The Alex Theatre gives Glendale a Brand Boulevard movie-palace glow

The Alex Theatre gives Glendale one of its clearest old-Hollywood links. It opened on September 4, 1925, as the Alexander Theater. At first it hosted vaudeville acts and movies on Brand Boulevard. In the days when big theaters helped define a downtown, this was one of Glendale’s showpieces.

For decades, the theater also served as a preview house for major studio films. Stars and studio people could come to Glendale, see how a film played with an audience, and still stay close to Hollywood.

The building became even easier to spot in 1940. That year, the marquee and tall Art Deco neon tower were added. The name was shortened to Alex, and the tower gave downtown Glendale a bright sign at night. That kind of sign matters in a city. It helps people remember where they met, where they saw a show, and what the street felt like.

The theater closed in 1991, but it did not disappear. A Glendale city agency bought it in 1992 and fixed it up. It reopened on New Year’s Eve in 1993 as a place for live shows and events. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, which fits the way many locals already see it: a downtown landmark with lights, memory, and a second life.