Early Long Beach Theatres
Early Long Beach Theatres
A Beach Resort and Entertainment Mecca
1920, looking north from Pine Avenue Pier with posters heralding Long Beach stage productions, Historical Society of Long Beach
World-Class Stages
At left, view of the Capitol Theatre; at right, view of the State Theatre, photos courtesy of the Ronald W. Mahan & Joseph J. Musil Photo Theatre Collection
Seaside Theatres Galore
These following links to theatres and movie houses coincide mostly with those that existed during film production at Balboa Studio, the majority having been built through the end of 1922, with the exception of these four palaces that opened in 1924 and 1925: 1) The Brayton Theatre (1925); 2) The Ritz/Capitol/Tracy Theatre (1925); 3) The Egyptian Theatre (1924); The (Fox) West Coast (1925).
American Theatre (circa 1912; name changed to Family Theatre by 1930)
Address: 149 E. Seaside Avenue
Capacity: 450 seats
Arrowhead Theatre (May 1911—August 1911, later renamed Joyland Theatre, 1912)
Address: 335-341, The Pike
Capacity: 100 seats
Art Theatre (1907)
Address: 314-316, The Pike
Capacity: 450 seats
Bentley Grand (1907), [renamed the Empress Grand & Hart Theatre (1917); later named the Strand Theatre)
Address: 317-319, The Pike
Capacity: 1,500 seats
Bijou Theatre
Address: 333, The Pike
Boston Theatre (1918?)
Address: 344, The Pike
Brayton Theatre (July 30, 1925)
Address: 2157 Atlantic Avenue
Capacity: 956 seats
Byde-A-Wyle Theatre (March 02, 1908, later named the Unique Theatre, 1911)
Address: 336, The Pike
California Theatre (1921)
Address: 1049 American Avenue (now called Long Beach Boulevard)
Capacity: 400-500 seats
Columbia Theatre (1910)
Address: 231, The Pike
Egyptian (April 24, 1924)
Address: 242 E. 4th Street
Capacity: 1,078 seats
Empire (1922, later named the Mission,then the Major & finally the Long Beach)
Address: 38 American Avenue (now called Long Beach Boulevard)
Capacity: 900 seats
Fairyland (Dec. 1912)
Address: 317, The Pike
Capacity: 380 seats
Hoyt’s Pantages (1919, later named the New Strand)
Address: 237, The Pike
Capacity: 1,362 Seats
La Petite (1907)
Address: 236 Pine Avenue
Laughlin, The (Nov. 08, 1915)
Address: 347 Pine Avenue (corner of Fourth Street & Pine Avenue)
Capacity: 800 seats
Liberty (1916, later named the Stanley & Roxy)
Address: 127 W. Ocean Boulevard
Capacity: 900 Seats
Long Beach Theatre (1908)
Address: 336, The Pike (Foot of Locust Avenue)
Capacity: 1,500 seats
Lyric (aka Wonderland & Gayety)
Address: 330, The Pike
Markwell (1920, later named the State, Dec. 19, 1920)
Address: 104 E. Ocean Boulevard (inside the Jergins Trust Building)
Capacity: originally 1,348 seats; later 1,800 seats
Palace (1920, later named the Newsreel)
Address: 30 Pine Avenue
Capacity: 800 seats
Ritz/Capitol/Tracy Theatre (April 1925)
Address: 219 East Seaside
Capacity: 1,200 seats
Tabernacle Methodist Church, 1880s
Address: N.E. Corner, E. Locust Street & E. 3rd Street
Tarrytown (1907; aka Palace of Pictures)
Address: 313 Walk of a Thousand Lights (The Pike)
Capacity: 800 seats
Theatorium, The (1908; akaThe National Theatorium; later the Rialto)
Address: 117, The Pike—west of the old Pine Avenue Pier
Capacity: 600 seats
(Fox) West Coast Theatre, The (July 07,1925)
Address: 333 E. Ocean Boulevard
Capacity: 2,110 seats
Wig-Wam, The (circa 1915; later named Scotts)
Address: 207 E. Seaside Avenue
Capacity: 460 seats