostrich Farm..... $.50    San Gabriel Mission and Orange Groves..... .55    Long Beach.... .50    Alamitos Bay and Naples.... .20    Total individual cost.... $1.75. But all for $1.00 on Tilton's Cars, with a reserved Chair Free and a Competent Guide. Cars leave daily, 9 and 9:30 A.M., Pac. Elec. Depot, Cor. 6th & Main Sts., Los Angeles. Phones, Main 8980 or F2444."

 

 

1910 - We're looking west with the Virginia Hotel in the distance. This side of it the Bentley Theatre with its stagehouse is visible. In front of the Bentley we get a unique view of the curvy facade of the Majestic Rink, here appearing very white. The Theatorium, on Board Walk, here colored brick red, is on the far right. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for locating this in the collection of Loyola Marymount University.  

 

Card Cow has several versions: #103537 | #238226 | #106352 - postmarked 1913. A version of the card is in the Long Beach Public Library collection. The Library also has the black and white photo used to create the card. On the image the photographer, "J.A.," has dated it 1910.

 

 

1910 - A detail from the card in the LMU collection giving us an oblique view of the Bentley's facade.  The theatre has signage on its side wall saying "Bentley." It's unclear what "10 years the standard" on the side of the stagehouse is supposed to be advertising. Note the pylons of the Tarrytown facade in the center of the image and the "Dancing" sign atop the arched roof of the Majestic Rink.

 

 

 

c.1913 - Just beyond the Majestic Rink that's the Bentley's stagehouse with the ad for Owl cigars on the side. This photo taken from the pier is in the Long Beach Public Library collection. 

 

 

 

c.1915 - A photo of the Bentley stagehouse advertising El Belmont cigars. That's the Virginia Hotel over on the right. It's a photo from the Historical Society of Long Beach that appears on the Cal State Long Beach page on the Bentley. 

 

 

 

c.1918 - A fine shot of the back of the theatre sent off to friends or relatives by someone performing there. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for spotting this on eBay. In the margin it was written: "The back of our theater and the place where the rest live." 

 

 

c.1918 - A lovely postcard view looking west on The Pike. That Hart Theatre sign on the right is the name the Bentley was going under at the time. On the far right note the lit pylons of the Tarrytown / Pastime Theatre. The nicely lit clamshell entrance on the left is the Art Theatre at 314. The card is from the Ronald W. Mahan Collection and appears on the Cal State Long Beach page about the Art Theatre. 

 

 

c.1920 - An image from the Ronald W. Mahan collection where Ron has outlined the Bentley. At the time of the photo it had been renamed the Strand, as seen on the theatre's side wall. Just this side of the Strand sign note the pylons of the Tarrytown facade, here seen as one very dark, one brighter. At this time, if it were even still in business as a theatre, it would have been called the Pastime. 

 

The theatre this side of the Rink, on the site of the earlier Columbia Theatre, is Hoyt's at 235. It would later become the Strand Theatre. The photo appears on the Cal State Long Beach page about the Bentley. 

 

 

c.1925 - On the bottom at the center it's a look down onto part of what had been the Bentley. Here we see the brown side of the building with several windows in it. To the left of the former theatre are three of the four buildings (one's obscured from this angle) to the east on the Tarrytown site. Then on the other side of Cedar, it's the Majestic Rink. In the distance on the left note the State Theatre and the Municipal Auditorium. 

 

The building across The Pike with the circular red roof housed the Looff carousel. The second building to the right of the Looff building, the short one, had been the Art Theatre at 314. The building with the curvy Mission-style facade right above the "C" in Card Cow was once the home of the Gaiety Theatre at 330 on the Pike. This copy of the card from the Card Cow collection had a 1930 postmark. 

 

 

 

1933 - A view east with  part of the building that had once been the Bentley on the far left. The second storefront we see was Wing's Oriental art store at 315. That building and the next three single-story buildings had decades earlier been the site of the Tarrytown and Pastime Theatres at 311-313. The arched roof of the Majestic Rink can be seen just to the left of the arm of the streetlight. The roof sign of the Strand Theatre is beyond, against the tower of the Ocean Center building. It's a photo in the Long Beach Public Library collection.  

 

1933 - A post-quake view looking west along the 300 block toward Chestnut Pl. The building with the signage for "Wing's" is the repurposed Bentley Theatre building, 317-319-325. The Wing's store was in the single-story building this side of the theatre at 315. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo.

 

The large building in the center of the image with the peaked roofline is on the site of the Joyland Theatre at 339. Just this side of it with the curved parapet is the former Bijou Theatre location at 333.  The Pastime Theatre had once been on the far right at 311.

 

 

1933 - A view in a bit closer to the former Bentley. Note those interesting "lanterns" on either end of the facade. This Austin Studio view is in the California State Library collection, their item #01391404. 

 

 

1933 - A better angle to see inside the theatre building after the facade crumbled. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing this detail from an image they have. 

 

 

 

1940 - A look at the territory from above. The Rink is in the upper center. The four buildings on the Tarrytown site are to the left of the Rink and then there's the larger rebuilt Bentley Theatre building. To the right of the rink is the Strand Theatre. It's a photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. 

 

 

 

1940 - A detail from the Library's photo indicating the rebuilt Bentley building. That wider building at the back of the stagehouse is actually a separate apartment building.

1953 - The rebuilt Bentley building is on the right. Thanks to Vintage Kodachrome Slides for sharing this image on Instagram.

 

 

 

1959 - A terrific view of the Pike with the Strand two thirds of the way up on the right edge of the image. To the left of the Strand is the big arched roof of the Majestic Rink/Lido. Keep looking left across Cedar Walk and note the four long skinny buildings, a site once for the Tarrytown / Pastime theatres. The larger building to the left of those four is the building that was formerly the Bentley. It's right behind the steeple of the circular Looff's carousel building. Thanks to Augie Castagnola for locating the photo for a post on Facebook. He notes that over on the left, up on Ocean Blvd., the Long Beach Superior Courthouse is under construction.

 

 

 

c.1965 - Wing's signage is still seen on the side of the rebuilt Bentley building in this view west but the premises have become "Sport Shooting." Beyond, it's the building with the curvy parapet at the Bijou location and larger, two-story building on the Joyland site plus several lots beyond. On the left note the "Looff's Amusements" sign on their old carousel building. Thanks to Sarah in Vegas for sharing her photo.

 

 

2018 - Recognize the neighborhood? Straight ahead we're looking west on The Pike, now dubbed "The Walk of a Thousand Lights." The Bentley was once down there about a hundred feet on the right, with the Tarrytown / Palace of Pictures / Pastime this side of it at various times. On the right in the foreground it's Cedar Walk, heading up toward Ocean Blvd. Photo: Google Maps

More information: There isn't any more about the Bentley.

The pages about the Gaiety, Tarrytown and the Joyland have additional views of the 300 block between Cedar Walk and Chestnut Pl. 

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