Vogue Theatre

For the past two years, the Vogue has been one of the central venues for the annual fall international film festival held by the American Film Institute. Sadly the film is still in pretty sorry shape though one of the lobby walls now serves as a huge signature board where various luminaries who attend screenings there sign their names and sometimes contribute a doodle.

In December 2001, the Vogue closed. The manager was selling everything from the lobby in front of the theater. He was not willing to say what was going to happen to the theater, nor would he give a tour. Let's hope Hollywood/Highland doesn't buy it and turn it into a giant Starbucks!

The Vogue is closed down. I've seen fake movie titles on it's marquee. It may be turned into a swap meet or cheap souvenir shop.

I was a projectionist there along with L.B. (Burt) Daniels in the early to mid 80's. Our paychecks were from Mann theatres and films we ran always opened with the Mann logo. I got laid off when the theatre went from a day and night theatre to strictly a night theatre in October 1984.

The Vogue Theatre is located at 6675 Hollywood Blvd.. Designed by S. Charles Lee, the Vogue opened July 16, 1935 and became a showcase for Columbia Pictures. Though it was owned by former presidents of Fox West Coast Theatre. The Vogue was styled in the Streamline Modere look that was in vogue but was also inexpensive and easy to produce. This theatre attracted motorists and pedestrians alike with its neon marquee. Its auditorium was very simple, with no stage or balcony, but beautiful geometric murals on the walls. This theatre was built to be economically feasible and might have been influenced by S. Charles Lee's "automat" theatre, The Studio afew blocks away at 6523 Hollywood Blvd. (aka: Holly Theatre)

The Vogue is alive and well with low priced 2nd run double bills.

Sorry to report that contrary to what you see above, the Vogue is still empty and not showing 2nd run or any films. I'm a regular at the Egyptian across the street and the Vogue is -sadly- CLOSED.

I see great portential in this theater. IF only someone could invest in it and help revitilize Hollywood.

It's a shame if this goes the way of The Hollywood and becomes an attraction instead of a theatre. By the way what was the name of that complex down the block from the Chinese theatre? It was a small plex, I think it's closed now but I cant remember the name to look it up on here.

Hollywood Galaxy
Originally run by GCC General Cinemas, then by AMC and closed in 2003.

http://www.cimgroup.com/cities/hollywood/galaxy.asp?leasing=yes&leasingType=retail

Hollywood Galaxy
Originally run by GCC General Cinemas, then by AMC and closed in 2003.

http://www.cimgroup.com/cities/hollywood/galaxy.asp?leasing=yes&leasingType=retail

"The Show Starts On The Sidewalk," Maggie Valentine's book about the theatres of S. Charles Lee, claims that the Vogue had 800 seats. But whether it was 500 or 800, I would call that a small theatre and not "midsized."

I had rented The Vogue for a TV show I ran for SPIKE TV and Mountain Dew. You may see the MDN signs still up. Either way, we came in, tore out the seats and turned the inside into a TV set. I would never have wanted to tear it up if it was ever going to be restored into a theater again, but the current owners are the same ones that own the White Lotus on Cahuenga. They are waiting on a liquor license for when they reopen the place as a new club, so they rented it to me for a song which allowed me to produce my show there.

It was really neat to get to go inside and see every little part of the theater. The projection room (same one used in Fight Club) still had the triple platter machine and there were all sorts of old film cans and split reels. I did take some marquee letters for my apartment.

Sad to see it go as a theater, but I had a great time working there. BTW, I never ran into Fritz or any of the other spirits, but a few on my crew felt the presence of the children. And one of the men who came in to take out the seats never came back again after one night.

Mann ran the Vogue from the early 70's to the early 90's. They had the Chinese, Hollywood, Vogue and the Fox. Most of the "A" films opened at the Chinese, but the Vogue would get first run bookings. I believe it had 70mm projection.

How is it that this S. Charles Lee built theater does not have historical status. I am kind of upset
by the fact that doody's crew was able to go in and tear out the seats that were still in place after
all that time. Doody....where are the seats now???

If I had raped the theater like that I wouldn't go back either! It doesn't sound like it was rented out but allowed to be gutted and pillaged. Shame on the owners.

I guess it can be told now. Elie Samaha, who created White Lotus and the Sunset Room (and owns Franchise Pictures), bought the remaining years of the original leases that Mann had on both the Vogue and the Iris (a/k/a Fox) on Hollywood Blvd. I think this covers only the theatres, not the actual land; that may still be tied up with the Mann heirs. And he is dead set on turning them into nightclubs; he even turned down an offer from Sage Stallone (co-owner of repertory company Grindhouse Releasing, and son of Sylvester, who has made films for Samaha) to rehab one or both of them.

Mann theatres when they let go of the Hollywood,Vogue and Fox stipulated that they could not be used for first run movies as this would be competition. I never really cared for these three theatres in there present state. Hollywood had so many movie palaces to choose from that these theatres were on the blah side. The Vogue was the best of the three and was an exclusive house in the 1960's-1970's.The last film I saw at the Vogue was "Home Alone".brucec

The Vogue was remodelled in 1959 to it's present "modern" appearance by architect "J. Arthur Drieloma, A.I.A." and cost $250,000 (a substantial sum in those days). The grand re-opening took place on June 29, 1959.

The artists conception is located here...
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics49/00044346.jpg

J. Arthur Drielsma consulted with Roland Decker Pierson to design the Azusa Foothill Drive-In theatre.
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/5855/

He also apparently designed the Whittier Drive-In AKA Fiesta Four
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/3822/

The Vogue Theatre was a mid-sized theatre with 800 seats, compared to the larger palaces on Hollywood Blvd. The 500 seat number comes from around the year 2000 when the owner removed 300 seats from the front of the theatre. In the earlier years of the Projectionist Union in Los Angeles. If your theatre seated 1000 people and over, it had to employ two projectionists each shift.

After it closed up, it was rented out by a local scenster for some screenings of old horror movies on several occasions (he merely projected DVDs on a standard video projector probably costing less than $2000, and honestly it really didn't look too bad...a little dim but no splices or film print damage, obviously). This was around 2000 or 2001. As confirmed by others here, I had heard the rumor that the place was morphing into a nightclub. Fine and dandy, but DO IT ALREADY! I'd rather have the place functioning. You've already ripped out the seats aparently, you naughty boy. So let's do something with it. I'd prefer another organziation in the style of the American Cinemateque; Hollywood Blvd. is the perfect place fortit.

It looks like the Vogue's days are numbered. All the stores that share the building with the Vogue are now closed and it looks like they are going to raze the whole thing. No offical word on what they are going to do with the property. Just saw this today.

Sorry it's been so long since I responded about the theater. I just never thought anyone was reading these.

Turns out I was wrong!

As far as tearing out the seats, don't get mad at me. The theater was going through the club renovation by The White Lotus, which should have been no secret as they posted their liquor license request publicly last summer. If it wasn't going to be us tearing them out, it was someone else. Also, the seats that were there were not the original seats. They were put there sometime in the 70's I believe and they were in horrible shape and not very collectible. I'm no expert, but they didn't appear to be anything really special. Most of them were tossed. (I believe some of them were stored in this really weird space adjacent to Musso and Franks, which looked to be part of the restaurant a very long time ago - it had this really beautiful artwork that lined the top of the walls.)

As a matter of fact, the theater interior was not really much to write home about. The walls were a drab and rundown red. The ceiling had this large set back oval shape, but was painted in a single color - there was no contrast nor any kind of artwork. (Maybe something underneath that you could have restored, but there were no photos to confirm that.) The lobby had this horribly ugly carpeting and the snack counter was updated sometime in the 80's. The only place that had some real coolness in it was the projection booth, which I noted in my post last year.

I am actually very happy to have been able to spend some time in there. It was a lot of fun and I was glad that the theater got some use. Currently, you can still see our MDN promo ads on the marquee, which makes me laugh. I really wish it would get reworked and finished soon. Anyone who lives in Hollywood knows the frustration of old buildings just sitting there collecting dust.

The exterior looks like the Grand Theatre [大光明]of Shanghai.

This is a photo of the former Vogue Theater in Hollywood.

This is another photo of the Vogue Theater.

From the Bruce Torrence Hollywood Photograph Collection:

http://www.hollywoodphotographs.com/detail.asp?im=%2D1&cat=43&offset=176&ID=4216

This is an artist's sketch of the remodeled Fox West Coast Vogue Theater in 1959:

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics49/00044346.jpg

The stories about the Vogue being haunted sprang up when a "Psychic" Tour group was using it as a base of operation. I was the Assistant Manager there in the early seventies and never heard of (or experienced) a haunting of ANY sort. They were also spreading some BS about a schoolhouse burning down and the site being haunted by dead kids. While there WAS a school a couple of blocks away, The Misses Janes school didn't burn down. The house is now a Tourist Information office. The only other school in the area was on Selma Avenue.

Someone else mentioned an odd storage room next to Musso Frank's. That was a former speakeasy that, for years, was bricked up except for an entrance inside Musso's.

I worked as asst. manager at the vogue for a for little while , around 1982-'84. Have a lot of great memories, and some pictures of the interior and a couple of the outside. The manager at the time, George Michaelides often had us put up cheasy displays, and I took pics of 'em. And he took pics of us with them. We had plenty of celebrities coming in. Jeff Conaway and John Larroquette were regulars. I walked Andy Kaufman to his car after a screening of Mad Max, talking about the film. He thought it was too violent. Also when Dodger announcer Vin Scully got his Star on the Blvd., I escorted him and his family and entourage from the rear entrance to the the waiting press. Also got to know Nicolas Cage from seeing him sloop by the theatre with Crispin Glover and I'd let them come in. This is before they were household names. Ok, I could go on for awhile, all the experiences there. I won't. But I will mention some of the celebrities I saw there: William Shatner, Vincent Price, Wolfman Jack, Jack LaLane, Gary Owens, Mayor Tom Bradley, David Lander (Squiggy, of Lenny & Squiggy), the Spinal Tap keyboardist, Joseph Cotton, The Skipper from Gilligan's Island, Aldo Ray.... Okay, that's not so many, and that's all I can think of now.
I'll be sad to see it go....if it does...

Mikul, I would be intrested in seeing your pictures. Could you post them or email them to me.

Hey Will,
it's cool that someone is interested in seeing those pics. First I have to locate them, then scan them, and I'll do that and post, soon as i get some time. They're not pro shots, though, just mostly goofing around shots I believe..... it's been awhile since I've seen 'em...

Mikul, Thanks I check back later to see.

Can someone tell me exactly when the Vogue ceased being a regular-run movie theater? I thought it was the early 90s, but that appears not to be the case if I'm reading the above posts correctly. So, when was the last time the Vogue played a movie in regular release? I have many happy memories of the Vogue - saw The Parent Trap there many times, saw Robert Youngson's Days of Thrills and Laughter (which got me interested in silent movies), saw What's New, Pussycat there, and the bastardized version of Once Upon A Time In America. One of my fondest memories is when the Vogue had a sneak preview of a film I wrote and directed in the mid-70s. THAT was fun!

The Vogue Theatre lasted till the middle of 1992 as a move-over house for the Mann's Chinese Tri-plex. At that time mann Theatre had removed the 70MM projection equipment and replaced it with a Simplex XL and and drive-in platter and a Dolby CP-50 for it's stereo sound. A sad ending for one of the best Scope screens on the Blvd. The three single houses that Mann ran were the Hollywood which closed in 1991 and the Fox which closed also in 1991 and became a warehouse for the company and finally the Vogue. Back in Oct. of 2000 the theatre was used as an extra screen for the AFI series which took place at the El Capitian and the Egyptian Theatres of that year. I ran many films during that week in that theatre as the projectionist.

I had a friend who worked for Mann Theaters for years, so I know most of the history.

I was at a screening of a short film at the Vogue about four years ago. I was shocked at the state the theater was in - it was, quite frankly, disgusting - smelled bad, and was filthy. A shame, really. Is it for sale? m

There was plans to turn it into some kind of night club at last word. I enjoyed my short time in the Vogue. My favorite was the Hollywood Pacific.

Read my comments about the Pacific - one of my favorite theaters. I was just there two weeks ago.

Here's an article that states the original businesses that occupied the Vogue Theater Building.

(May 5, 1935) Los Angeles Times

FIVE LEASES FOR STORE AREAS IN NEW STRUCTURE
Announcement of the leasing of all the store areas in the Vogue Theater Building now nearing completion at 6669-77 Hollywood Boulevard has been made by Coldwell, Cornawall & Banker. The rentals total $57,000, it was stated. Musso and Frank Grill Company have leased, for a long period, a portion of the building in the rear of the easterly stores for an addition to their present dining-room at a total rental of $15,000 and are expending $11,000 for interior decoration, the report says. Sam Kessler has leased the store at 6669 Hollywood Boulevard for a period of five years at a rental of $15,000, it was announced. Armin Richter has leased the storeroom at 6671 Hollywood Boulevard for a period of five years at a total rental of $9000, according to the report. The storeroom at 6673 Hollywood Boulevard has been leased to Angeline Jahnke for a period of five years at a rental of $9000, and Sally's Candy Company has leased the storeroom at 6677 Hollywood Boulevard for a period of five years at a rental of $9000, the report states.

Here are a few more things about the opening of the Vogue.

(June 30, 1935)
Construction and preparation of the Vogue Theater Building, 6669-77 Hollywood Boulevard, represents another important structural project in the Hollywood program. The structure, constructed by the Vogue Theater Company of which Howard Sheehan is president, represents an investment of about $50,000, and inclusive of equipment, a total expenditure of about $95,000, it was stated.

(July 02, 1935)
Hollywood's newest first-run motion picture theater, the Vogue Theater, 6669 Hollywood Boulevard, is being rushed to completion for an opening set for Tuesday evening, July 9. The modernistic theater, first of its kind to be built in Souther California, is being erected at a cost of $60,000. With the smartly sophisticated styled furnishings and latest equipment, a total expenditure of over $95,000 will be realized when the doors open. Under the direction of Howard Sheehan, the new Vogue Theater will establish a policy of first-run pictures of the highest type, it is announced.

(July 03, 1935)
Vogue Theater, slated to open next Tuesday night, at 6669-77 Hollywood Boulevard, will present "Ladies Crave Excitement" as one-half of a double bill.

(July 08, 1935)
VOGUE THEATER'S OPENING WILL BE THEATRICAL EVENT
Amusement seekers will attend the gala premiere of Hollywood's newest first-run picture palace, Vogue Theater, tomorrow. Stars of the stage and screen will be on hand to pay their respects to Howard Sheehan and his new theatrical venture. Two pictures will make up the initial program. One is "The Phantom Fiend," a mystery drama made from the novel, "The Lodger," by Mrs. Belloc Lowndes.

Here are some photos from a website that concerns 70 mm theaters:
http://tinyurl.com/l28n9

I am currently looking for any Old Theatres in which to lease or possibly buy in Reseda, Van Nuys, Hollywood or North Hollywood. It has been my Long life Dream to renevate and own my own Theatre/ Venue. Please e-mail me at richardwarrington@hotmail.com or call me at 310-597-9398 if youo live here!! Thanks.Rick

P.S. If you also live in the areas in which I am looking and want to help please contact me as well!!

Richard, the owners are not interested in returning this theatre back to a movie theatre, but into a night club in the near future. As they also own the Fox Theatre at Wilcox and Hollywood Blvd. too.

The sad part is that they'd rather just sit on these buildings than give them over to someone who'd do the right thing. That's just what we need in Hollywood - another movie theater turned into a sickening trendy (for fifteen minutes) nightclub. SHAME!

And most of the theaters in Reseda and Van Nuys and Burbank and NoHo are sadly long gone. The Reseda is, of course, still there, but I have no idea who owns it. And the Fox, as mentioned above. There are a handful of others, too.

The real blame goes to Mann Theatres for putting a clause when they closed the theatres. So they could not be used to show movies for some amount of years. The last time I ran the Vogue Theatre was October of 2000 for the AFI Festival. It was very sad to see how this once great theatre had turned into a rundowned property. The auditorium was so sad to see with half of the seats removed. The Reseda is planned tobe a community theatre.

I was at the Vogue back in 2002 for a screening of something. It was shocking, actually. It smelled horrendous, it was freezing and the whole thing was just nauseating. I spent so many wonderful days and evenings at the Vogue and to see it like that was just, well, horrible.

I am looking for a movie theater in LA -- preferably Hollywood -- that I could rent out for one night for a screening party for an indie film I just finished editing. I guess the Vogue is out but if anyone knows of any other theater with "reasonable rates" please let me know!

The Vine does screenings. They are at Hollywood Blvd and Vine Street.

Here's an aerial view of the Vogue:


http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=pph7gg544v1m&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=6892012

In 1990 I worked at the Vogue Theater. The manager and I would sit around and talk about old movies while repairing the floor or rummaging in the storage room for marquee letters before the theater opened for the day. Who knew that room was a former Musso's speakeasy? This is when I had first moved to Hollywood and was in such awe of the biz. The theater was screening 'Pretty Woman'. I remember thinking it was so cool that the exterior of the Vogue could be seen in the movie. I went behind the theater, looked up at the fleabag hotel where Richard Gere pulled down the fire escape to rescue Julia Roberts from a life of prostitution, and smiled. As an 18-year-old fresh from the midwest, it was magical to see these locations in person.

After a screening of 'Gremlins 2' a customer approached the assistant manager to complain that it wasn't shown in 70mm as advertised. The assistant manager explained that the print was indeed 70mm and this guy yelled that he worked for Warner Bros. and he was going to report the theater. Bizarre.

Such Hollywood luminaries as 'Welcome Back Kotter's' Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs -- thanks IMDB), Crispen Glover, Eddie Deezen and Robert Townsend would come down from their lofty perch to see movies with the great unwashed, too. OK, in 1990 Townsend was a still pretty big. A still-closeted George Takei tried to use a coupon clipped from the newspaper to buy some candy from the concession counter. I told him the theater didn't accept coupons. In that booming baritone stage voice he told me he couldn't believe he had to pay full movie retail for a Butterfinger. Andrew "Dice" Clay came in to catch 'Ford Fairlane' with a regular audience. He wore a garish leather jacket, natch.

I bartered with the waitstaff from Musso's: movie admissions for flannel cakes. I miss that job.

Another decaying theater:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/hwdVogueMar222007.jpg

There are three nice photos on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/3axcu5

I went to see Gremlins 2 at the theatre around 1990, I think it was the last time I went, it was pretty scuzzy by that time, but not as bad as the fox which was on the opposite side of the street further east if I recall. I remember watching the movie, and if my memory serves me correctly, Hulk Hogan made an appearance in the film itself as a moviegoer in a movie theatre, I swear it looked like it was shot at the vogue...

There is an interesting footnote to Gremlins 2 and the Vogue. A scene from Gremlins 2 was filmed inside the Vogue. It's was a weird feeling watching the movie and suddenly seeing the lobby appear on the screen. I think this was actually in 1988 or '89.

I had the same feeling in Westwood once. I was watching a movie and one of the scenes was filmed outside the theater and across the street.

I can't believe the city of Hollywood year after year lets this theatre just sit with the gate in front and all the garbage inside the entrance. The trees will soon cut into the neon sign. How sad it is to see that Mann Theatres can't even clean up the front. We all know it will become a night club someday but please make it look a little better when people walk by! It even has something on the marquee that played years ago. The people at Mann can turn it into a ice rink or roller rink as they don't want single screens any more just get it open and clean it up. All the tourists go by year after year and the boxoffice is closed. Put something in the Vogue and make some $$$$ and light up the sign. Cut a hole in the wall and serve pizza from Musso and Frank next door. If Fox West Coast Theatres was still around the boxoffice would be open.

The Vogue has (had) one of the BEST lit moving marquees on Hollywood Blvd. and can be seen extensively in the film ANGEL.

Terry, Mann Theatres no longer has anything to do with maintaining this theatre. They had the master lease and subleased it to a group dealing with paranormal activity. When I last ran it in the Fall of 2000, it was in poor shape. I remember it as a nice house to see a movie in.

Just behind the locked gates...disgraceful!
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/hwdVogueOct112007001.jpg

Here are the photos I tried to post in May:
http://tinyurl.com/3dka3w
http://tinyurl.com/2khz5j
http://tinyurl.com/3c9hqe

Ken mc, those pictures of the Vogue Theatre dates from the middle of July of 1935. Both pictures were Columbia releases from 1935.
The "A" picture on the marquee was Mary Carlisle in "Champagne for Breakfast" released July 16th. 1935 and the "B" feature on the bill was Jack Holt in "The Awakening of Jim Burke", but was released earlier that year on May 18th. 1935.

Nice shots.

You can see the front of the Vogue Theatre during the film "Death Wish 2" (on marquee "Any Which Way You Can") and the Chinese Theatre (with "Excalibur" on the marquee).

I was in The Vogue Theatre in January 1999 with the UK Psychic Derek Acorah we were on stage doing a demonstration of psychic powers. The ISPR with Larry Montz was running haunted tours in the theatre claiming there were ghosts. Mind you Larry Montz claims he has a Ph.D in parapsychology when in fact he bought it on the internet. The place was run down. We used the projection box as a changing room and it was full of the old projectionists stuff, dusty and broken chairs, old reels and the units to project all sad and beyond repair. The seating was tired and the whole place felt damp and washed out. Obviously this theatre had been something once upon a time in years gone by but when I was there it was faded. Oh well, I can always tell the grandchildren that one time I was on the stage on Hollywood Blvd. at The Vogue Theatre. Peter James was there of Sightings, Sandy Shore of The Comedy Store and quite a few celebs but I being a Brit did not know them.

