 The theater interior, 1923 | |
 Interactive map of Kinema Theatre | |
| Address | 640 SouthGrand Avenue,Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°02′52″N118°15′22″W / 34.0477°N 118.2561°W /34.0477; -118.2561 |
| Capacity | 2,400 at opening, 1,800 after remodel |
| Screens | 1 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | December 15, 1917 |
| Renovated | 1921, 1923, 1930s |
| Demolished | 1941 |
| Architect | William J. Dodd |
Kinema Theatre, laterTally's Kinema,Criterion Theater,Fox Criterion,Tally's Criterion, andGrand International, was amovie theater located at 640 SouthGrand Avenue indowntown Los Angeles. At one point a top theater in the city, it was demolished in 1941.
Kinema Theater was designed byWilliam J. Dodd forEmil Kehrlein. This theater, Kehrlein's third and largest, had a capacity of 2,400 and was considered "one of the most ambitious theaters on the Coast dedicated exclusively to motion pictures."[1] It opened on December 15, 1917[2] with a screening ofThe Woman God Forgot[3] and directorCecil B. DeMille in attendance.[1]
In 1919,Thomas Lincoln Tally, owner ofTally's Broadway on nearbyBroadway, bought this theater for approx. $650,000 ($11.8 million in2024) and renamed it Tally's Kinema Theatre.[4] In 1921, the theater underwent a $150,000 ($2.64 million in2024) remodel.[5]
West Coast Theaters bought the theater in 1923, after which it was gutted, redesigned in aByzantine Revival style, renamed Criterion Theatre, and reduced in capacity to 1,800. It reopened on September 26, 1923 with the world premiere ofCharlie Chaplin'sA Woman of Paris.Fox West Coast Theaters took over the theater soon after.[2][3][6]
In 1927, the theater hosted the west coastpremiere ofThe Jazz Singer,[2] making it one of the world's first talking picture theaters.
The theater was redesigned again and renamed Grand International in the 1930s. Grand International was considered a benchmark theater in Los Angeles; if a movie failed here, it was expected to fail everywhere.[3]
The theater was demolished in 1941 and replaced by a parking lot.[3]