Palace Theatre

630 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles, CA 90014

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Showing 51 - 75 of 121 comments

William
William on November 5, 2007 at 1:33 pm

During the 30’s the Palace Theatre was operated by Fox West Coast Thetares. During the 40’s it was part of the Principal Theatres Corp. of America chain. And then in the 1950’s it became part of the Metropolitan Theatres chain till it closed.

BroadwayTheatresLA
BroadwayTheatresLA on November 5, 2007 at 1:06 pm

It is a prop from a Adam Sandler film.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 1, 2007 at 7:31 am

Here is an LA Times ad for the Fox Palace in November 1929:
http://tinyurl.com/yocnve

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 4, 2007 at 10:44 pm

I don’t think this photo has been posted here yet: This is a ca1930 photo from the California State Library website. It depicts Desmond’s clothing store a few doors north of the Palace, but there’s an interesting view of the Palace’s painted wall sign and its vertical sign, both of which bear the name Fox. Fox West-Coast must have begun operating the Palace within a couple of years of the opening of the new Orpheum down Broadway south of 8th Street.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 14, 2007 at 6:39 am

Here is a June 1953 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2sm6zz

BroadwayTheatresLA
BroadwayTheatresLA on August 26, 2007 at 4:18 pm

Notice that I had the original Orpheum sign has been uncovered.

LAOPERAMAN
LAOPERAMAN on August 16, 2007 at 11:23 pm

The facade was power washed this week and the building looks AMAZING!!!! I saw Frank this morning and he said that the Los Angeles is next!

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on March 3, 2007 at 3:34 pm

Ah, but I took the photo myself. Can you say the same? 8-P

Here is a 1954 photo from the LAPL with the Palace in the background:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics43/00041056.jpg

William
William on September 26, 2006 at 2:26 pm

During the 30’s the Palace Theatre was operated by Fox West Coast Theatres, as was the Los Angeles and Loew’s State Theatre.

careyupton
careyupton on September 5, 2006 at 7:36 am

I never knew it was called the “Fox” Palace Theatre. And in the 1930s? The marquee read Broadway Palace Theatre when the Orpheum name moved to the new theatre down Broadway in 1928. Later it was called the Palace Newsreel Theatre, based on a mural that remains behind the theatre. But Fox? This will require more exploration.
Thank you for bringing it to light.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 1, 2006 at 4:15 pm

Here is a 1930 view of the Fox Palace, open continuously 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.:
http://tinyurl.com/gqkgd

GWaterman
GWaterman on July 23, 2006 at 3:27 pm

I took a Conservancy tour yesterday; we ALMOST got inside the Palace!! When we approached the theatre, we noticed that the roll-up gate was up. Our tour group quickly moved into the outer foyer, which was nice, but I spotted the fact that one of the lobby doors was a little bit ajar!! I actually opened it, and as I did a Security officer was there, smiling. I was ready to let our docent talk our way in, but then a gentleman with a bag over his shoulder came up behind me from the sidewalk —– the security officer let him in (he obviously had an appointment), and when our docent asked if we could tour, he first asked if we had an appointment, and when told No, he turned us away. Then she asked if we could remain in the foyer, and he said No again. We took our own sweet time moving out of the foyer, while our docent described what she knew about the theatre.

She said that the 2nd floor windows that overlook the entry foyer were actually the ladies' room, and that in the day, ladies would peer out to check out who was arriving!

It was a disappointment to get so close but not be allowed to enter. It seems a lot of theatre owners resist the Conservancy’s requests. I wish they would allow more access.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 13, 2006 at 1:34 pm

Carey: The L.A. Public Library’s on-line photo database contains at least these two pictures of the Palace, c1928, with the “Broadway Palace” name on it:

Front View

Side View.

The information about the name “News Palace” (adopted in 1939) is covered in my comment of Dec. 8, 2004, near the top of this page. I’ve never seen the Daily Variety article itself; only the index card displayed in the California Index section of the L.A. Library web site.

careyupton
careyupton on April 13, 2006 at 11:37 am

The theatre began its life as “Orpheum Theatre” in 1911. In 1926, when the new orpheum was built down the street. The name of the theatre changed to either the “News Palace” or the “Broadway Palace.” In the late 1990s, the new owners began to refer to the theatre as the “Downtown Palace Theatre” to distinguish it form the Palace Theatre is Hollywood. Do any of you know (and have written or photographic sources) of any other names used by the theatre. I’ve heard a rumor that it was called the “Orpheum Palace” for a time though I can’t find any verification. I’d appreciate a response, on or offline. Carey Upton, Manager of the Palace Theatre

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 28, 2006 at 2:15 pm

William, are you sure about the Skouras-ization of the Palace in 1947? When I began going to the theatre in the early 1960’s, the auditorium had the same, ornate Renaissance decor seen in old photographs of it (and the style “Renaissance” needs to be added to the theatre’s information at the top of the page, buy the way.) I don’t remember the lobby as clearly, but I certainly don’t recall it having any of the art moderne style for which Skouras was so famous. I do know that the ticket foyer had had its ornate decoration largely covered over by then, but it wasn’t particularly art moderne, either- just sort of bland. If Skouras was responsible for that, it wasn’t one of his better designs.

William
William on March 28, 2006 at 1:53 pm

The Palace Theatre in 1947 got an Skouras-ized interior remodel.

someonewalksinla
someonewalksinla on February 28, 2006 at 11:41 pm

I think you all became a news source.

“The steep decline of downtown’s theaters came in the years after World War II, alongside the rise of the suburbs â€" and the shopping malls that came with them. Movie theaters sprang up elsewhere, and people had few reasons to drive downtown.

Some of downtown’s movie palaces were destroyed in the ensuing years, often to make way for the burgeoning car culture. The Metropolitan Theatre â€" opened by Sid Grauman in 1923 on 6th Street and later called the Paramount Theatre â€" was demolished in 1962, replaced with a parking lot and, later, the International Jewelry Center. The RKO Hill Street Theatre, at 8th and Hill, was razed six years later, also for a parking lot.”

From
Movie Tradition Fading to Black
Seventy years after its neon heyday, downtown Los Angeles is struggling to keep its last cinematic venue afloat.
By Cara Mia DiMassa, Times Staff Writer
February 17, 2006

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