Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on July 5, 2010 by lmharnisch

     July 3, 2010, Mystery Photo

Photograph by John Malmin / Los Angeles Times

 
Update: Please congratulate James Curtis for identifying bandleader Rube Wolf in the Paramount Theater as it was being demolished, Jan. 11, 1961.

Here’s a double-feature mystery, a mystery guest in a mystery theater that is being torn down. Our mystery guest for this week was Constance Dowling!

There’s a detail photo of our mystery fellow on the jump.


  July 3, 2010, Mystery Photo
Photograph by the Los Angeles Times

 Jan. 25, 1962, Paramount Theater
Photograph by John Malmin / Los Angeles Times

Demolition of the Paramount Theater, Jan. 25, 1962.

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
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8 Responses to Movieland Mystery Photo

  1. Arye (Leslie) Michael Bender's avatar Arye (Leslie) Michael Bender says:
    July 3, 2010 at 9:22 am

    Always saddens me to see a great dream palace meeting its demise. The fellow in the picture seems to be celebrating the destruction. That prejudices me to protest.

    Like

  2. herb nichols's avatar herb nichols says:
    July 3, 2010 at 9:31 am

    samuel roxy rothafel at the demolition of the roxy theatre in 1961

    Like

  3. Harpo in San Diego's avatar Harpo in San Diego says:
    July 3, 2010 at 9:48 am

    Quoting:
    “The fellow in the picture seems to be celebrating the destruction.”
     
    I got a different impression … I envisioned him singing “Thanks for the Memories.”
     

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  4. James Curtis's avatar James Curtis says:
    July 3, 2010 at 10:24 am

    The mystery theater is Grauman’s Metropolitan, which was known for most of its life as the Paramount. It had a distinctive block-like proscenium that can be glimpsed in the upper center of the shot. It stood on 6th Street and was demolished around 1961. The figure in the suit and tie is probably bandleader Rube Wolf.

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  5. Mary mallory's avatar Mary mallory says:
    July 3, 2010 at 10:51 am

    Is this the destruction of the lovely Carthay Circle Theatre in 1969?

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  6. Sue's avatar Sue says:
    July 3, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Earl C. Hamilton

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  7. rick's avatar rick says:
    July 3, 2010 at 10:20 pm

    I have no idea who this is but it is a real shame to see a beautiful theatre such as this being destroyed. It is ironic that my local paper today featured a story on the end of the historic Pantages theatre in Vancouver. Built in 1917 it is the oldest surviving Pantages theatre. Sadly it is too far gone and too expensive to save. This is truly the end of an era. If any of your readers are interested heres the link
    http://www.vancouversun.com/curtains+Pantages+Theatre/3232964/story.html

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  8. Rinky Dink's avatar Rinky Dink says:
    July 4, 2010 at 7:35 am

    C.W. or George L. Rapp?

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