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(Photograph by Julie Nicoletta)
The Moderne theater stands at the busy intersection of Charleston Boulevard and Maryland Parkway at the edge of the Huntridge neighborhood, built during the 1940s. The one-story brick and concrete theater has a 75-foot-tall tower that catches the eyes of passersby. Atop the fluted tower is a neon sign that reads “Huntridge.” A porthole punctuates the transition from fluting below to the sign above. A bank of glass doors, flanked by rectangular piers supporting the marquee, opens into the lobby. Both the exterior and interior are plain, in keeping with the streamlined aesthetic of the Moderne. The theater's construction during World War II, when materials for nonmilitary efforts were in short supply, also explains the lack of ornament.
S. Charles Lee of Los Angeles, one of the country's best-known theater architects in the first half of the twentieth century, designed more than 300 theaters throughout the United States during his long career. Many of his projects still stand; some of the best examples can be found on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles.