Coughran Opera House

112 E. 1st St. Long Beach, CA | map |

Opening: Perhaps 1904. The Coughran Opera House is in the Long Beach city directory that year. The proprietor is listed as J.B. Coughran, who also had a real estate and insurance firm in the three story building on the southeast corner of E. 1st St. and Pine Ave. In this c.1907 photo from the Ronald W. Mahan Collection we're looking west toward Pine. The side of the building the theatre was in is seen on the left with Coughran's signage. 

 

The assumption is that the theatre was upstairs with other commercial use on the ground floor. The Coughran Block also had an entrance and retail spaces on Pine, using addresses 38-44. The location was just north of where the Palace Theatre would be built in 1916 at 30 Pine. Earlier Coughran's firm had been called Coughran and Coughran but by the time of the 1905-06 city directory it was J.B. Coughran & Co. 

 

Seating: 550

 

Proscenium: 25' wide x 16' high.

 

Stage depth: 16' from curtain to back wall, 3' from curtain to footlights.

 

Grid height: Unknown. The grooves for positioning scenery could be taken up flush with the flyfloor.

 

Illumination: Both gas and electric.

The data comes from the 1904-05 edition of Julius Cahn's Official Western Theatrical Guide where they spell it Coughlan Opera House and invent a J.B. Coughlan as manager. It's the only theatre listed for Long Beach in that edition, which they note then had a population of 6,000. At the time of publication the prices were 50 cents and 35 cents. The required show printing was posters for 20 stands, 10 3-sheets, 20 1-sheets, and 20 half sheets. The book is on Google Books. The 1906-07 and 1908-09 editions noted that there was no theatre in Long Beach at those times.

 

 

The Coughran Block is shown in blue in this detail from a 1908 Sanborn insurance map appearing courtesy of Ronald W. Mahan. Also see a wider area from the map. The theatre entrance was mid-block on 1st. The map indicates that the stage was on the Pine Ave. end of the building.

It's still listed as the Coughran Opera House in the 1905-06 city directory. Although perhaps not still active as a theatre, the space was listed in the 1908 city directory as Coughran Hall with a 112 1/2 E. 1st address. The competition listed in the 1908 directory was only one theatre, the Long Beach Theatre at the foot of Locust St. That one would soon close, leaving the town without a legit theatre until the Tarrytown and Bentley theatres opened later that year.

Closing: It's unknown how long the space was in use as a public venue. It's still listed as Coughran Hall in the 1909-10 and 1911 city directories.

Status: The building survived into the 1970s and was then demolished. The parking garage for the Renaissance Hotel is now on the site.   

 

 

1913 - We're looking north with the side of the Coughran Block in the upper center of the image. It's the long plain brick building in front of that five-story white building on the north side of 1st. Pine Ave. is on the left. In the foreground it's Ocean Blvd. and the vacant lot where the Markwell Building would be constructed that would contain the State Theatre. It's a photo from the Ronald W. Mahan Collection.  

The building with the clock tower on the northwest corner of 1st and Pine (115 Pine) is now called the L'Opera Building, originally the First National Bank of Long Beach Building. It's a 1906 design by Train and Williams, who also have a few theatres to their credit. It's unknown if the "L'Opera" name is intended as an homage to the Coughran Opera House. 

 

 

 

1913 - A detail from Ron's photo with the Coughran indicated. One of the signs on the side is advertising furnished rooms. 

c.1915 - A view north on Pine toward 1st St. The reddish hulk on the right is the Coughran Block. The stage was at this end of the building, presumably on the second floor. In 1916 the Palace Theatre would be built where we see the single story buildings on the far right. The card appears on the site Card Cow. 

 

 

 

1920s - The Opera House building is on the right just beyond the Palace Theatre where they're running something starring Gloria Swanson. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for sharing this lovely card from her collection. 

 

There's also a copy in the Long Beach section of the site Penny Postcards from California. Two copies of the card are reproduced in black and white on pages 15 and 16 of Marlin Heckman's 2000 Arcadia Publishing book "Long Beach in Vintage Postcards." It's on Google Books. 

 

 

 

c.1920 - A view west on 1st toward Pine. The building with the Coca-Cola signage on the far left was once the home of the Opera House. It's a card from the site Card Cow.

 

 

1956 - A look north on Pine toward the Palace and the former Opera House building. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing this photo from his collection. 

 

 

 

1956 - A detail from Sean's photo giving us a better look at the Coughran Block facade. The Palace was running "The McConnell Story," a 1955 release with Alan Ladd, along with William Castle's 1955 epic "New Orleans Uncensored" and "Revenge of the Zombies," from 1943. 

 

 

 

1971 - The facade redone with a fine modern slab. It's an uncredited photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.  

 

 

 

 

2014 - A view west on 1st toward Pine. The Opera House was once over on the left. Photo: Google Maps

 

More information: Well, there isn't any yet.

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