Huntridge Theatre, Movie theater and music venue in Las Vegas, United States.
The Huntridge Theatre is a Streamline Moderne cinema and music venue at 1208 East Charleston Boulevard in Las Vegas, designed by S. Charles Lee. Its pale beige stucco tower, divided by four shallow vertical ribs, carries large red capital letters spelling "HUNTRIDGE" above a circular recess. A curved marquee with an aged white face sits over the entrance, and the paint on the tower is peeling.
Ground was broken in April 1944 on land Leigh S. J. Hunt had left to his son Henry Leigh Hunt in 1933; the theater opened that October 10 with 950 seats. Nevada Theater Corp., managed by Lloyd Katz, leased it in 1951 and de-segregated it. Richard Lenz converted it to a live events hall in 1992, and preservationist Elizabeth von Till Warren wrote the 1993 National Register application. Dapper Companies bought it in 2021.
The name comes from the Hunt family, who owned the land; Leigh S. J. Hunt left it to his son Henry Leigh Hunt in 1933. Under manager Lloyd Katz, the theater was desegregated, and his 25-cent Saturday Kiddie Matinee drew children with Disney films, Roy Rogers westerns and Looney Tunes shorts. In 1963 it hosted the world premiere of Love Is a Ball.
The theater stands on East Charleston Boulevard at Maryland Parkway, its pale stucco tower lettered "HUNTRIDGE" in red above a curved marquee. The building is closed and awaiting remodeling, so visits are limited to the exterior; a fence runs along the street edge. The April 2023 relighting of the deco-style neon signage drew the public to a lobby photo exhibit.
The 1995 roof collapse was caused by Douglas Fir pine trusses: steel was rationed during World War II, so the 1944 builders used timber that baked in Las Vegas heat for 50 years. Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris played a parking-lot set for the 30 or 40 people still there.
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