Los Angeles Theatres: Garvey Theatre

8100 block of Garvey Ave. Rosemead, CA 91770 | map |

Opened: It was running by January 1938. Thanks to Cathy Romero for this photo of the building in use as a church. It appears on Cinema Treasures as a post by Valverderose

In the 1939 Alhambra directory it's listed as being at 740 E. Garvey Ave. in Garvey. Ken Rose notes that it was listed with a 716 E. Garvey Ave. address in the 1950 and 1952 editions of the Film Daily Yearbook. The area has now adopted the L.A. numbering system. Joe Vogel comments that this area was later called South San Gabriel before finally being annexed by Rosemead. The theatre was on the south side of the street a bit west of San Gabriel Blvd.

Seating: The film Daily Yearbook gave a capacity of 750 in 1941 and 740 in 1950 and 1952. Thanks to Ken Roe for the research.

Architect: Unknown. Joe Vogel offers this fine description:

"... The building was of masonry construction, with a wood truss roof. About 1950, the building was gutted by an arson fire, and the roof had to be reconstructed. The style was simple and modern, with a vague suggestion of Spanish Mission style in the form of a bit of tile trim along the roof edge. There was a tripartite marquee, the two sides angled back from the center section, the name Garvey repeated on all three sections. Atop the building was the vertical name sign, carried on an open metalwork tower lined outlined with white neon which flashed on and off in synchronization with the changing colors of the name.

"The lobby was of modest size, and the auditorium was closed off from it by drapes rather than doors. The concession stand was on the wall between the aisle entrances. It was a two-aisle auditorium, and was so low that the openings for projecting films were no more than three feet below the ceiling. There were six of the common octagonal chandeliers of metal with colored glass panels, and there were three or four wall sconces on each side of the auditorium. The side walls were each decorated with three or four large medallions (probably plaster relief painted bronze) featuring the profile of an American Indian, similar to that on an Indian-head penny. There were four or five rows of leather loges at the back of the theater, and ordinary plush theater seats in the rest of the house... The Garvey featured a crying room next to the projection booth, reached by a narrow, curving stairway. The restrooms (on the main floor) were rather large for a small neighborhood house, and well appointed..."

Joe discussed the neighborhood in comments on a thread on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group that was about a building in Alhambra that later veered off to discuss Garvey:

"I lived on Falling Leaf Avenue south of Newmark from 1945 until 1951, when we moved to Garvey Hills. That neighborhood was very different then than it was by 1975. The old Beach's Market was still standing on Garvey just east of Gladys, with the Garvey Pharmacy next door at the corner, and across Gladys a second market, originally called Spotlight, which later became a branch of Gateway. Around the corner on San Gabriel there was even a small 5 & 10 cent store called Barnette's. We also had a neighborhood theater, the Garvey, on the south side of the street just west of the wash. I went to a many Saturday matinees there."

The theatre was operated by the Edwards circuit as a second or third run house.

A January 1946 listing for the Garvey. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this as well as many other items on the page for a thread about the theatre on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.

"Battle Flames..." The Garvey had a fire in 1949. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this photo for Ken's Movie Page. It appeared in the March 22 issue of the Pasadena Star-News under the banner headline "Arson Investigated in Garvey Theater Fire."

The Star-News March 22 story:

Four recent fires in theatres operated by Edwards: union troubles.

Jeff Bridges located this item in the March 23, 1949 issue of the L.A. Times:

"Possibility of arson in the early morning burning of part of the Garvey Theater, 716 E Garvey Blvd., Wilmar, was indicated yesterday as the Sheriff’s arson squad investigated suspicious factors of the $60,000 blaze. Lt. David Ostraff of the Sheriff’s arson detail found a broken window and indications that an arsonist might have poured flammable fluid on the rear seats, where the outbreak is believed to have originated. The fire spread to the attic and into the roof. The theater was unoccupied at the time. It required five engine companies to curb the fire..."

Another story about the fire that Ken located.

Sheriff deputies playing Santa in December 1950. Thanks to Ken for locating the story.

Trying to sell the theatre in February 1950. This theatre wasn't the only one in trouble. Ken McIntyre found the ad.

A rental for a live show in June 1952.

A rental for a week of revival meetings in July 1953. Thanks to Ken for the ad.

More revival crap in August 1953.

Joe Vogel notes: "It later re-opened as a theatre, briefly, but when CinemaScope came along, Edwards didn't think the place worth the investment for a new screen..."

Edwards booked films when there weren't any more lucrative rentals to be had. This was an October 1954 listing for the circuit that Ken located in the L.A. Times.

Closing: It finally closed as a film house in October 1954. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for all his research for the post on Ken's Movie Page. He says there weren't any more ads after October.

Joe Vogel comments: "I took a picture of it... around 1960, when it was the Dancing Deliverance Tabernacle, a Pentecostal church."

Status: It was demolished around 1980.

A demolition view looking west across the wash. Thanks to Catalina Rose for sharing her photo on Cinema Treasures.

A K-Mart was built on the site. That building is now an Asian grocery store called the GW Supermarket.

More information: See the Cinema Treasures page about the Garvey Theatre.

Los Angeles Theatres

Garvey Theatre

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