A Los Angeles art house cinema beginning during the 1940s. The space initially housed the Ballard Film Society before Raymond Rohauer took over during the 1950s. The theater was programmed by the Society of Cinema Arts and Rohauer served as curator. Early avant-garde screenings included a series co-presented by Creative Film Associates that included Kenneth Anger's PUCE MOMENT and FIREWORKS, Curtis Harrington's FRAGMENTS OF SEEKING and PICNIC, Sidney Peterson's THE LEAD SHOES and James Broughton's MOTHER'S DAY. Rohauer was a controversial figure and was occasionally accused of illegally adding the films that screened in the theater to his personal collection. The theatre was extremely influential on a generation of filmmakers and curators and during the 1950s was Los Angeles' primary site for the exhibition of experimental and art cinema.

The theatre's program notes read:

'A museum of arts and sciences, Coronet Louvre. Sponsored by the non-profit and non-commercial organization, THE SOCIETY OF CINEMA ARTS, the LOUVRE will continue to bring the genuine art and experimental film to the discriminating film devotee.'
[Source, Coronet Louvre Program Notes]