Huntridge Theatre
Trademark
UnclaimedA historic Streamline Moderne cinema and live-performance venue in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Huntridge Theatre is a historic cinema and performing-arts venue in Las Vegas, Nevada. Designed by architect S. Charles Lee in the Streamline Moderne style, the building opened on October 10, 1944, during a period when Las Vegas was still a relatively small pre-Strip community. Its name derives from the Hunt family and the surrounding Huntridge subdivision: the land had previously been associated with businessman Leigh S. J. Hunt and later passed to his son Henry Leigh Hunt. The theater was developed as a substantial neighborhood cinema, with contemporary publicity emphasizing approximately 950 seats and advanced projection equipment. The venue was initially operated by the Commonwealth Theater Company of Las Vegas and later by the Huntridge Theater Company of Las Vegas, headed by Thomas Oakey. In the 1950s, the Nevada Theater Corporation, managed by Lloyd Katz, leased the building. This period became associated with affordable family programming, including Saturday morning children's matinees featuring Disney films, Roy Rogers westerns, and Looney Tunes shorts. The theater also became part of Las Vegas's changing social history as it was desegregated during the years that Katz managed it. In 1963, it hosted the world premiere of the film Love Is a Ball. Frank Silvaggio purchased the theater in 1977. In 1980, the auditorium was divided into two screens, adapting the property to changing moviegoing patterns. Richard Lenz leased the venue in 1992, removed the partition, and converted it into a live-events hall known as the Huntridge Performing Arts Theater. Under this format, the building hosted concerts and other stage-oriented programming in addition to its earlier film role. Its later cultural identity became closely linked to live music, including alternative and punk performances. The building's physical condition became a major issue in the 1990s. On July 28, 1995, the roof collapsed several hours before a scheduled Circle Jerks performance. No serious injuries were reported. The band nevertheless played an impromptu outdoor set in the parking lot for a small group of people who remained at the site. The roof had used Douglas fir trusses, reportedly reflecting material constraints during World War II construction, and decades of heat exposure contributed to their deterioration. Preservationist Elizabeth von Till Warren helped prepare the documentation that led to the theater's listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The theater closed permanently as an operating venue on July 31, 2004, after nearly six decades of activity. Preservation efforts continued through organizations including Friends of the Huntridge Theatre, which was dissolved in 2002, and the Huntridge Foundation, established to document the building and neighborhood's cultural history. The foundation conducted oral-history interviews and collected photographs and memorabilia for an archive intended for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries Special Collections. The property remained entangled in ownership, maintenance, and redevelopment issues for years. A 2013 restoration effort produced new paint and exterior work, but did not lead to a completed reopening. In 2014, the State of Nevada sued Eli Mizrachi over alleged failures to meet grant-related maintenance obligations; the case was settled in 2016. On March 31, 2021, Dapper Companies acquired the theater for $4 million. The company announced a broader renovation plan estimated at approximately $10 million and anticipated completion within three years, although the final reopening timetable remains uncertain in the available reference material. Dapper Companies publicly relit the building's Art Deco-style neon sign on April 7, 2023. The event included a lobby history exhibit, access to the performance space, photographs, and live music. Soho Playhouse was announced as the intended operator and booking agent after reopening. The Huntridge therefore remains both a historic landmark and a proposed contemporary cultural venue, with its future dependent on the completion of rehabilitation and operational plans.
History
Construction of the Huntridge Theater was announced in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on April 6, 1944, and the building opened on October 10 of that year. Designed by S. Charles Lee, it was built in the Streamline Moderne style and originally provided approximately 950 seats. Publicity for the opening highlighted advanced projection equipment intended to deliver unusually precise images. The building was constructed on land associated with Leigh S. J. Hunt and his son Henry Leigh Hunt, whose family name also became part of the Huntridge neighborhood's identity. The theater's first operators included the Commonwealth Theater Company of Las Vegas and the Huntridge Theater Company of Las Vegas, led by Thomas Oakey. In 1951, the Nevada Theater Corporation, under manager Lloyd Katz, leased the property. Katz's tenure is remembered for inexpensive Saturday morning children's programs and for the venue's role in the gradual desegregation of local theatergoing. The theater continued as a movie house while also accommodating stage events, and in 1963 it hosted the world premiere of Love Is a Ball. Frank Silvaggio acquired the theater in 1977. In November 1980, the auditorium was split into two screens. Richard Lenz leased the property in 1992, removed the dividing wall, and transformed it into a live-events venue called the Huntridge Performing Arts Theater. Preservationist Elizabeth von Till Warren prepared the National Register application, and the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The venue suffered a serious structural event on July 28, 1995, when its roof collapsed shortly before a Circle Jerks concert. There were no serious injuries. The band performed outside in the parking lot for approximately 30 to 40 people who stayed at the site. The roof's wartime-era Douglas fir trusses had endured decades of intense Las Vegas heat. Preservation activity continued through Friends of the Huntridge Theatre, although that organization was dissolved in 2002. The theater closed on July 31, 2004. For years afterward, the property was associated with the Mizrachi family, whose furniture business occupied part of the broader site. A later preservation movement sought to protect the architecture and record the theater's social history. The Huntridge Foundation, active by 2012, gathered oral histories, memorabilia, and photographs for a proposed archival donation to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries. Exterior painting and restoration took place during a 2013 redevelopment attempt, but the project did not produce a reopening. In 2014, the State of Nevada sued Eli Mizrachi concerning alleged failures to perform maintenance required under grant provisions. The dispute was settled in 2016. On March 31, 2021, Dapper Companies acquired the building for $4 million. Dapper Companies announced a renovation plan with an estimated cost of about $10 million and a projected three-year schedule. The company later marked the site's revival publicly by relighting the historic neon sign on April 7, 2023. The event included a history exhibit, photographs, and musical performances. Soho Playhouse was announced as the proposed operator and booking agent once the restored theater reopens. The available reference material does not establish that a full public reopening has occurred.
