Ritz Theatre (Los Angeles, California)

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Ritz Theatre
Los Angeles's Ritz Theatre on Wilshire Boulevard, 1926.jpg
The theater in 1926
Ritz Theatre (Los Angeles, California)
Address5214 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles
Coordinates 34°03′44″N118°20′37″W / 34.0622°N 118.3437°W / 34.0622; -118.3437
Type Stage and movie theater
Capacity 1,750 [1] or 1,660 [2] originally, later lowered to 1,402 [2]
Construction
OpenedOctober 15, 1926
Renovatedlate 1940s, 1963
Demolished1977
Construction cost$350,000 ($6.22 million in 2024)
Architect Lewis Arthur Smith

Ritz Theatre, also known as Fox Ritz Theatre and Lindy Opera House, was a stage and movie theater located at 5214 Wilshire Boulevard, on the corner of Wilshire and La Brea Avenue, in Los Angeles, California.

Contents

History

Ritz Theatre was designed for West Coast Theatres by Lewis Arthur Smith, an architect known for many theaters in southern California, most notably the Vista, El Portal, Highland, Rialto, and Ventura. [3] This theater, part of a block-long commercial development that included offices, stores, and apartments, was commissioned for $350,000 ($6.22 million in 2024) in anticipation of what would become Miracle Mile, Los Angeles. Ritz Theatre, one of the first "talking" movie theaters in Los Angeles, opened with a screening of The Strong Man on October 15, 1926. Its capacity was either 1,660 or 1,750 at opening, and was later reduced to 1,402. [1] [4] [5]

In 1929, West Coast Theaters merged with Fox Theaters, after which this theater was renamed Fox Ritz Theatre. In the 1950s, the theater was used for private screenings by producer Mike Todd, on January 25, 1960, Scent of Mystery and its accompanying smell-o-vision had its west coast premiere in the theater, [6] and in December 1963, Sidney Linden reopened the theater as the Lindy Opera House. [7] The theater was later briefly converted back to a movie theater and then to a Korean church. [1] [5]

Ritz Theatre and the building it was part of was razed in 1977 and replaced by a parking lot, the parking lot later replaced by another development. [1]

Architecture and design

Ritz Theatre originally featured Beaux Arts architecture with Spanish and French Baroque ornamentation in its interior. The exterior also featured an ornate rooftop electric sign and the interior a 42-by-30-foot stage for live performances. [1]

After World War II, Ritz Theatre's exterior was sheathed in concrete, glass, and steel. The rooftop sign remained through and after the remodel. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ritz Theatre (Demolished)". Los Angeles Conservancy . Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Early Los Angeles Historical Buildings (1925 +)". Water and Power Associates. p. 1. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  3. ↑ Michelson, Alan. "Lewis Arthur Smith (Architect)". University of Washington Pacific Coast Architecture Database . Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  4. ↑ "West Coast Plans New Playhouse". Los Angeles Times . August 19, 1925 – via losangelestheatres.blogspot.com.
  5. 1 2 Chappell, John. "Fox Ritz Theatre". Cinema Treasures . Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  6. ↑ Smell-O-Vision - The New Show Business Sensation of the Nation! (flyer), 1959 – via losangelestheatres.blogspot.com
  7. ↑ Donaldson, Herbert (December 1963), 'Lindy' Linden in Break-Through (news article) – via losangelestheatres.blogspot.com
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