The first theater built by Sid Grauman of Chinese Theatre and Egyptian Theatre fame. While the top floors were designed by Albert Carey Martin Sr (co-designer of City Hall), the theater facade – decorated with bison heads and longhorn cattle skulls – is the work of William Lee Woolett. Big bands played here in the '40s and, a decade later, it became the first Broadway venue to cater to Spanish speakers. Briefly a church, it’s now rented out for film shoots.
The apartments above the theater were originally offices. Tenants have included the Metropolitan Water District, workplace of William Mulholland.
