The LA Historic Theatre Foundation will be restarting its popular “All About…” series this Saturday, Sept 26. Meet at the Million Dollar (doors open at 10:30, presentation starts at 11), then tour the Million Dollar and Globe/Morosco Theaters. It’s free! See you there.
The LA Historic Theatre Foundation will be presenting some historical background on the Broadway theaters, plus a tour of not only the Million Dollar, but also the Morosco (Globe). Saturday, Sept 26th, doors open at 10:30, presentation starts at 11. See you there!
For a while it operated solely as a movie theater, but now it has embraced all its former functions for the community. So the theater has apparently lost some space.
It was closed (and supposedly boarded up) the whole time I was in Key West, but I distinctly remember walking past and the front door ajar. Can’t recall if I poked my head inside or not. I remember being curious about the place, but the people hanging around were less than reputable. Key West was like that…
Thanks for that link to the Movies Made in Key West site. I also remember Capt Tony giving out posters for “Key West Crossing” in his bar. This would have been late 78, early 79. I looked for it, but never saw the movie come out.
The terrazzo is back in place, and the entire building has been painted a color somewhere between grey and mint green. Since the scaffolding is still up in front, I’m hoping this is just a primer layer or something. But I don’t have high hopes. The insets above the retail spaces on either side of the marquee have some details painted in more normal shades of green.
And here I thought they put the trees up in front of Studs (the former Tomcat, the former Pussycat) on Santa Monica Blvd to block the marquee with its silly gay porn titles… It seems cities everywhere have something against theater marquees.
Scott, AMC 7 presently has 2167 seats. The expansion plans, which apparently include parking structure 3, would double that. If the Broadway 4 closes, they lose 1049 seats.
Ken MC, Benetton took over Midnight Special’s place on the Promenade, and MS didn’t close — they moved over to 2nd Street. But it took them several months to reopen, and the financial strain wiped them out.
The impression that I get from the Bayside District Corp is that they are not pro-competition. They seem to stack the deck to favor certain businesses, particularly the big, national chains. Pretty much all of the small, locally-owned businesses have been driven off 3rd Street.
And from what I hear, the city is going to go ahead and raise parking rates…
Scott, to answer your question (nearly two years later!) as someone who has gone to all of these theaters many times — the insides of all of the 3rd St Promenade theaters are fairly recent (90s era) and so are pretty plain. That’s why I’ve never bothered to take any photos inside them. I can’t speak for others.
According to today’s Santa Monica Daily Press, AMC is pushing to demo the 7 and replace it with a 12 screen facility. The city is worried about “oversaturation of movie theaters,” and wants AMC to promise to close the Broadway 4, which they also run. However, AMC only leases the Broadway and have no control over what happens with it when their lease is up.
If the Broadway closed and the 12 was built, it would mean an increase of about 1,000 seats.
Ken, yes, the El Miro was mostly demolished. As that poster stated, the facade was preserved. It’s one of those odd situations…
The Santa Monica Daily Press today stated that the city is demanding that if AMC replaces their 7 screener with a 12 screen facility, that they must promise to shut the Broadway 4 (which they also operate) to prevent “oversaturation of movie theaters.” The problem is, they only lease that facility, and once they give up the lease have no control over it.
To do that, Chris, they would probably have to tear down that apartment building behind it, or some of the stores next door. Considering how small some of the upstairs theaters are, I’d hate to see what they’d have to do to squeeze in 14 screens!
They are talking about knocking down the parking structure behind the Criterion and building a larger “entertainment” complex back there, connected somehow to the Promenade. I don’t know if that would involve destroying the recently renovated Criterion or not.
More ultimate than the El Cap? They’ve already got a show palace for their big films. Why put their eggs into two baskets? Not to mention that the Chinese doesn’t have room for either stage shows or an organ…
Something else to consider about Disney and the El Capitan: they’ve spent so much money restoring the place that even though it’s wildly successful, it is not profitable for them. They do it for the prestige. So what would taking over the Chinese do for them exactly?
The last time I was down there, they had boarded up not only the theater, but also the retail space to the west, which is basically Angelo’s Pawn Shop. It didn’t look like they were working on it though.
They’re turning it into retail space. Early on, there was talk of Lucky Jeans moving in there, even though they’ve already got locations on the Promenade and on Montana.
Anybody know what’s going on with the Wilshire? They’ve boarded up the front and removed the marquee. When I was by there the other day, only the frame of the marquee was left.
Wendell is the man!
The original architect is named in my first post.
The LA Historic Theatre Foundation will be restarting its popular “All About…” series this Saturday, Sept 26. Meet at the Million Dollar (doors open at 10:30, presentation starts at 11), then tour the Million Dollar and Globe/Morosco Theaters. It’s free! See you there.
The LA Historic Theatre Foundation will be presenting some historical background on the Broadway theaters, plus a tour of not only the Million Dollar, but also the Morosco (Globe). Saturday, Sept 26th, doors open at 10:30, presentation starts at 11. See you there!
