"It Happens Every Spring"

This scene from "It Happens Every Spring" (20th Century Fox, 1949) is set in some small town in the midwest. But here we have Ray Milland and Jean Peters walking down 3rd St. in Santa Monica. The theatre they're passing is the Criterion at 1313 3rd. 

Ray plays a college chemistry professor who accidentally invents a solution that causes whatever is doused with it to repel wood. Like, for instance, a baseball getting close to a bat. After trying a batting practice with several of his students he gets on the train to Chicago and suddenly becomes a star pitcher for a major league team.  

Lloyd Bacon directed the film which also features Paul Douglas, Ed Begley, Ray Collins and Jessie Royce Landis. The cinematography was by Joseph MacDonald. 

 

 

Another view a moment later reveals that the Criterion was running the terrific double bill "Snake Pit" and "Jungle Patrol."

The theatre opened in 1924. In 1986 it was gutted and a new 6 plex built behind the historic facade. It closed in 2013 and there's now retail and office space behind the facade. See the Los Angeles Theatres page on the Criterion Theatre for many photos. 

On IMdb: "It Happens Every Spring"

"Girl Happy"

Elvis and his band mates go to Ft. Lauderdale during Spring Break on the orders of Chicago mob boss Big Frank in "Girl Happy" (MGM, 1965). The mission is to look after Frank's daughter, Shelley Fabares. Parts of the town certainly resemble Santa Monica. Here we're actually headed south on 3rd St. with the Criterion Theatre, 1313 3rd, on the far left. We'll circle back around a couple minutes later for a better view.

The film, directed by Boris Sagal, also features Gary Crosby, Mary Ann Mobley, Harold J. Stone, Joby Baker, Nita Talbot and Fabrizio Mioni.

Shelley is on a date with an untrustworthy guy. And Elvis knows her father will soon be calling to check in. So they hitch up the boat the couple is in and drive through downtown "Ft. Lauderdale" to get her back to the motel.  In this shot we're headed west on Santa Monica Blvd. with the Majestic Theatre on the far right. In 1967 it got renamed the Mayfair.

Somehow on the way to the motel we're back around on 3rd St. again for another view of the Criterion. They're running Disney's "The Moon-Spinners" along with "7 Faces of Dr. Lao" with Tony Randall and Barbara Eden. When the team gets to the motel, they launch the boat into the pool and toss Shelley the phone.

For more about these theatres head to the pages on the Criterion Theatre and the Mayfair Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site.

On IMDb: "Girl Happy"

"Pee-wee's Big Adventure"

The Criterion Theatre on 3rd St. in Santa Monica is seen in "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (Warner Bros., 1985). Tim Burton directed.

A bit of the theatre is seen on the left in this fine pre-gentrification view of the 3rd St. Mall. Pee-wee is headed into the magic shop. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the theatre in the movie. He notes that the film offers views of the mall "when it was still an old time shopping street. Before the Chia Pet statues began to pop up and all the original stores were priced out of existence."

The theatre, at 1313 3rd St. Promenade, opened in 1924. In 1986 it was gutted and a new 6 plex built behind the historic facade. It closed in 2013 and is now retail space. See the Los Angeles Theatres page on the Criterion Theatre for many photos. 

On IMdb: "Pee-wee's Big Adventure"