Four Star Theater
 | |
| Former names | United Artists Theater |
|---|---|
| Address | 5112 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 34°03′43″N 118°20′28″W / 34.0620°N 118.3412°W |
| Type | Movie theater |
| Capacity | 900 |
| Screens | 1 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1932 |
| Opened | November 29, 1933 |
| Closed | 1997 |
| Demolished | 2015 |
| Architect | Clifford Balch Walker & Eisen |
Four Star Theatre was a movie theater located at 5112 Wilshire Boulevard, on the corner of Wilshire and Mansfield, in Los Angeles, California.
History
[edit]Four Star Theatre was one of five theaters designed for United Artists by Clifford Balch and Walker and Eisen, the others located in Pasadena, Long Beach, Berkeley, and El Centro.[1][2] This theater was owned by lawyer Albert Lee Stephens, Sr.[1] lesased to United Artists, and opened in 1932.[3] It then reopened as Four Star Theater with a screening of Berkeley Square on November 29, 1933.[4] The theater had a capacity of 900 at opening.[2]
Four Star Theater was a popular movie premiere location during its early years;[3] amongst other notable showings, the theater hosted the west coast premieres of Lost Horizon in 1937 and In Old Chicago in 1938,[5] a press preview of Gone With The Wind in 1939,[2] and the west coast premieres of The Grapes of Wrath in 1940[6] and That Hamilton Woman in 1941.[5] The theater was operated by Fox West Coast Theaters from the late 1930s through the 1940s, when United Artists took control again. United Artists continued operating the theater into the 1970s, where by the end of their run it was showing repertory films on 70mm.[4]
The theater and its neighboring building underwent a $30,000 remodel in 1962 ($311,848 in 2024).[1]
The theater was subleased to the Mitchell Brothers in 1973 and operated as an adult movie theater until June 1976, when building owner and now judge Stevens objected to the sublease. Stevens sold the theater in 1978 in response to this scandal and the theater was sold again one year later. During this time, the theater screened second run, independent, and art-house releases, which it continued to do until 1997.[1]
The theater was bought by Oasis Church in 1997 and renamed Oasis Theater in 2007. The theater was sold again in 2012 and demolished in 2015, the location replaced by a block-long mixed-use development.[3]
Architecture and design
[edit]Four Star Theater was a two-story, trapezoidal plan building[1] designed to fit into the surrounding community rather than be elaborate and showy as was common at the time.[6] The theater featured an Art Deco design with design elements that included an emphasis on verticality, smooth stucco surfaces, fixed metal sash and casement windows, and a facade that included zigzags, chevrons, stripes, abstract figurative and floral motifs, and bas reliefs that depicted "Artistry" and "Unity".[1][3][4] The building also featured a central tower that rose in a series of staggered steps,[3] while the roof had a slight barrel vault with a high and geomatric parapet above the front elevation and a low parapet above the others.[1]
The building's front elevation consisted of three bays, with the entrance in the center bay. The entrance featured aluminum and glass doors with glass transoms, while the flanking bays featured glass block. The non-front elevations were unadorned and made of concrete.[1]
The building's interior was divided into two spaces: the lobby and auditorium. The lobby featured contemporary finishings, including linoleum flooring, wainscoting along the southern wall, and wood sheathing on a structural pier near the entrance. A zigzag plaster band also ran across the ceiling and a half-turn staircase stylized with botanical balusters led to the second story.[1]
The auditorium was accessed through two pairs of metal doors and featured a raked floor made of polished concrete that led to a stage that housed three large screens. The auditorium walls were finished in plaster and punctuated by piers, and also featured several sections of decorative fluting painted to contrast with the rest of the wall. The north auditorium wall also featured a string of small, fixed window openings.[1]
Alterations
[edit]Four Star Theatre underwent extensive alterations over the years. These include:
- original marquee, highlighted in neon with light bulbs,[1] removed at an unknown date[2]
- terrazzo flooring at the entrance and the original blade sign on the high parapet replaced between 1946 and 1948[1]
- parapet alterations and the original box office removed in 1962[1]
- interior remodel in 1987[1]
- exterior repainted green and white in 1997[3]
- additional exterior alterations post-1997[1]
- bas reliefs cemented over in 1999[4]
- additional interior work from 1998 to 2000[1]
Historic designation
[edit]Four Star Theater was first surveyed for historical significance in 1982 and despite numerous alterations, the building was deemed eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. However, when the nearby Miracle Mile Historic District was surveyed in the 1980s, this theater was both not included in the boundaries of the district and also determined to be ineligible for inclusion in the National Register. A subsequent evaluation in 2013 found the theater ineligible for inclusion at the national, state, and local levels due to a comprised integrity of design resulting from the numerous alterations the theater had undergone.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Historic Resource Assessment 5100-5114 Wilshire Boulevard" (PDF). Chattel, Inc. May 30, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Michelson, Alan. "Four Star Theatre, Los Angeles, CA (1931-1932)". University of Washington Pacific Coast Architecture Database. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Four Star Theatre Building (Demolished)". Los Angeles Conservancy. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Gabel, William; Roe, Ken. "4 Star Theatre". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "Early Los Angeles Historical Buildings (1925 +)". Water and Power Associates. p. 3. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ a b Grist, Julie (January 16, 2014). "Deco Theatre Has a Polished, and Tarnished, History". Larchmont Buzz.