I love finding vintage photos of movie theaters like this because it reminds us that movies starring Linda Darnell, Claudette Colbert, and Don Ameche didn’t always just play on rotation on TV. They were enough of an attraction to lure people into theaters and not just as part of the TCM Film Festival. The Apollo Theater was a 600-seat house at 5544 Hollywood Blvd, open from 1916 to 1976. This photo was taken in 1945 with a United Artists double bill, “The Great John L.” with “Guest Wife.” We tend not to associate movie-going with healthy food but next to the lobby was ‘Apollo Natural Foods’ which has me wondering what 1945’s version of natural foods might have been.
A slight correction – the Apollo was opened in 1916 and in 1921 the Fox Corp. took over management of the theatre and reopened it as the New Apollo. I was saw a film or two there in the late 1950s and recall that the auditorium had a wood floor and, in places, it was a bit sticky.
Jim
Martin,
On the right side it’s “‘The Apollo Sweet Shop” and if you look directly up to the second floor it looks like there might be a large cat looking out the window.
I love finding vintage photos of movie theaters like this because it reminds us that movies starring Linda Darnell, Claudette Colbert, and Don Ameche didn’t always just play on rotation on TV. They were enough of an attraction to lure people into theaters and not just as part of the TCM Film Festival. The Apollo Theater was a 600-seat house at 5544 Hollywood Blvd, open from 1916 to 1976. This photo was taken in 1945 with a United Artists double bill, “The Great John L.” with “Guest Wife.” We tend not to associate movie-going with healthy food but next to the lobby was ‘Apollo Natural Foods’ which has me wondering what 1945’s version of natural foods might have been.
A slight correction – the Apollo was opened in 1916 and in 1921 the Fox Corp. took over management of the theatre and reopened it as the New Apollo. I was saw a film or two there in the late 1950s and recall that the auditorium had a wood floor and, in places, it was a bit sticky.
Jim
Thanks Jim. I was getting conflicting information about that and went with the dates that were cited the most often. I’ll amend the next now.
Martin,
On the right side it’s “‘The Apollo Sweet Shop” and if you look directly up to the second floor it looks like there might be a large cat looking out the window.
My great aunt owned the sweet shop in 1931 time frame. If you have any info on it please share
I don’t, Heather, but you never know who might come across this post with info!
At least the terrazzo sidewalk survived into the 21st century, but it’s gone now. https://goo.gl/maps/skaq1WjUvEviCupb7
Apollo Natural Foods was still around in 1956.
https://i.imgur.com/wsrP7sY.png
Well, Johnny, this is California and we do love our organic, macrobiotic healthy foods!
Along with the organic porn!
https://i.imgur.com/OC9mRZY.png
OOO!MMM!GGG!
Apollo (possibly a 2nd theater)—>>Apollo Arts—>>Star—>>Burned & demolished.