Back in the 1960’s Los Angeles saw a surge in “Adults Only” theatres hitting the landscape. Initially featuring more exploitation and European “art” titles, than true explicit content, the burgeoning “adults only” business model proved to be a windfall for aging and displaced cinemas. In short order, theatres which had been left behind by mainstream audiences, found new life with those in search of more salacious content. In turn, theatre operators quickly discovered that the further they pushed the envelope, with increasingly graphic films, the greater their box office returns. By the 1970’s, public opinion and legal hurdles had loosened just enough to create a grey area for adult venues to thrive within; resulting in a plethora of, formerly struggling, theatres converting to explicit programming and low rent storefronts being repurposed as adult cinemas.
Amid this adult “gold rush” backdrop, a former market and liquor store space, located at 5462 Santa Monica Blvd, opened as the generically branded “Mini Theater”, on November 5, 1969. Originally featuring live strip shows, along with “continuous adult features”, the fifty-seat venue was dark, sparse, and barely larger than a typical living room. However, nobody was venturing through the turnstile entry in search of grandeur or amenities. Following a remodel and rebranding, as the “Tiki Theater Xymposium”, seating was reduced to thirty “luxury” rockers and the live entertainment was phased out. In the mid 80’s, the Tiki’s 16mm projectors were cast off in favor of video projection, but the adult cinema “gold rush” was already winding down with the rise of home viewing options.
By the new millennium, the scores of full-fledged adult theatres and makeshift storefront cinemas (some estimates list in excess of 800 adult film venues as having existed nationwide by 1979) had all but vanished. Yet, against all odds, the Tiki Theater somehow managed to survive. As of 2021, the Tiki is the only straight adult cinema still operating in Los Angeles (the gay oriented Studs Theater being the only other adult cinema in operation). Despite being out of step with the times and, seemingly, offering nothing desirable as a business, the Tiki’s bright red storefront has become a kitschy piece of LA culture/history. From making headlines as the site of comedian Fred Willard’s 2012 arrest for committing a lewd act, to regularly popping up as the subject of professional and social media photo shoots, the Tiki Theater Xymposium continues to draw attention after fifty-one years, as the final marker of Los Angeles’ “Adults Only” past.
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