"Hit Man"

Bernie Casey, playing a guy just arrived from Oakland and pissed that nobody picked him up at LAX, goes for a drive up Main St. in "Hit Man" (MGM, 1972). On the right it's the dark marquee of the Burbank Theatre, 548 S. Main St. See the  pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building and many photos and ads. It opened in 1893 as a legit house and much later in life was the premiere burlesque house in L.A. It had closed before the film's shooting and was demolished in 1974. 

That little red vertical just beyond the theatre entrance was for the dance hall upstairs. The red vertical farther up the block was for the Galway Theatre at 514 S. Main. Over on the left it's a view of the Optic Theatre, 533 S. Main. The small red neon sign at the top of the facade says "Open All Night." The Rosslyn Hotel vertical we see is on the southwest corner of 5th and Main.  After this drive on Main St. we cut to Sunset Blvd. and check into the Hollywood Center Motel. 

 

Bernie goes with Pam Grier to the Banner Theatre, 458. S. Main. She wants to show him something. On the far left we see "Open Soon" on the marquee of the Regent, 448 S. Main. That was overly optimistic. See see it still on the marquee in the 1974 film "Uptown Saturday Night." The Regent survives as a music venue and has appeared in many films. See the Regent Theatre pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for many photos.  

 

Heading in to the Banner.

 

 

At the boxoffice. They're just waved in. The manager knows her.

 

At the back of the house. Pam want's Bernie to see something. He's in town because his brother was killed and he wants to find out why. The plot deepens when Pam tells him that his brother's daughter acted in a porno film.   

 

The film they're at the Banner to see is called "Youngblood."  And there's the girl, in an early scene. In the background it's the Royal Theatre, on Santa Monica Blvd. a few blocks west of the 405. They were running the 1969 Spanish film "The Green Wall." It got a U.S. release in late 1970. 

 

After a couple of scenes Bernie has seen enough and drags Pam out the back door of the Banner. He goes on a hunt to find out who was responsible for making the film. 

 

Later we're back at the Banner and get a signage shot.  

 

 

In the lobby. On the right it's one of the thugs working for the owner sent in to see what's wrong.  

 

Heading down the aisle. 

 

More of the team coming in. And they're not looking at the screen. Note the area on the left that was walled-off to create more retail space for the storefront south of the theatre entrance. 

 

 

The manager.  

 

 

The phone in the lobby is ringing. When the guy answers it the message is "Get out of the porno business." 

 The theatre opened in 1910 and was running into the 80s. It later got demolished -- there's a new building on the site. See the page on the Banner Theatre for more information.

The film uses many other interesting locations including the Watts Towers and a wild animal park in Fillmore called Africa America. Late in the movie Pam Grier gets dropped off there and meets her end after being chased by a lion. Also featured are Lisa Moore,  Sam Laws, Don Diamond, Ed Cambridge, Roger E. Mosley and Bhetty Waldron. George Armitage directed. The cinematography was by Andrew Davis. 

On IMDb: "Hit Man"

| alphabetical list by film title | list by theatre name or geographic area |

| Los Angeles Theatres | L.A. Theatres on Facebook |    

"Candleshoe"

Jodie Foster plays a delinquent Los Angeles kid in Disney's "Candleshoe" (Buena Vista Distribution, 1977). Here in the opening credit sequence she's on the west side of Broadway with her gang and we get a reflection in a store window of the Palace Theatre, 630 S. Broadway.  Two of their features were the 1976 release "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and 1973 film "Chino" with Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland. 

 

 

 

That evening Jodie's with Leo McKern and they're headed north on Main St. with a view of the Banner Theatre, 458 S. Main. He's a con man who is going to take Jodie to England to pose as a long lost daughter who will inherit an estate called Candleshoe. After these opening scenes the rest of the film is set in England. 

 

A moment later the Regent comes into view at 448 S. Main. 

 

Another look at the Regent as they drive by. 

Thanks to Jonathan Raines for noting the appearance of the downtown Los Angeles theatres. Also featured in the film are David Niven, Helen Hayes and Veronica Quilligan. Norman Tokar directed. The cinematography was by Paul Beeson. 

See the Los Angeles Theatres pages about the Palace Theatre, the Banner and the Regent Theatre. You'll find lots of photos, a history of each venue, and shots from other films in which that theatre has appeared.  

 On IMDb: "Candleshoe" 

| alphabetical list by film title | list by theatre name or geographic area |

| Los Angeles Theatres | L.A. Theatres on Facebook |    

"The Swinger"

We get a look at the Art Theatre, 551 S. Main St., in "The Swinger" (Paramount, 1966). It's part of a little travelogue near the beginning of the movie showing brief views of many of the high culture spots in Los Angeles. The film stars Ann-Margret and Tony Franciosa. She's a journalist posing as a swinger to get magazine editor Tony to publish a story she wrote while his goal is to get her to pose for the centerfold instead.

A look at the Banner Theatre, 458 S. Main St., from the beginning of the film. Thanks to Nathan Marsak on Noirish Los Angeles for this screenshot. He included it with several other shots from the film on his Noirish post #50768.

A view of the Banner's boxoffice. 

One end of the marquee of the Optic Theatre, 533 S. Main St. 

A peek at the marquee of the Paris Theatre, 8163 Santa Monica Blvd. In pre-porno days it had been called the Carmel Theatre.

The closed Star Theatre, 529 S. Main St. 

The marquee of the Vista Theatre, 4473 Sunset Dr., in its porno days.

See the Los Angeles Theatres pages on the Art Theatre, the Banner Theatre, the Optic Theatre, the Paris/Carmel Theatre, the Star Theatre and the Vista Theatre for more about the buildings. Sad to say that of the six theatres, the Vista is the only survivor.

On IMDb: "The Swinger"

The full film can be viewed on the site OK.Ru.

"Too Soon To Love"

In the 1960 Universal-International release "Too Soon To Love" we get Jennifer West and Richard Evans on Main Street. They're looking for an abortionist. Here we're in front of the Galway Theatre, 514 S. Main St. Note the very bottom edge of the illuminated "Galway" letters just above the "open all night" banner. 

Another shot of the Galway from " Too Soon Too Love." Check out the Galway Theatre page on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the venue. The building is still around but the space the Galway occupied is no longer a theatre.


Our explorations include this shot of the Banner Theatre, 458 S. Main St.  The film, directed by Richard Rush, was also known as "High School Honeymoon."

Another view of the Banner from the film. The theatre opened around 1910 and was running into the 80s. It later got demolished -- there's a new building on the site. See the page on the Banner Theatre for more information.

On IMDB: "Too Soon To Love"