8800 Block of Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069 | map |
Proposed: 1936 for the north side of Sunset Blvd. just west of Horn Ave. Decades later Tower Records was on part of the property. The theatre was never constructed. Thanks to Lisa Kouza Braddock for locating this in the August 9 issue of the L.A. Times.
The Trocadero was a project of L.A. film lab head Joe Aller and eastern film the Gallos Brothers. Their Galbro Theatre Company was to build it. The news items stressed that it would be an ideal venue for studio previews.
Seating: It was announced as 1,600 or 1,800 seats, depending on which article you read.
Projected cost: $300,000
An August 12, 1936 item that Lisa Kouza Braddock located in the Los Angeles Daily News.
An August 13, 1936 story appearing in the L.A. Times that was located by Lisa. See her post on the Lost Angeles Facebook group.
The site had once been a famous avocado orchard operated by Ed Harmon, the "Avocado King." In 1929 a strip of the property was lost due to a widening project on Sunset. See a story down lower. Lisa notes that sometimes his name was printed as Edgar N. Harman. At some point he and his wife retired and leased the property to Central
Funding Company of Hollywood in a $935,550 transaction. Lisa comments:
"The
leased property included prime real estate at the intersection of
Sunset Boulevard, Holloway Drive, and Horn Street, with 140 feet of
frontage along Sunset and 278 feet along Horn. On this land stood 78
pedigreed, fruit-bearing avocado trees ranging in age from 17 to 30
years. Two of the 17-year-old trees alone were said to yield $1,550
worth of fruit annually. According to reports at the time, income from
both the orchard — considered one of the most productive in the world —
and the commercial frontage was sufficient to cover all lease-related
expenses."
In 1936 it's unknown how Galbro fitted into this, whether doing a sub-lease from Central Funding or perhaps they bought out the lease and dealt directly with the Harmons.
Looking east toward Horn Ave. in 1936 with the proposed theatre site on the left.
In this November 4, 1936 article in the Hollywood Citizen-News they claimed that it was nearing completion:
Thanks to Lisa Kouza Braddock for locating the article.
Variety seems to have just recycled much of the Citizen-News reporting for their November 11, 1936 article:
"Largest local construction currently is the Troacdero, nearing completion on Sunset Blvd., in the so-called county strip, thickly populated with night clubs. This house, an 1,800 seater, is being put up by Joe Aller of Consolidated Film Laboratories and some midwestern associates, with work being rushed for opening around the holidays."
The full article:
The
Franklin Theatre mentioned in the article is now a carpet warehouse in Highland Park. The
El Rey is now a music venue, the
Lido was around until 1979, the one mentioned on Wilshire at Stanley opened as the Regina, later renamed the
Fine Arts. The one at Doheny opened as the Elite and was later renamed the
Music Hall.
The broker handling space in a new store building was touting the proximity to the new Trocadero Theatre in this December 14, 1936 classified ad spotted in the L.A. Times by Lisa Kouza Braddock.
As late as January 1937 the trade press still thought the Troc was happening. It gets mentioned in this January 15 Hollywood Reporter story as one of six theatres under construction that were getting RCA
sound installations. The one house on their list that didn't also get mentioned in
the November 1936 Variety article was the
Esquire Theatre, now home to Canter's Deli.
A look east from San Vicente toward Horn Ave. in 1941. Nope, no theatre or anything resembling a 90' illuminated tower.
Thanks to Lisa for locating the 1936 and 1941 images. They make an appearance on the Water and Power Associates Museum page "
Early Views of West Hollywood."
Martin Turnbull also has them on his site on a page about the block.
A 1950s view of the intersection at Sunset and Holloway. Over on the right it's Horn Ave. and Simon's restaurant, later to be the location of
Tower Records. Thanks to Bill Caffrey for posting this on the
Facebook page
Vintage Los Angeles.
Thanks to Tom Anderson for locating this early 1960s shot for a post for the
Mid Century Modern private Facebook group.
Earlier history of the property:
Avocado grower Ed Harmon was in the November 11, 1915 Morning Tribune because he had a hernia. Thanks to Lisa Kouza Braddock for locating the news. See
the full story, where Ed is shilling for the Benjamin method. Lisa comments:
"Notably, avocados were originally known as 'alligator pears,' but the
name was changed in 1914 by farmers to improve consumer appeal and
marketability. Edward Harmon had previously gained acclaim in 1916 when he won silver
medals for his avocados at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition."
Plans for taking part of the "famous Harmon avocado orchard" were underway due to a 1929 street widening project. This was in the September 29 issue of the L.A. Times.
Thanks to Lisa Kouza Braddock for all her research!
Nearby: The
Tiffany Theatre was a bit east at 8534. Across the street from the proposed Trocadero site at 8816 1/2 was the
Cinematheque 16. Down the street at 9000 Sunset it was the
Granada.
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