No doubt you’ve walked past it. Or, since this is California, driven past it. If you don’t qualify for Social Security, It’s less likely that you’ve been inside this building at 7344 Santa Monica Blvd. near Spaulding that a story in today’s Los Angeles Times identifies as one of only two porn theaters remaining in L.A. and one of only 35 in the United States.
The story, by reporter Carolina Miranda, describes Studs as a “Smithsonian of porn”. (It was identified in a study commissioned by the City of West Hollywood last year as potentially eligible for historic designation).
From a Modernist movie house in the 1940s known as the Monica, which screened mainstream Hollywood movies, to the Leftbank Theatre and then the Tomkat and the Pussycat, Studs evolved. It now is a place whose audience, at least when Miranda was there, was older men in golf shirts who Studs has invited to “come explore, relax, and take a load off.” WEHOville has described it as West Hollywood’s “porn block of fame.”
It also is “one of the most important spaces in North America” in the history of adult films, according to a professor quoted in the story.
For a full read, including mention of that frequent visitor who brings her man in on a leash, click here.
@Brian Holt. I guess you had a problem with mainstream theaters advertising DEEP THROAT on their marquee’s too in the 70s? There is nothing wrong with it. And the more we try to hide sex from the precious eyes of our fragile children..the more harm we do to them in creating and continuing the shame we have put upon sex. Instead…lets go see Decapitation Part 6.
The best marquee signs were for titles that played off theatrical releases and tv shows. I’d get a chuckle driving by and seeing “Dawson’s Crack” or “Shaving Ryan’s Privates” on the Tomkat marquee.
@Mike: advertising skank smut on public streets so kids can ask “mommy what does tight man h*le part 2 mean?” No thank you.
I’m no prude and a proud gay man. But puhleaze – West Hollywood has not lost its edge casue we’ve grown up and cleaned up our act – just a bit.
West Hollywood has lost it’s edge. I remember when the marquee would show the titles of the films. Also, there were at least 2 X-rated Gay theatres on Melrose back in the 80’s.
I’m more intrigued by this old WeHo theater. Get a load of that last pic from across the street where Marco’s used to be in the strip shopping center:
https://losangelestheatres.blogspot.com/2017/03/carmel-theatre.html
Address should be 7734 SMB