Vogue Theatre (California)

This article is about the theater in Hollywood, California. For other uses, see Vogue Theatre (disambiguation).

Vogue Theatre

The building in 2024
Address	6629 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California
Coordinates	34.102°N 118.334°W / 34.102; -118.334
Type	Indoor movie theater
Capacity	897
Construction
Opened	July 16, 1935
Renovated	1959
Closed	2001
Years active	1935-1995
Architect	S. Charles Lee

Vogue Theatre was a historic movie theater located at 6629 W. Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It has housed the Vogue Multicultural Museum since 2021.

History

Vogue Theatre was built as an 897-seat movie theater by S. Charles Lee, who was responsible for many theaters in Los Angeles, including the nearby Hollywood Theater and Holly Cinema. The theater opened on July 16, 1935,^[1] showing Ivor Novello's The Phantom Fiend.^[2]

Fox West Coast Theatres operated the theater from July 10, 1945, and the theater was modernized by J. Walter Bantou and J. Arthur Drielsma in July 1959,^[2] at a cost of $250,000.^[3]

In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Vogue Theatre listed in the district. The listing notes that the theater was "representative of the concentration of entertainment facilities in the district" but also was "heavily altered" and "lacks visual integrity". Ultimately, it was not considered a contributing property in the district.^[4]

Mann Theatres took over operations of this theater in the early 1990s, and in 1995, it closed as a movie theater. For a short time after, the space was used for psychic performances and as a film location. In December 2001, the theatre fittings were stripped out and sold off.^[1]

In 2010, the theater re-opened as a music club, restaurant, and performance space, but it closed in 2015. In March 2018, the theater re-opened again, this time as a free museum called Screenbid, an offshoot of the online auction house ScreenBid.com, but they moved out in 2019. In early 2020, the space was once again advertised as for lease.^[1][5]

As of 2021, the theater houses the Vogue Multicultural Museum, whose first exhibit was a traveling exhibition showcasing fifty years of the band Pink Floyd.^[5][6]

References

1. "Early Views of Hollywood (1920 +)". Water and Power Associates. p. 5. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
2. William Gabel; Ken Roe. "Vogue Theatre". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
3. "Vogue Theater, Hollywood". Los Angeles Public Library. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
4. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form - Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District". United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service. April 4, 1985.
5. Steven Herrera (February 3, 2021). "An Exciting New Era for the Historic Vogue Theatre". hollywoodpartnership.com.
6. Chris Nichols. "Hollywood's Vogue Theater Gets Another Life at 86". Los Angeles (magazine). Retrieved July 9, 2021.