Artesia Theatre

17634 Pioneer Blvd. Artesia, CA 90701 | map | 

Planned: It was announced in 1948, originally with an address of 1122 Pioneer Blvd. Thanks to Scott Pitzer for locating the drawing and article that appeared in the January 23, 1948 issue of the Artesia News. The caption: 

"Soon to emerge as a reality is the new Artesia theater pictured above, designed as the most modern of its type in the Southland. Work on the $100,000 project will begin immediately at 1122 Pioneer boulevard, it is announced by Promoters J.E.Poynter and Terry McDaniel, and the theater will be ready for opening 90 days after start of construction. It is one of several projects planned throughout the Southland by Westates Theaters, Inc." 

The intended location was on the east side of the street, south of 176th St.

Architect: Clifford J. Smale

Seating: It was to be a 700 seat house.

 

Thanks for locating the article, Scott! Jenkins Realty, here noted with an address of 1114 Pioneer was, after street renumbering, listed with a 17626 Pioneer Blvd. address in a 1958 directory of real estate firms. 

Opening: Well, for reasons unknown, the project didn't proceed. 

Scott comments: 

"But was it built? I talked to a former Norwalk neighbor from a movie-crazy family and she can't imagine there was any such theater so close to home yet they never went. I spent a good part of early 2021 going through old L.A. and L.B. newspapers I was given (that's where this came from) but I didn't realize I needed to be checking listings for 'What's playing at the Artesia?' IF it existed."

 

Mark Flores adds: 

 

"I lived in Artesia for over 30 years and never heard of this place." 

A 1951 listing of area theatres with the Artesia conspicuous by its absence. Thanks to Mark for the image.

Status: What was the proposed site for the theatre is currently a vacant lot. Mark Flores comments: 

 

"The empty lot that sits there now still has banners around it claiming Marriott is going to build something. That’s not happening since the neighboring businesses put a stop to it due to too much congestion already.

"I remember three of the houses that were on that lot back in the 1980’s. One of them dated from pre-1920. The other one was occupied by an elderly man and his two sisters. They told me back then that they had all been raised in that house since childhood. So that house would also have been from the same period. The third house was the old Frampton House which was physically moved in 2002 to 186th St where it was turned into Artesia’s Historical Museum. "

 

The site at 17634 Pioneer Blvd. 176th St. is at the left edge of the image. Photo: Google Maps - 2021

More information: Well, at the moment there isn't any. 

| back to top | San Gabriel Valley, Pomona, Whittier theatres | theatres by address: San Gabriel Valley, Pomona, Whittier | South, South Central and Southeast theatres | Pasadena theatres | Downtown theatres | Westside theatres | Hollywood | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | Los Angeles theatres - the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |