Burglary, Vandalism Forces Early Closure Of Samuel French Bookshop

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - A popular Hollywood bookstore catering to actors and playwrights is closing after the store was broken into and vandalized.

The website for the Samuel French Bookshop at 7623 Sunset Blvd. announced the break-in on March 4, saying, "The plan for our Los Angeles bookshop to close at the end of this month has changed."

Police were investigating the burglary, but it wasn't clear what specific items were stolen. There were no details on the vandalism involved.

Photos on social media showed the store has been boarded up with a sign announcing the closure.

First opened in 1947, the store - which is the company's last surviving outlet in the U.S. - sold and licensed thousands of plays to theater groups for decades. The publisher was bought in 2018 by conglomerate Concord Music.

Samuel French first revealed it would be closing its doors for good back on Feb. 25. The company operates another bookstore at the Royal Court Theatre in London.

An online petition to keep the store open has garnered more than 7,000 supporters.