Warrens Theatre

I would like to arrange a field trip for my students to see the Lion King. How do I contact the theater directly - I can only find the Ticket Master number. Please help.

thanks
Carla

I would like to buy some Lion King tickets to give as a Christmas gift. Does the Pantages sell gift certificates to redeem for tickets at a later date?

When this theatre opened it was called the Pantages. Then for the next few decades the Warner Downtown Theatre. and finally the Warren Theatre. But if you are looking for the Pantages Theatre for tickets to their many shows.

Please try this site.

www.nederlander.com/pantages.html

And ENJOY the THEATRE and the SHOW!

I was just in this building on Saturday during a downtown walking tour. It is painful to see all the people walk in and not notice the incredible beauty above them. Look up! The ceiling, balcony and proscenium arch are in wonderful shape. What a beauty she must have been. If you're in L.A. I highly recommend the LA Conservancy's tours. www.laconservancy.org

The Pantages/Warner Theatre Downtown is located at 401 W. 7th Street (Hill Street & 7th St). Its 1/2 block away from the old Loew's State Theatre. When the theatre opened in 1920, it had a Robert Morton Theatre organ (2 manual 16 rank).

To see a 1932 photo of the Warner Bros. Downtown theater marquee go here: http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014819.jpg

The Warner Bros theatre was just one of many art deco movie palaces on South Hill Street in Los Angeles. A block south was the RKO Hill Street theatre, another magnificient film palace with 2219 seats. Further down was (still is) the Mayan and Belasco. In the other direction along Hill at West 6th was the magnificent Paramount theatre with a 3600 seating capacity. The auditorium and exteriors of these theatres can be seen here http://www.geocities.com/los_angeles_coast/movie_palaces.html

The Warner Brothers Downtown Theatre is sadly one of those theaters that has had the ground floor totally changed to make away, in this case for a jewelry mart, for retail space. You can still see the intact balcony if you walk to the back of the jewelry mart. The Westlake Theatre is another sad case of this phenomenon.

Present day view of the unique circular marquee of the former Warner Theatre:
http://www.geocities.com/los_angeles_coast/jewelry700.jpg

In between its use as a movie theatre and before it became the jewelry mart, it spent some time as the Church of Compassion (I think that's it), and in place of WARREN it spelled COMPASSION in giant gold letters. I believe that may have been Rev. Moon's congregation.

This theatre opened as the second Pantages Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles on August 16, 1920. The first one being located on Broadway and later renamed the Arcade Theatre. This theatre reopened as the Warner Downtown Theatre with the premiere of "Golddiggers of Broadway" in the fall of 1929.

1947, from the UCLA collection:

http://www.oac.cdlib.org/affiliates/images/cpom/kt6s2019xp/hi-res/F/F4242.jpg

During the Metropolitan years, this theater was called WARRENS (not WARREN). Just a minor detail perhaps worth mentioning.

Hello,

I work as researcher for a UK production company called Twofour Productions who produce a series called Dead Famous which is a biographical look into the lives of Hollywood's most glittering stars we are in our third series and have covered the lives of John Lennon, Grace Kelly, Alfred Hitchcock, Buddy Holly and Howard Hughes to name a few. Our programme is aired on the Biography and A&E channels over in the US and is made for Living TV here in the UK. What sets Dead Famous apart from other shows is that we also focus on the paranormal and actually try to make contact with the person who we are investigating. We are filming in Los Angeles in our next visit in the next few weeks and we are investigating Rita Hayworth and are hoping to film at the Warner Hollywood Pacific Theatre on .

We are looking at locations relating to Hayworth’s films and her time in LA and we also would like to incorporate this with filming at some haunted locations that are also relate to her. Which is why we are interested with in the theatre as it is where the famous stars attended their film premieres and is also apparently haunted by Sam Warner!

Therefore I am emailing Cinema Treasures to see if anyone knows anymore about the history of the theatre in connection with Rita Hayworth, and whether anyone worked there in the past and has had experiences of seeing Sam.

If anyone would like to provide any information please contact me at my email jenni.long@twofour.co.uk I would be happy to hear from you.

All the Best.

Jenni;Rita Hayworth worked mainly for Columbia Pictures which would not have played at a Warner Brothers theatre. She did make a couple or so films for Warner Bros. in the early 1940's but these were not starring roles.

Best Wishes with your project. I look forward to viewing it.

That's not that true about Columbia Pictures not playing at Warner houses. Columbia Pictures did not have a theatre chain of their own. So would have played films from other studios from time to time. Once this theatre became a Warner property, it played many time opposite the Warner Hollywood house. One of the many Columbia outlets in Downtown Los Angeles was the old RKO Hillstreet Theatre (long gone). Look at the old Paramount Downtown Theatre it played many Warner titles in the 50's and it was a Publix Theatre.

