The Downtown Independent


The Downtown Independent is a theater and cinema located in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles, California. The ultra-modern one-screen movie house shows independent films and holds special events ranging in genre from musical performances to rooftop fashion shows. It is operated by the Downtown Independent and owned by Orange County, California's Cinema Properties Group. The venue is slightly less than and has stadium seating for 222, a live performance space and a gorgeous rooftop with views of Downtown Los Angeles.
Closed since the mid-'80s, the former Linda Lea Theater was originally called the Arrow Theatre and later the Aztec in the '20s and '30s. In April 2007, crews began construction on the site of the Linda Lea at 251 S. Main St. In March of that year, the developer, Costa Mesa–based Cinema Properties Group, demolished all but the exterior walls of the rundown 1924 theater. Hodgetts + Fung Associates designed the sleek glass-and-steel cube-shaped cinema, which had its grand opening gala on December 1, 2007.

History

The Linda Lea opened in February 1945. The first opening week featured stage acts as well as a movie showing. Sammy Yates and his Linda Lea orchestra provided the music. Stage performances included Spike and Mike, dubbed the “futuristic tapsters”; Bill Kay's Kayettes, a line of chorus dancers; Cannibal White and Co., a comedy team; among others. On the screen was Minstrel Man and Brazil. The theater, with the Reverend A. A. Jenkins, held a fundraiser in March 1945 to raise money for a new church recreation/community center on First Street.

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