Alex Theatre
Glendale, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The neon tower at Alex Theatre gives Brand Boulevard a landmark worth looking up for. Its glowing starburst adds a little space-age sparkle above the entrance, while the marquee welcomes customers closer to the sidewalk. After dark, the old theatre makes a fine advertisement for an evening in downtown Glendale.
Opened in 1925 as Alexander’s Theatre, the building received its distinctive S. Charles Lee-designed tower in 1940. The addition gave the Alex a new roadside identity, becoming one of Glendale’s most recognizable sights.
UPDATE: The Alex returned to first-run feature films in 2026 with new film-projection equipment, adding another chapter to its life as a performance and screening venue. More than a century after opening, there are still audiences gathering beneath the familiar name. Catch the tower glowing and you don’t need a ticket to enjoy part of the show. 10-26
Edwards Cinema Theatre (Demolished)
Costa Mesa, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The old Edwards Cinema Theatre recalls a different era of moviegoing in Costa Mesa. Before the Edwards name appeared on sprawling multiplexes, this standalone theatre offered a large auditorium and an entrance designed to announce a night at the pictures. One screen could be enough to make a place a regular stop.
Opened in 1963 on Adams Avenue, the Cinema was an important early Orange County location for the Edwards chain. Its history belongs to the years when suburban movie houses were attracting customers who once might have traveled farther for a first-run feature.
UPDATE : The theater has been closed
for a few years now, though the center and theatre building remains. An
effort was made to preserve architectural lines by staying true to the
modern style the entire center was designed in. The theatre is now a Paul
Mitchell training center, and the gobs of glass and exterior supports
remain. Many thanks to Steven Gertsen for update. 07-03
Edwards Cinema Theatre (Demolished)
Costa Mesa, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
UPDATE: The old Cinema you used to be able to see off of Harbor Boulevard in
Costa Mesa was the marquee for the Edwards Cinemas. Unfortunately
this theatre has met the front of the bulldozer head-on. 07-10
UPDATE: The cinema closed in 2000, and the property later housed other uses. Its street-facing lobby was demolished around 2013–2014, removing the familiar theatre entrance. The old marquee is gone, but this photograph brings back a Costa Mesa movie stop from before choosing a show meant picking a number down a multiplex hallway. 10-26
Fox Theatre circa 1958 (Demolished)
Inglewood, CA Photo courtesy Pat Underwood
The bright blade sign for Fox Theatre rises above Market Street in this 1958 view of Inglewood. Nearby businesses add their own lights to the scene, but the Fox makes sure the movies get noticed. It’s a fine look at the days when an evening downtown came with a whole street of neon to enjoy.
Opened in 1949 at 115 N. Market Street, the theatre featured the flowing decoration associated with the Fox circuit’s postwar “Skouras” style. The building and its sign gave Inglewood a movie-house landmark that remained familiar long after its opening attractions had changed.
UPDATE: The Fox closed as a cinema in 1989. Interior demolition and hazardous-material removal began in 2024, so describing the auditorium as untouched would give the wrong impression. The building’s future has involved rehabilitation plans, but this photograph takes us back to a brighter chapter, when the Fox name stood out above a busy nighttime street. 10-26
See more of the Fox Theatres from across the nation here at Roadside Peek'sFox Theatre.
Nuart Theatre
Santa Monica, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
The neon at Nuart Theatre gives Santa Monica Boulevard a familiar movie-house glow. Its sign and marquee make a fitting entrance for a theatre known for showing something beyond the usual blockbuster lineup. Even before reading the titles, the old frontage offers a reason to slow down and take a look.
Opened in 1930, the Nuart is in West Los Angeles rather than the city of Santa Monica. It became Landmark’s first theatre acquisition in 1974 and developed a following for independent films, repertory programs, and midnight movies.
UPDATE: The Nuart continues operating under Landmark, with special screenings, filmmaker appearances, and late shows keeping its moviegoing tradition alive. The attractions change, but there’s still a screen waiting behind that familiar entrance. For anyone who enjoys a neighborhood theatre with an identity of its own, this one remains worth watching. 10-26
Orpheum Theatre
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
The glowing marquee at Orpheum Theatre gives Broadway another grand entrance to admire after dark. The familiar name carries plenty of theatre history, and this Los Angeles example doesn’t disappoint. Take a closer look at the ticket lobby and lights overhead before continuing down the street. It’s the sort of entrance that can make you wish you had planned the evening around a show.
Orpheum Theatre
Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Opened on February 15, 1926, the Orpheum at 842 S. Broadway was the fourth and final Los Angeles home of its vaudeville circuit. Architect G. Albert Lansburgh gave the theatre elaborate surroundings suited to an evening of live entertainment. Performers including a young Judy Garland, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald helped fill its history with names as recognizable as the one outside.
The theatre belonged to an era when the building helped set the mood before the entertainment began. Customers passed beneath the marquee, stopped at the box office, and entered an auditorium designed to make a night downtown feel special. The decoration was part of the attraction, giving audiences something to admire while waiting for the curtain.
Movies and later live events brought different crowds through the doors, while the marquee remained part of Broadway’s nighttime scenery. These photographs catch that street-level appeal, where a glowing entrance could turn an ordinary walk into a stop to see what was playing. Even without stepping inside, there’s plenty of old theatre character to enjoy.
Orpheum Theatre
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
UPDATE: Below are more photos of the neon at the Orpheum Theatre. 04-08
UPDATE: The restored Orpheum continues hosting concerts, special events, filming, and occasional screenings. A century after opening, it still draws audiences beneath the familiar name. The performers and programs have changed, but the old marquee keeps doing its job—lighting the entrance and inviting another crowd inside. Catch it glowing on an evening downtown and you’ll see why Broadway’s theatres remain worth a nighttime visit. 10-26
Alex Theatre
Nuart Theatre