William;I accept your local knowledge on the distribution situation in L.A. theatres is greater than mine. Apologies:)

A huge, amazing shot of this theater, as the Pantages, as well as the rest of the block backs up a figure of Harold Lloyd at Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park. If you want to see it and take a photo you better hurry. Movieland is closing permanently on October 31!

I have a photo that I took this week and if someone knows where I can post it for all to see I will and make a link.

The gist of the articles describing the demise of the Wax Museum is an inexplicable lack of interest in Harold Lloyd and other decades-dead stars by today's youth. Hard to figure.

CALLING ALL THEATRE / MOVIE ENTHUSIASTS!!!

T'he Los Angeles Theatre' on South Broadway, LA is playing host to the UK television show 'Dead Famous LIVE'. We are currently looking for people who would like to come along as part of the studio audience.

'Dead Famous LIVE' is a studio entertainment show all about Hollywood History and the paranormal. We will be welcoming celebrity guests on to the show and investigating famous locations around Hollywood which are rumoured to be haunted including the Los Angeles Theatre itself.

This is an invaluable chance to get access to the Los Angeles Theatre, the place where Charlie Chaplin's 'City Lights' premiered in 1931 and to have a thoroughly great day out! (And its free!!)

We're transmitting 'Live' back to the United Kingdom so expect it to be exciting and fun!

We will be filming on three days from 11th - 13th November between 11.30am - 4pm. If you are interested in coming on one or all of these days then email me for tickets!

george.hughes@twofour.co.uk

I look forward to your responses!

From the LA Library:

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014811.jpg

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014819.jpg

Another photo from the LA Library:

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014813.jpg

Box office, 1938:

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater3/00015625.jpg

Exterior, 1938:

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater3/00015624.jpg

Can someone fix the width of this?

Anyway -- this was the last theatre we toured yesterday on our Conservancy tour. It was, of course, the hottest day on record in LA, and B'way was quite the place to be when it's 102 degrees!!!!

It feels very surreal to walk into the jewelry market, and then see the giant torch over the proscenium and realize you're standing in a theatre. They've added a dreadful 70's or 80's-ish tivoli light chandelier right in the center of the ceiling, but the wonderful murals are still visible. The decorative plasterwork is all painted white and gold, which I doubt was the original color scheme, but you can still see the wonderful details. They don't let you take photos inside, due to the sensitivity of the current use.

Wonderful place!!

Must also say --- the comment above about people who do business at the jewelry mart not noticing the magnificence --- someone in my tour group made a similar remark. I wouldn't jump to such a conclusion. Perhaps some people don't notice, but I think people who work there everyday must be aware of the heritage of the building, as anyone who works in an historic building might. I appreciate the fact that theaters that have been used as warehouse or retail space have been preserved at least, and have not been demolished.

This Warner is listed as "closed" so does the theatre building still exist?

The entire building and auditorium still exist from 1920 to the present day!

Here is a contemporary picture of the Theatre Jewelry Center.

Joe: The building is architecturally...beautiful!

I took a tour around the exterior yesterday, but I couldn't get into the building itself. Underneath the main entrance are stairs which lead to an exit presumably used for overflow theater crowds.

ken mc, No those stairs were put in when there was a Burger King operating in the former lower lounge area of the theatre. There was once a free standing box office and then where the stairs are was once just tiles/ walk way to the front doors of the theatre.

Interesting. Thanks.

Here is a modern close-up view of the Warner Downtown.

Here is a recent addition from the LAPL:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics32/00065594.jpg

Here are a few more interior photos from the LAPL:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater3/00015634.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater3/00015633.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater3/00015632.jpg
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater3/00015631.jpg

Recent pics:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/dwntwnWarnersMar22200701.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/dwntwnWarnersMar22200702.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/dwntwnWarnersMar22200703.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/dwntwnWarnersMar222007004.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/dwntwnWarnersMar22200705.jpg

If anyone wants to see the Burger King in the lobby, here it is. The date is 1989:
http://tinyurl.com/2ls5gk

If anyone wants to see the Burger King in the lobby, here it is. The date is 1989:
http://tinyurl.com/2ls5gk

I heard the Rin Tin Tin movie was a real dog:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics37/00068285.jpg

If you look closely, you can see the Warren's marquee in this 1960 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ywu9yh

Its on the left side of the photo. Do I win a prize. :P

You win a free ticket to Die Hard 4 at the Soboba Theater.

This is essentially the same view in 1930, but the plunging body makes it hard to see the Warners' marquee:
http://tinyurl.com/glrha

You can see the RKO Hillstreet Theatre's vertical sign also in the 1960 picture.

These tests are getting more difficult. I can see the RKO Theater sign behind the Hillstreet Blue sign. I didn't know that tv show was taped in that building.

