"Messiah of Evil"

 

Joy Bang makes the mistake of going to a show at the Fox Venice in "Messiah of Evil" (International Cine Film Corporation, 1973). Thanks to Greg Flewin for this screenshot that he shared in a post about the film on the private Facebook group Venice, Ocean Park and Santa Monica.

 

The title on the marquee of the 1950 Jimmy Cagney film should have warned her that bad things might happen. It's a tale about a mysterious cult in a strange California seaside town. The film, also known as "Dead People," was directed by Willard Huyck and also stars Michael Greer and Marianna Hill.  

 

A look at the boxoffice. The closed sign went up right after Joy bought her ticket. And then the outside lights were turned off.  Screenshot: Greg Flewin

 

 

At the snackbar. There's no staff present so she reaches over and grabs a popcorn. Screenshot: Greg Flewin. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Cleveland Phil for spotting the theatre in the film.

 

See the Los Angeles Theatres page on the Fox Venice Theatre for more about the building, now used for retail. It's at 620 Lincoln Blvd in Venice. 

 

 

Joy comes into the auditorium. Thanks to the site Films in Films for this screenshot and the two below. That site offered no clues about where the scene was shot. It turns out that we're at the Encore Theatre, 5308 Melrose Ave.

 

 

We get a look at the fully-draped auditorium. As the show begins, the walking dead start coming in and sitting at the rear of the house. It doesn't go well for Joy. 

 

 

Up against the screen at the end of the scene. 

Visit the page on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Encore Theatre. It began as the Melvan, named for the location at Melrose Ave. and Van Ness. Later as a Laemmle operation it was rebranded as the Continental.

On IMDb: "Messiah of Evil"  The six minute long theatre scene featuring Joy Bang is on YouTube, in a somewhat squeezed version.