448 S. Main St. | map | Los Angeles, CA 90013
Opened: 1914 as the National. At one time it was also called Gore's National.
In the 1917 and later directories it is called the Regent. In 1923 it was called the Regent No. 1. The 1916 directory listed the address as 450 S. Main. Seating: 600 Status: Mitchell Frank, longtime music promoter, took over the venue in February 2012. He's got a long term lease and plans a mix of live music events, movies, food and drinks. A fall 2012 opening is planned. In a Curbed LA story by Neal Broverman it was reported that Frank is applying for a liquor license for the 11,790 square foot "theater/restaurant/bar" that would hold 933 revelers. The second floor balcony with 1,780 additional square feet would accommodate an additional 356 patrons, according to the application. The floor is still sloped (although seats have been removed) and the proscenium and most of the original gothic inspired ceiling is intact. This is the last remaining historic movie theatre on Main Street. The theatre had closed in 2000 after decades as a grindhouse and (at the end) an as adult venue. The lease was acquired by developer Tom Gilmore in 2006 and was occasionally used as an art and performance venue by a variety of
promoters. In early 2008, the top of the Regent Theatre got a mural celebrating the recovery of Main Street. The story ran on Blogdowntown. For 2010 it got a new drab brown paint job. In 2009 Eric Richardson did a story on Blogdowntown about one user, who seems to have vanished like a long list of other promoters. The Regent in the Movies: Main street has been a popular film location for decades for cop shows or other filmmakers seeking a seedy typical downtown street. The Regent Theatre appears in the 1948 film "The Street With No Name" as seen in this screen shot by Jeff Bridges in a post- "The Street With No Name or the Theatre With No Name?" on the L.A. Conservancy's Historic Theatre Committee blog. The cinematographer for the film was Joseph McDonald. full size view  Another screen shot by Mr. Bridges from "Man With No Name." Here we get a view of the Canadian Bldg. (still standing) on the corner of 4th & Main. full size view Also
see Mr. Bridges' Regent
Theatre post for more
 A shot of the Regent during a car chase in the film "Uptown Saturday Night" (Warner Bros. / First Artists, 1974). The "open soon" on the marquee may be overly optimistic. | larger view | a few frames later |  We get a lot of action on and around Main St. in Billy Wilder's "The Front Page" (Universal, 1974). The seedier streets of L.A. in 1974 are doubling for Chicago in the 20s. Here we're driving by the Regent on our chase for Austin Pendleton, who's actually hiding in a desk at the city jail. larger view  In "Cadillac Records" (2008) we get about 10 seconds of
film near the beginning labeled "Chicago" but it's actually Main St. with the Regent marquee plainly visible at the right. The building on the left is the Canadian building. The urban portions of "Cadillac Records" were shot in New Jersey. The trivia question of the week is: What film was this footage originally created for? More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Regent for all the latest news. See Jeff Bridges post "The Street With No Name or the Theatre With No Name?" on the L.A. Conservancy's Los Angeles Historic Theatre Committee blog. Also see his Regent Theatre post for more about the theatre.
 A look into the lobby in 2010 -- set up as gallery space for a Second Thursday Downtown Artwalk. photo: Bill Counter American Classic Images The Regent and its neighbor to the north, the Main Theatre are captured in a 1983 view. full size view Jeff Bridges on Flickr Here's a view of the Regent Theatre interior by Jeff Bridges of the Los Angeles Conservancy's Historic Theatre Committee. full size view for more interiors. L.A. Public Library Collection A 20's view looking north from 5th Street at the east side of the street. The Regent is just this side of the Canadian Bldg. In the full size view you can see the theatre's  A detail taken from the image above.  A 1973 view of the same block face with the Regent's later facade just beyond beyond the "Arcade" sign. The Banner Theatre is also there (with no visible sign) just this side of the "Cafe Funland" sign. full size view [ view] from a loft - Ed Fuentes A May 2009 view of the Regent from this blog showing the neon re-lit. It's from a post entitled "Regent Lights On." The existing tubing hiding behind the red  2008 post "View From A Studio." full size view Related items: | Regent Noir - "Street With No Name" | | 2006 view -- Ed Fuentes photo | |  A look at the Regent before it got spruced up. photo: Gary Graver - undated  Another sad view. photo: Gary Graver - undated Gary Graver (1938-2006) was a noted filmmaker and cinematographer. Over several decades he took many photos of theatres in Los Angeles and Portland, OR. More can be seen on You Tube: "Second Run - part 1" and "Second Run - part 2." Thanks to Sean Graver for use of the photos.  A view of the Regent Theatre in 2007. photo: Bill Counter [ click any of these to enlarge ]  The new color scheme in 2010. photo: Bill Counter  A view looking south in 2010. Beyond at 5th and Main are the Rosslyn Hotel and Rosslyn Annex. photo: Bill Counter
about photos from other We've tried to give appropriate credit. Please contact us if there are incorrect attributions, links that no longer work or other issues. A link near each image will direct you to a full size version on the website hosting it. Assume that all the images are subject to copyright restrictions. Contact the webmaster of the site in question concerning reproduction or other use. Deanna Bayless on Photobucket A proscenium view by Ms. Bayless. full size view  A 2011 look at a sidewall of the Regent by Ms. Bayless. full size view  Another sidewall view. full size view Larry Harnisch - Daily MirrorMr. Harnisch
wrote on his L.A. Times blog "The Daily Mirror" in 2007: " I had an opportunity to tour the Regent, 448 S. Main St. (yes, it's still standing) during the Los Angeles Conservancy's recent Mainly Main tour. The theater, built in 1914, was never a movie palace, so there's nothing opulent about it..." full article Ken McIntyre on Photobuckets132.photobucket.com/albums/q12/kencmcintyre  Ken captured this scene of filming at the Regent in 2009. full size view  A view of the 2008 mural atop the facade. The mural is by Ed Fuentes/[view]fromaloft full size view Also by Ken: Uncanny.netwww.uncanny.net/~wetzel/index Tom Wetzel's great site about (among other things) the development of transit in Los Angeles has this wonderful 50s map showing lots of downtown theatre locations. You'll find the Regent (and the Banner) on the east side of Main St. just above 5th. See the full size view on Tom' Subway Area Tour page. Vintage Los Angelesfacebook.com/pages/Vintage-Los-Angeles/121097987946929 A superb 1949 photo of the Regent on Vintage Los Angeles from the collection of Richard Wojcik. full size view The view above also appears on Photos of Los Angeles.  An undated look at the Regent. It's posted on Vintage Los Angeles by Kenneth McIntyre. full size view |
Regent Theatre |