Remember this is only a test. The Cinema Treasures home game will be out for the holidays.

I was inside the theater today. The security guards nixed any picture taking. The balcony is still intact. There is a beautiful chandelier, and a great mural on the ceiling. Where the stage would have been is now a tacky fake skyline, for unknown reasons. If you're downtown during the week, this is well worth a look around, plus you can pick up a diamond ring for the missus.

The stringy chandelier in the former Warner Downtown auditorium is a post-theatrical addition.

I guess if you were sitting in the cheap seats you might object to a stringy chandelier blocking your view of the screen.

That chandelier was put in during the days the former theatre was a church.

The Church of Compassion wasn't a Moonie church. It did receive a scathing write-up in the LA Times on 9/1/74 for allegedly bilking its congregants. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Although the organization has held regular services at times in Dallas and in South Gate, those have been discontinued in favor of a Los Angeles "cathedral", opening September 29 in what was once the Warren's Theater building at 7th & Hill streets.

The Church of Compassion, which has a lease-option on the 10-story building, has refurbished the 765-seat theater and some offices with plush carpeting, mirrors and statuary to serve as its new headquarters.

On October 19, 1976, the church appears to be going under after several investigations:

Until recently, one Sunday afternoon a month services were held (admittance by ticket only) in the lavishly appointed 2,000 seat theater at 7th and Hill. The church sponsors no services there now however, "because we are holding crusades in other cities", a spokesman explained.

The Church of Compassion filed for bankruptcy in May 1977. On 5/29/83, the LA Times reported the following:

The former Warner Theater, currently operating as the Theater Jewelry Center at the corner of 7th & Hill Streets, has been purchased by McDade & Shidler. The nine-story, 94,000 square foot building was converted into a commercial jewelry mart about
4 1/2 years ago.

Here are some July 2007 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/2emuld
http://tinyurl.com/2cfwer
http://tinyurl.com/23l6lh
http://tinyurl.com/yqu7w6
http://tinyurl.com/yuevga

Here is a 1925 photo from the CA state library:
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/behrman/behr-0009.jpg

This photo is dated 1975, which is about the time the theater was being used by the church. Hard to tell from the marquee, though:
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/reagh/1990-1128.jpg

Just received my DVDs of "Heroes" and have started going through the episodes (I missed a number of them when they were broadcast).

The Warner Downtown makes an appearance in the pilot as the building Peter Petrelli dives off in his dreams and at the end of the episode in his attempt to fly. You can clearly see the vertical "Diamonds" sign on the corner of the building in several shots.

Here is a new addition from the LAPL. The view is looking east on 7th Street:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics45/00072150.jpg

Close-up of the corner "dome":
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/WarnersFeb26200804.jpg

Two USC photos of the theatre's late-Pantages years, including a better scan of the dog movie:

http://digarc.usc.edu/search/controller/asset/chs-m824/CHS-6796
http://digarc.usc.edu/search/controller/asset/chs-m22275/CHS-35902

I was in there a few weeks ago. I was tempted to take out my camera, snap a bunch of pictures and then make a run for it. Too many guards around, though.

Your just taking a photo. Its not like you were stealing anything.

But he's obviously an international jewel thief casing the joint.

I asked the guards last summer if I could take pictures. No go.

This is a March 1938 ad.

This is a May 1938 ad for "Robin Hood".

Here is a 1942 photo from the Library of Congress:
http://tinyurl.com/5rvszy

A street scene photo.

Here is a January 1928 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/3kkdu3

Here is part of a 4/10/54 story in the LA Times:

FORMER DOORMAN ARRESTED AFTER THEATER HOLD-UP

George Rae, 38, was held in City Jail yesterday on a charge that he robbed the Warners Downtown Theater, where he once was employed as s doorman. He was surprised by police as he tried to flee with approximately $60 in cash.

Rae was caught walking out of the theater shortly after he pointed a gun at Lou Schirmeister, 45, theater manager, and demanded some money. Schirmeister noticed the man loitering in the lobby and tipped off an usher to notify police.

Sounds like L.A. Confidential.

Here and here are photos I took last week of the former Warner Downtown Theatre.

Here is a 1939 photo from the USC archive:
http://tinyurl.com/cb7dww

Here is a photo, maybe early 1960s, from USC:
http://tinyurl.com/c4gfq2

This 1952 photo shows the Warner Brothers logo on the marquee. Not sure if I've seen that before.
http://tinyurl.com/danolg

1982 Photo

1983 Photo

Here is a 1926 photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics37/00068292.jpg

Here is a photo taken this morning:
http://tinyurl.com/nuw25t

Here is a May 1939 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/lpvvfq

Here is an August 1939 ad. Also note the preview for Wizard of Oz at the Chinese:
http://tinyurl.com/noq68s