- 2023
Historic neon sign relit
[1]A public event relit the theater's neon sign and presented historical material and live performances.
- 2021
Dapper Companies acquires the property
[1]Dapper Companies bought the theater for $4 million and announced a major restoration plan.
- 2004
Theater closes
[1]The venue closed on July 31 after almost sixty years of operation.
- 1995
Roof collapse
[1]The roof collapsed before a scheduled Circle Jerks show, prompting an improvised outdoor performance.
- 1993
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
[1]The building received recognition on the United States National Register of Historic Places.
- 1992
Conversion to live-events venue
[1]Richard Lenz removed the auditorium partition and relaunched the property as the Huntridge Performing Arts Theater.
- 1980
Auditorium divided into two screens
[1]The building was partitioned into a two-screen movie theater in November.
- 1977
Frank Silvaggio purchases the theater
[1]Frank Silvaggio became the theater's owner.
- 1963
World premiere of Love Is a Ball
[1]The theater hosted the world premiere of the film Love Is a Ball.
- 1951
Nevada Theater Corporation begins leasing the venue
[1]The company managed by Lloyd Katz leased the theater, introducing highly popular low-cost children's matinees and contributing to its desegregation history.
Products and positioning
A landmark Las Vegas neighborhood theater positioned at the intersection of historic cinema, live music, performing arts, and community preservation.
Film exhibition · 1944
Cinema screenings
The theater began as a neighborhood cinema, offering mainstream film screenings and special presentations. Its original auditorium was promoted as a large, modern venue with advanced projection equipment. The cinema format remained central to the building's identity until later conversions and the shift toward live events.
Live entertainment · 1992
Live music and concerts
After the auditorium was restored to a single room in 1992, the building operated primarily as a performing-arts and live-events hall. Concert programming became particularly important, with the venue developing a reputation among alternative and punk audiences. Future concert activity is contingent on the planned restoration and reopening.
Performing arts · 1944
Stage and cultural events
The Huntridge has hosted stage performances and other cultural events in addition to movies and concerts. Its proposed post-restoration role includes continued use as a public performance venue, with Soho Playhouse announced as the intended operator and booking agent.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Huntridge neon-sign relighting event
Las Vegas
Dapper Companies organized a public event to relight the theater's deco-style neon sign and allow visitors to view historical exhibits and the performance space.
Outcome. The event publicly demonstrated progress in the site's revival and included live musical performances. A completed reopening was not established in the available material.
- 2012Huntridge Foundation preservation and oral-history program
Las Vegas
The Huntridge Foundation worked to preserve the theater's architecture and cultural history. Its activities included interviewing longtime Las Vegas residents and collecting photographs, memorabilia, and other records for an intended archival donation.
Outcome. The initiative created a preservation and documentation effort, although the reference material does not state that the planned archive transfer was completed.
Brand decisions
2021
Acquire and rehabilitate the HuntridgeM&ABackground
The theater had been abandoned for almost seventeen years and had faced ownership and legal complications.
Action taken
Dapper Companies acquired the property for $4 million and announced a restoration project estimated at approximately $10 million.
Aftermath
The acquisition restarted a formal redevelopment effort and was followed by a public neon-sign relighting event in 2023. The available material does not confirm completion or reopening.
Acquisition price. $4 million (March 31, 2021)
1992
Reposition the theater as a live-events hallStrategyBackground
Richard Lenz leased the property after its period as a two-screen cinema.
Action taken
Lenz removed the dividing wall and relaunched the venue as the Huntridge Performing Arts Theater.
Aftermath
The building became a concert and performing-arts venue, broadening its role beyond film exhibition.
1980
Convert the auditorium to a two-screen cinemaGeneration changeBackground
The theater adapted its moviegoing format by dividing its original auditorium.
Action taken
The building was partitioned into two screening rooms.
Aftermath
The two-screen configuration was later reversed when the venue shifted to live events.
Sources1 sources
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