Covina Theatre
Covina, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Covina Theatre in downtown Covina was torn down in 2004. The new theatre was built and opened to the public in October 2007.
The City of Covina purchased the property in December 2022, supported by a $3 million state grant, and partnered with the Laugh Factory to bring regular comedy shows downtown. Concerts, community performances, and special events also keep the venue busy. The old movie screen has given way to a different bill, but there’s still a reason to head down Citrus Avenue after dinner and see what’s playing beneath the Covina name. 10-26
See more history and photos of the Covina Theatre at Roadside Peek'sSpotlight on the Covina Theatre.
El Rey Theatre
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The El Rey Theatre adds a fine helping of Art Deco neon to Wilshire Boulevard’s Miracle Mile. Its vertical sign and broad marquee make the entrance easy to spot, especially after dark. Built in 1936, this is one theatre that supplies an attraction before you even step inside. Take a closer look at the lights and lettering while checking who’s on the bill. 01-07
Designed by Clifford Balch, the El Rey began as a neighborhood movie house, giving local audiences a stylish place to spend an evening. The exterior’s clean lines carry through to an interior with chandeliers, decorative details, and sweeping staircases. There’s plenty to admire while waiting for the entertainment to begin.
Live music became its lasting second career in 1994. Performers ranging from Bob Dylan to Coldplay and Billie Eilish have appeared here, adding new names to a building already rich in entertainment history.
UPDATE: The El Rey continues hosting concerts at 5515 Wilshire Boulevard. The movie schedule has given way to live acts, but crowds still gather beneath the familiar marquee. Catch the neon glowing on an evening along the Miracle Mile and you’ll find an old movie house still doing a fine job of advertising a night out. 10-26
Hemet Theatre
Hemet, CA Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
The Hemet Theatre gives downtown Florida Avenue a familiar movie-house entrance worth stopping to admire. Its marquee recalls the days when a trip downtown and a ticket to the afternoon feature could take care of the weekend’s entertainment. This photograph catches a longtime San Jacinto Valley landmark. 08-06
Built in 1921 by William Martin, the theatre has been part of downtown Hemet for more than a century. Changing entertainment habits brought challenges, but local preservation efforts helped give the building another role as a community arts and performance venue.
UPDATE: The Historic Hemet Theatre continues welcoming audiences at 216 E. Florida Avenue. Tribute concerts, film events, and community presentations keep the old house busy. The bill has broadened since its early moviegoing years, but there’s still a reason to gather beneath the marquee and head inside for a show. 10-26
NuWilshire Theatre (Closed)
Santa Monica, CA Photos courtesy Marilynn Hendrie
The NuWilshire Theatre brought neighborhood movie-house character to Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica. Its marquee continued carrying the Wilshire name even after Landmark added the “Nu” to the business. The familiar entrance gave passing motorists a reason to check what was playing, right up until the theatre closed in November 2007. 12-07
Dating to the early 1930s, the John M. Cooper-designed theatre originally seated audiences in one large auditorium. Its decorative facade and neon marquee gave the neighborhood a stylish place for an evening at the movies, without a trip to one of Hollywood’s larger showplaces.
NuWilshire Theatre (Closed)
Santa Monica, CA Photos courtesy Marilynn Hendrie
The auditorium was divided into two screens in 1977, and the theatre later became a destination for independent and foreign films under Landmark. For regular customers, the attraction was as much the programming as the building—a chance to see something beyond the usual blockbuster beneath an old-fashioned movie marquee.
UPDATE: Santa Monica designated the building a landmark in 2008, helping protect its historic exterior as the interior moved toward retail use. The auditorium was subsequently transformed, but the theatre frontage and marquee survived at 1314 Wilshire Boulevard. There are no movie tickets to buy these days, yet the old Wilshire name still recalls where the neighborhood once gathered for a picture. Thankfully, the final screening didn’t mean the end of this familiar roadside sight. 10-26
Wescove (Demolished)
West Covina, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Wescove Cinemas marquee once pointed the way to a neighborhood favorite in West Covina. Especially familiar to local moviegoers during the 1980s, the theatre offered an evening out without a trip to one of the larger regional complexes. After years of vacancy, the building was demolished in 2006. 04-08
Opened on August 20, 1969, the Wescove began as a twin designed by Smith & Williams. A third screen followed, but longtime customers remembered the large main auditorium and its working screen curtain—one of those touches that made the start of a movie feel like an occasion.
UPDATE: The Wescove closed in April 1997, leaving nearly nine years between its last screenings and demolition. The building and familiar roadside marquee are gone. These photographs bring back a West Covina movie stop from the days when checking the bill outside was part of planning the evening. 10-26
Wescove Cinemas
West Covina, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Old ticket booth boarded up
West Covina, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
El Rey Theatre
Hemet Theatre
NuWilshire Theatre (Closed)
NuWilshire Theatre (Closed)
Wescove (Demolished) 
