Egyptian Theatre

234 E. 4th St. Long Beach, CA 90802 | map | 

Opened: The Egyptian Theatre debuted April 24, 1924. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing the photo with theatre's opening attraction on the marquee. "Little Old New York" was a November 1923 release starring Marion Davies and Stephen Carr. 

The theatre's location was on the south side of the street in the midle of the block between Locust Ave. (now called The Promenade) and American Ave. (now called Long Beach Blvd.) It was also known as Cheroskes' Egyptian.

Architects: Hugh R. Davies and Edward S. Baume designed the remodel project of a building that had been a garage. The project had been announced in the June 8, 1923 issue of Southwest Builder and Contractor: 

"Egyptian Theatre -- Architects Hugh R. Davies and Edward J. Baume, associated...are preparing plans for converting a garage building in Long Beach into a high-class Egyptian theater for Anton F. and Arthur B. Cheroske, Long Beach. Only the walls and trusses of the old structure will be used. Stage for vaudeville, moving picture equipment...organ loft...1700 seats..."

Fred J. Ward designed and installed the ventilating system. Scenery was designed and executed by S.F. Flagg, "America's foremost scenic artist."

Seating: 1,180 is the number used by Cinema Treasures, presumably from a later Film Daily Yearbook. A count of 1,078 is given on the Cal State Long Beach page about the theatre. 

 

 

 

An April 15, 1924 article appearing in the Long Beach Telegram. The clipping is from the Ronald W. Mahan Collection.  

 

 

 

The news coverage and ad from the April 18, 1924 issue of the Telegram. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing the items.  

 

 

 

How could you resist? "...the ushers will serve ice water -- cooled in the theatre's own refrigeration plant." This article located by Ronald W. Mahan appeared in the Telegram's issue of April 23, 1924.

 

 

 

The April 23 ad in the Telegram. 

 

 

A drawing of the new theatre located by Dallas Movie Theaters for a post on Cinema Treasures.

 

 

"There will be no 'scenery' backstage. Every set will be specially made." The wonders of the new theatre were described in this April 23 article from the Long Beach Telegram. It's from the Ronald W. Mahan Collection.  

 

 

 

"Elaborate, ornate, yet never gaudy..." Another article appearing in the April 23, 1924 issue of the Telegram. 

 

 

 

An ad for the opening attraction that appeared in the April 25, 1924 issue of the Long Beach Telegram. It's from the Ronald W. Mahan Collection. 

 

 

Couldn't squeeze in for the opening? The theatre offered its apologies in this second ad that appeared in the Telegram on April 25. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing it.

 

 

 

An April 27, 1924 Long Beach Press Telegram ad for the theatre's opening program. It's from the Ronald W. Mahan collection.  

 

 

 

A July 12, 1924 ad from the Telegram.  

 

 

The Telegram ad on July 13, 1927. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing these.

 

 

A July 18, 1924 ad from the Long Beach Press. 

 

 

 

A July 27, 1924 ad from the Long Beach Press. Many thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing all these newspaper items.

 

In the 1924 and 1925 city directories it's listed at 234 E. 4th. 

 

"Congorilla" playing in 1932. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the ad for a thread about the theatre on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. 

In November 1925 it was sold to West Coast Theatres. The 1926 directory lists it as the West Coast Egyptian. In the 1932, 1933 and 1937 directories they have it as the Fox Egyptian.

Closing: Fox West Coast was running the theatre as late as 1947. Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theaters notes that the theatre closed July 28, 1959 with "Last Train from Gun Hill" and "The Man Who Could Cheat Death" as the last program.

Status: It was demolished in 1959. 

Thanks to Ken McIntyre for including this October 1959 article about the demolition as part of a Facebook thread about Long Beach theatres on Ken's Movie Page. The article's text:

"The demolition man's jackhammer is finishing what the city's changing traffic patterns started and television helped along, putting the Egyptian Theater out of business. The stately old movie house at 226 E.4th St., mecca of three generations of motion-picture-goers, is being razed. Built in the early 1920s, the Egyptian was the rage of the Southland when it opened its doors with a premiere showing of a silent flicker, 'Little Old New York.' 'They came from miles around, driving Model T's, riding bikes and a few in buggies to see it,' recalls an oldtimer. 'It was plenty plush and the decor and architecture inside and out was in an Egyptian theme.'

"The 1,000 seat theater made the transition from silent films to talkies without a hitch and for a number of years was the chief outlet in the city for MGM films. Thousands of World War II servicemen remember the red-white-and-blue bunting outside and the special ticket rates. After the war it was completely remodeled, but the Egyptian was headed downhill. Television cut into its market and it passed from a first-run to a second-run house. Then the city made 4th St. a one-way street and attendance dwindled further. Lack of parking was another problem. And, ironically, the site is to become an automobile parking lot."

 

 

An interior view: 

A photo from the Ronald W. Mahan Collection. It makes an appearance on the on the Cal State Long Beach page about the theatre. There's also a version of the photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. 

 

A closer look at the ornament above the proscenium.

 

 The house right flag bearer.

 

 

More exterior views:

c.1925 - Promoting the Jackie Coogan film "Old Clothes," a November 1925 release. It's a photo from the Ronald W. Mahan Collection that appears on the on the Cal State Long Beach page. Thanks, Ron!

 

 

 

1928 - The theatre running "Hot News," a July 1928 silent release with Bebe Daniels and Neil Hamilton. It's a photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. 

 

 

1931 - "Last Day This Picture." Note the new "Fox" addition atop the vertical. "The Princess and the Plumber," was a December 1930 release with Charles Farrell and Maureen O'Sullivan. It's a photo from Marc Wanamaker's Bison Archives that appears on page 124 of the terrific 2008 Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres in Los Angeles" by Suzanne Tarbell Cooper, Amy Ronnebeck Hall and Mr. Wanamaker. 

 

The page with the photo is included in the book's preview on Google Books. Among the book's comments: "In a story melodramatic enough to have come from a silent film, the theatre's first manager put a bullet in his brain during a drunken, jealous frenzy, while the pretty ticket seller he had kidnapped knelt in prayer."  

 

 

 

2018 - A look from Long Beach Blvd. down the redeveloped south side of the block. No sign of the Egyptian anywhere. Photo: Google Maps

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Egyptian for some fine research by Ken McIntyre and Joe Vogel.

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