Built in 1926, the Carthay Circle Theatre was one of the most well-known movie theaters in Hollywood, and the sight of many a glamorous movie premiere. These two vintage images are from August 1949. The theatre marquee is promoting the Cary Grant movie, “I Was A Male War Bride.”
Yes, Cary Grant (with Ann Sheridan) in drag.
Image number two from this set:
Would it surprise you that this glorious piece of architecture was demolished in 1969 for a ho-hum office building? Probably not.
In 2012, Disney California Adventure revealed their “miniature” version of the theatre, reimagined as a high-end dining venue:
See more Movie Palace photos at my main website.
What a shame--30 years after "Gone With the Wind" had its Los Angeles premiere there, the Carthay was demolished. "GWTW" was apparently the last attraction , playing for nearly a year, so the theatre sort of came full circle.
ReplyDeleteIn Westchester California, the splendid Loyola movie theatre with its Bird of Paradise marquee also ceased showing films and was converted to offices, but the building with its baroque prow and deco box office remains.
@Stefano I never knew that about the Carthay Circle playing GWTW for "nearly a year." I wonder how crowded the theater was for each performance? Great post today (and really every day) Dave!
ReplyDeleteAlways your pal,
Amazon Belle
There are some former Fox theaters surviving in Hanford and Visalia, in the San Joaquin Valley.
ReplyDeleteThe Hanford theater is a concert venue and the Visalia theater still shows movies.
Both are in a similar florid Mediterranean Spanish-Moorish-Italian style, but not as big or flashy as the lost Carthay.
Thanks for posting those old photos, Dave.
JG