Activists seek new life for Downtown L.A. Theatre District



imageThe large electric sign that rose above Clune’s Broadway once read “The Time, the Place.”

Opened in 1910, Clune’s Broadway was one of the first two theatres built on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Times described the theatre as “handsome” and “elaborate” upon its opening. Clune’s Broadway, which was also known as the Cameo Theatre, was built to be a “picture playhouse,” and that was what it remained during its 81-year-run as an operating movie theatre.

Today, Clune’s Broadway is no longer the “time” or the “place.” In fact, it is no longer a theatre. The seats are removed, the molding crumbled and the interior littered with boxes and unsold electronics.

Clune’s Broadway stands in the heart of Los Angeles’ historic Theatre District. The district is home to 12 theaters, many of which are shells of their former selves. The majestic buildings once awaited hoards of theatre-goers. Now, they prove mere interruptions to a landscape of magazine vendors, second-hand watch stores and lingerie shops.