El Capitan Theatre

6838 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Unfavorite 95 people favorited this theater

Showing 101 - 125 of 318 comments

KingBiscuits
KingBiscuits on September 21, 2009 at 5:56 pm

They are guinea pigs, Ken.

BhillH20
BhillH20 on September 21, 2009 at 5:35 pm

They didn’t give any credit to theater architect G. Albert Lansburgh!

Chris Utley
Chris Utley on September 1, 2009 at 1:49 pm

Nice theatre, but WAY WAY WAY too expensive to get decent seating. Also, the screen is not big enough for 2:35 aspect ratio (I distinctly remember seeing major cropping for “Narnia – Prince Caspian” the last time I was here).

But the showy stuff (the decor, the pre-show) is unbeatable and that’s how the place consistentliy packs them in.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 29, 2009 at 4:28 pm

I like my hamster photo better.

segask
segask on August 23, 2009 at 9:05 pm

does this theater have a new owner now, or is it still up for sale?

raybradley
raybradley on July 27, 2009 at 4:52 pm

Sharp 1991 color night shot from LIFE,
View link

bonbon
bonbon on July 8, 2009 at 11:10 pm

I was at on the top floor at Hollywood & Highland today and I’m curious as to who the people are in the reliefs at the top of the building. Sorry if I overlooked this information if it has been previously mentioned.

igoudge
igoudge on June 28, 2009 at 10:47 am

the booth would have been amazing to have seen for sure sooooo jealous ;–)

Tim Garrison
Tim Garrison on June 28, 2009 at 1:39 am

My first experience with this theater was this month seeing Pixar’s “UP”. And it was easily the most amazing theater experience I ever had. I was taken on a tour of the theater, got to go in the projection room. I loved their Wall of Fame showcasing all the premieres the theater had hosted. The organ performance, the curtain show, the live stage performance…almost brought me to tears it was such an experience. Greatest theater I’ve ever stepped foot in. And they turn the house around in less than 20 minutes. Insanity. Here’s a picture of the marquee from June 2nd, 2009 for “Up”

http://i43.tinypic.com/b719ag.jpg

igoudge
igoudge on June 26, 2009 at 1:27 pm

First time to LA and I was able to catch the Nightmare before Christmas here in 3d totally awesome and the condition of the theatre is amazing, a virtual palace of Hollywoods yesteryear.

Patsy
Patsy on May 9, 2009 at 6:48 am

Joe: Quite the interior photo! Thanks. BTW……in a book entitled Lucy A to Z by Michael Karol there is mention of this theatre on page 114.

“This is the Hollywood Boulevard theater in which Desi Arnaz and his band played for Bob Hope’s radio show in 1947.”

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 25, 2009 at 11:28 pm

Ken, you are right and USC is wrong. Those three pictures do depict the Downtown Paramount.

This is the El Capitan’s auditorium.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 25, 2009 at 10:18 pm

This is definitely the El Capitan, circa late 1930s:
http://tinyurl.com/d5tq2x

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 25, 2009 at 6:43 pm

Interior photos from 1939, from the USC archive. I thought maybe this was the Paramount in downtown, but I will go by the caption.
http://tinyurl.com/d8xjv4
http://tinyurl.com/dj453v
http://tinyurl.com/c7tbyf

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 27, 2009 at 1:53 pm

The LA Times reported today that Martin Weil has passed away. He was a past president of the LA Conservancy and a renovation expert. He was involved in the renovation of the El Capitan in the 1990s.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 28, 2008 at 3:31 pm

The other El Capitan on Vine Street can be seen at the top of the page in this undated photo from Life Magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/65q7rw

Bway
Bway on October 16, 2008 at 8:47 am

I was in it about 5 years ago, and it is absolutely stunning inside.

AdoraKiaOra
AdoraKiaOra on October 14, 2008 at 8:37 am

Will that continue in the future or not. It looked to be in pretty good condition in general when I walked past last Saturday

William
William on October 14, 2008 at 8:05 am

And Disney helped to pay some of the price tag to do alittle restoration work on the Pantages for the opening of “Lion King” Broadway show. But it was a budget restoration of the house. There was more planned when they did back then, but they had to cut back on the project.

Bway
Bway on October 14, 2008 at 6:46 am

Wow, so Disney is selling the theater? Why?
Do they own any of the other theaters on Hollywood Blvd? I know they have done some things at the Pantages.