The long-dark marquee of the Pussycat Theater at 7734 Santa Monica Boulevard has been a familiar hole in the Eastside streetscape since the building went dark after its final show on October 29, 2022. Now the empty movie palace - long associated with splashy adult premieres and its concrete handprints - is quietly drawing fresh interest from brokers and would-be operators.
David Mansor, a real-estate broker and attorney with HIT Realty Group, told WEHOonline that a tenant has been leasing the property for two to three years and that plans for a combined theater-and-restaurant experience are in permitting with the City of West Hollywood. Mansor said a new operator could take over the existing permit set and shave roughly six months off the approval timeline. He also noted that the firm has stenciled the facade and taken steps to secure the site while plans remain stalled.
A Storied Screen
The structure first opened March 15, 1940 as the Monica Theatre, according to Cinema Treasures, and over the decades shifted from neighborhood cinema to art-house and then adult programming. By 1970 it had become a flagship of Vincent Miranda’s Pussycat circuit, which staged high-profile premieres and left the sidewalk handprints of stars such as Linda Lovelace and John Holmes, as detailed by the Los Angeles Times.
How It Fell Silent
Operators Omar and Max Cassing rebranded the space as Studs in 2006 but chose not to renew their lease in 2022, citing rent increases and rising crime; their final show ran just before midnight on October 29, 2022, according to WEHO Times. The property was later marketed as a freestanding theater with potential for hospitality conversion, and a brokerage flyer for the address describes the site as suitable for a restaurant, bar, nightclub or live venue. LoopNet also notes the building's adaptability to a hospitality operator.
Permits, Preservation And The Pitfalls
The building does not appear on the City of West Hollywood’s Register of Cultural Resources, which means it currently lacks the automatic review and demolition controls that accompany local designation; the city's register shows no listing for the address. The city's Cultural Heritage Preservation Ordinance explains the designation and review process and the kinds of protections or review authority that would apply if the property were nominated for local landmark status. The City of West Hollywood register and the municipal code outline those steps and standards. ecode360 spells out how designation triggers Historic Preservation Commission review.
For now the marquee still turns and the block remains in limbo. Mansor says he secured the property, had "Post No Bills / HIT Realty Group / No Trespassing" stenciled on the facade, and that the tenant's permits remain stalled - all signs someone is positioning the site but construction has not begun, according to WEHOonline. If the leaseholder or a buyer moves forward, the next steps will play out at city planning counters and in public hearings that preservationists and neighbors will be watching closely.
