Hollywood’s First Movie Theatre

Hollywood’s first movie theatre, known in 1918 as the Iris

We’re not exactly sure when Hollywood’s first movie theatre opened, or even how its name was spelled.  No known photographs of it exist.  What we do know is that it opened in 1910 or 1911, and that its name was spelled either “Idyl Hour” or “Idle Hour.”  Movie theatres were quite portable at the time...you just needed a projector, some folding chairs, and a surface on which to project.  So the Idle/Idyl Hour theatre hop-scotched around Hollywood Boulevard in its first few years.  City Directories list the theatre at both 6523 and 6417 Hollywood Blvd.  Here is a brief timeline of its locations:

Circa 1910: the Idle (or Idyl) Hour theatre opened at 6523 Hollywood Blvd. 

1912: Idle Hour listed at 226 W Hollywood Blvd; no records in city directory before this date.

1913: listed at 6524 Hollywood Blvd. as Idle hour.

1914: name changes to Iris.  

1915-17: City directory lists location as 6417 Hollywood (2 storefronts east of the Warner Theatre)

1918 - Listed at 6508 Hollywood Blvd as the Fox

Naming the theatre the “Idle Hour” may not have been the best business move. Early Hollywood was full of energetic entrepreneurs who did not see idleness as a virtue.  The theater needed a re-brand.  In 1914 the name was changed to the “Iris.” Some stories say that the name was given in honor of Paul de Longpre’s estate and gardens located nearby...others say that the name Iris referenced the way the camera’s lens opened and closed for each shot, mimicking the movement of the iris of the human eye. Whatever it was, it appeared the new name, coupled with the growing popularity of motion pictures gave the fledgling theatre some momentum.  By 1918, business was brisk enough that the owners were able to build a permanent location at 6506 Hollywood Blvd. 

If you’re curious about other unique neighborhood theatres in Hollywood, click here for details on my presentation over Zoom on this topic, complete with archival photographs from Bison Archives, scheduled for Saturday, September 23rd at 10:30 AM.