"Cleaned and Dry"

We get a fine look at the Victoria Theatre at 2570 W. Pico Blvd. in the two-reeler "Cleaned and Dry" (Warner Bros / Federated Film Exchanges, 1921). 

Thanks to Silent Film Detective John Bengtson for spotting the Victoria in the film and getting the screenshots. The film, directed by Jack L. Warner, stars Monte Banks, Florence Gilbert, William Blaisdell and Alice Belcher. 

 

 

 

The 1921 city directory shows a tailor shop run by Morris Yarmus at 2568. In the far storefront at 2572 it was a confectionery run by Arthur Horsh. 

 

 

See the page about the Victoria Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the building. It opened in 1913 and is now in use as a market. 

On IMDb: "Cleaned and Dry" 

Thanks, John! Check on his latest explorations via the Silent Locations blog "Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd film locations (and more)." 

John's books are available through Amazon or your local bookseller. He's the author of "Silent Echoes: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Buster Keaton," "Silent Traces: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Charlie Chaplin" and "Silent Visions: Discovering Early Hollywood and New York Through the Films of Harold Lloyd"

"Petey Wheatstraw"

The Victoria Theatre on Pico appears in the blaxploitation film "Petey Wheatstraw" (Generation International Pictures, 1977) with Rudy Ray Moore. No, you don't need to watch it. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the theatre in the film. Cliff Roquemore directed.

A night view.

The Victoria's auditorium. The floor had been leveled for use as a ballroom and catering hall. 

See the page about the Victoria Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the building. It survives but has been repurposed as retail space.  

On IMDb: "Petey Wheatstraw"  The Victoria Theatre sequence of "Petey" on is YouTube. Thanks to Sean Ault for finding it.