For a while it operated solely as a movie theater, but now it has embraced all its former functions for the community. So the theater has apparently lost some space.
It was closed (and supposedly boarded up) the whole time I was in Key West, but I distinctly remember walking past and the front door ajar. Can’t recall if I poked my head inside or not. I remember being curious about the place, but the people hanging around were less than reputable. Key West was like that…
Thanks for that link to the Movies Made in Key West site. I also remember Capt Tony giving out posters for “Key West Crossing” in his bar. This would have been late 78, early 79. I looked for it, but never saw the movie come out.
The terrazzo is back in place, and the entire building has been painted a color somewhere between grey and mint green. Since the scaffolding is still up in front, I’m hoping this is just a primer layer or something. But I don’t have high hopes. The insets above the retail spaces on either side of the marquee have some details painted in more normal shades of green.
And here I thought they put the trees up in front of Studs (the former Tomcat, the former Pussycat) on Santa Monica Blvd to block the marquee with its silly gay porn titles… It seems cities everywhere have something against theater marquees.
Sorry, 2167 is the number of added seats. 2100 is the number the AMC 7 supposedly has now.
Scott, AMC 7 presently has 2167 seats. The expansion plans, which apparently include parking structure 3, would double that. If the Broadway 4 closes, they lose 1049 seats.
Ken MC, Benetton took over Midnight Special’s place on the Promenade, and MS didn’t close — they moved over to 2nd Street. But it took them several months to reopen, and the financial strain wiped them out.
The impression that I get from the Bayside District Corp is that they are not pro-competition. They seem to stack the deck to favor certain businesses, particularly the big, national chains. Pretty much all of the small, locally-owned businesses have been driven off 3rd Street.
And from what I hear, the city is going to go ahead and raise parking rates…
Scott, to answer your question (nearly two years later!) as someone who has gone to all of these theaters many times — the insides of all of the 3rd St Promenade theaters are fairly recent (90s era) and so are pretty plain. That’s why I’ve never bothered to take any photos inside them. I can’t speak for others.
According to today’s Santa Monica Daily Press, AMC is pushing to demo the 7 and replace it with a 12 screen facility. The city is worried about “oversaturation of movie theaters,” and wants AMC to promise to close the Broadway 4, which they also run. However, AMC only leases the Broadway and have no control over what happens with it when their lease is up.
If the Broadway closed and the 12 was built, it would mean an increase of about 1,000 seats.
Ken, yes, the El Miro was mostly demolished. As that poster stated, the facade was preserved. It’s one of those odd situations…
The Santa Monica Daily Press today stated that the city is demanding that if AMC replaces their 7 screener with a 12 screen facility, that they must promise to shut the Broadway 4 (which they also operate) to prevent “oversaturation of movie theaters.” The problem is, they only lease that facility, and once they give up the lease have no control over it.
I think Bloomingdale’s and Nordstom’s are scheduled to move into those places.
To do that, Chris, they would probably have to tear down that apartment building behind it, or some of the stores next door. Considering how small some of the upstairs theaters are, I’d hate to see what they’d have to do to squeeze in 14 screens!
They are talking about knocking down the parking structure behind the Criterion and building a larger “entertainment” complex back there, connected somehow to the Promenade. I don’t know if that would involve destroying the recently renovated Criterion or not.
The White Stripes did the same thing for their last record, turning the closed Tower Records on Sunset into Ickythump Records for a few days.
I wonder if they painted over the mural that was above the marquee.
Ken, that page says “CineFamily at the Silent Theatre.” So it seems like a marketing thing and the name hasn’t really changed.
“the tourists don’t flock to the Cap, they head straight for the Chinese forecourt.”
Something else I should point out. Those tourists don’t flock to the ticket booth.
It doesn’t matter who does or doesn’t know about the El Capitan. The fact remains that Disney already has an operating prestige venue for their films.
“it would be the ultimate in prestige.”
More ultimate than the El Cap? They’ve already got a show palace for their big films. Why put their eggs into two baskets? Not to mention that the Chinese doesn’t have room for either stage shows or an organ…
Is that the refreshments room just off the ballroom?
Something else to consider about Disney and the El Capitan: they’ve spent so much money restoring the place that even though it’s wildly successful, it is not profitable for them. They do it for the prestige. So what would taking over the Chinese do for them exactly?
The last time I was down there, they had boarded up not only the theater, but also the retail space to the west, which is basically Angelo’s Pawn Shop. It didn’t look like they were working on it though.
They’re turning it into retail space. Early on, there was talk of Lucky Jeans moving in there, even though they’ve already got locations on the Promenade and on Montana.
Anybody know what’s going on with the Wilshire? They’ve boarded up the front and removed the marquee. When I was by there the other day, only the frame of the marquee was left.
Why would Disney want it? They have the El Capitan across the street. Do they have enough quality films to fill two palaces simultaneously?