The Elmo Theatre was an early San Luis Obispo theatre located in the Elks Building at the corner of Marsh and Morro.

The Elmo Theatre was originally known as the Elks' Theatre. The theater was designed by the architecture firm of Righetti and Headman of San Francisco in 1911, to adjoin the Elk's Hall.¹ The final plans in fact reconstructed the previous circa 1907 Lodge building to double it in size, including a theatre to seat 1,000.² Construction included 400,000 brick supplied by the Pacific Brick Company.³  The theater was opened on November 26, 1912 with "The Rose of Panama."⁴

In 1913 the Elks Theatre was renamed the Elmo Theatre to be run as a "moving picture house when not in use for the production of big plays."² It was renamed by a ruling of the Elks so that the Elks name was not used for "private enterprise or personal commercial gain."⁵

The Elks building, including the Elmo Theatre, was demolished in August 1960, making way for a Security-First National  Bank of Los Angeles, and the Elks moved to the south end of San Luis Obispo.⁶

References

1. "Architect for Elks' Theatre Making Plans," San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram, June 9, 1911, pg. 1.

2. "Plans Now Complete for the erection of the New Elks Theatre," San Luis Obispo Tribune, June 16, 1911.

3.https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SLOTW19110725.2.30&srpos=4&e=-------en--20-SLOMT%2cSLODT%2cSLOTW-1-byDA-txt-txIN-%22elks+theatre%22-------1 

4. "Rose of Panama Opens Elks Theatre," San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram, November 27, 1912, pg. 1.

5."Dan Wolf Successful Bidder for Five Years' Lease of the Elks' Theatre," San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram, November 1, 1913, pg. 1.

6. San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune, August 12, 1960, pg. 1.