Here are two undated photos of the Vogue:
http://tinyurl.com/284u94

Does anyone know the meaning of the current marquis lettering on the Vogue? It reads:

NOW
LORD XEMU
WWW.N.TV

I assume that LORD XEMU is a reference to the Church of Scientology, but does anyone know who might've posted it and why? (I think I understand from previous posts that the MDN sign with a green star is left over from the filming of a Mountain Dew commercial in the theater several years ago.)

Is the theater currently used for projects (commercial, artistic, whatever) like the ones described above or is it now just in liquor-license limbo and shuttered day and night?

Thanks so much for any insights you can offer.

I think a prankster just managed to rearrange some of the letters left behind on the marquee.

Supper club....hmmmm

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-gd-nightlines20mar20,1,3564560.story

"Patrons eat and drink on actual beds while watching edgy performers (dominatrixes, opera singers, midgets on bicycles, etc.) during lavish multi-course meals."

Does anybody else think this sounds like it could be some improv group's parody of an arty, 1970s soft-core Euro-porn movie?

But it's a real place, not a parody, and judging from their website, the reality is even sillier and more pretentious than I could have imagined. Take a look at this gem from their flash-based online "magazine" for example:

"hold fast to dreams
for if dreams die
life is a broken
winged bird
that cannot fly"

The poor Vogue!

It sounds like the Roman Empire. The Huns should be storming the gates any day now.

What an annoying website. I can't click on the little ball fast enough to get the city I want. Not user friendly at all.

It sounds likes the normal patrons along Hollywood Blvd. that went to the Vine, World, Fox and the Egyptian twin on Saturday nights.

Photos of interior circa 1981-83
in two parts.
Part 1:


http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/Vogue1.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/vogue2.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/vogue3.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/vogue4.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/vogue5.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/vogue6.jpg

Part 2, Photos of interior circa 1981-83

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/vogue7.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/vogue8.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/vogue9.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/vogue10.jpg

Here's another link to the above photos, this one includes descriptions
http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/LAphotographer/the%20vouge/?albumview=slideshow

Joe, I went to a restaurant in Bangkok once called Bed where you sit on a bed and eat your dinner while strange performers walk around and do their thing. Very strange place but good food. From some of the descriptions above, they better wash down the Vogue with lots of Lysol before they start serving food in there.

Here are some March 2008 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/yvvkdv
http://tinyurl.com/ywfv4c
http://tinyurl.com/2hk35g
http://tinyurl.com/25tgxb
http://tinyurl.com/2f5s85

The Vogue Theatre is an eyesore. Although its nice to hear that someone is renovating this dump, Supperclub sounds like a short lived high concept idea for LA. It will quickly deteriorate to a high priced rental hall.
Hollywood Blvd is still a rather sad place, even with the recent opening of several high end clubs and restaurants. Along with the Vogue, the Ritz sits crumbling to pieces, the Pacific sits abandoned, the Vine is a barely breathing wreck and the Fox is boarded up with some demolition happening. Will the Pacific Theatre ever reopen? Will those ricidulous trees that are growing into the marquees of the Pacific and Vogue theaters be chopped down or moved? Old Hollywood is getting a long needed makeover but it has a long way to go.

While I like trees, isn't it ridiculous that they would have planted them in front of a theater marquee? Don't people think when they are laying these tree locations out?

Another (nameless) theater I was associated with had the same old problem of trees blocking complete view of the marquee.

A little while after drilling some holes near the base, iron filings were then added and watered regularly... then, the trees gradually gave up living and were promptly removed by the city. Vwalla!

I too strongly dislike those trees. Trees on Hollywood Blvd. at all, come on.....
My vote goes to the Pacific to be the next on the renovation list, it's visually the least sorry looking one of the lot!

Pacific Theatres has been trying to sell that building for the last 20 years. It would cost alot to undo the damage that was done in the tri-plexing back in 1978.

A dumpster was outside of the Vogue last week being filled with debris. Seems like the club renovations are happening but nothing has changed on the facade.

As to the tress, older photos show the tress trimmed into small cones. Not sure why they've let them grow so big covering up signage and marquees along the Blvd.

Pacific Theatres should rehabilitate the Pacific considering they only run the Grove Cinemas on the Westside. The popularity of the Arclight, El Capitan and Chinese cinemas nearby and several new residential developments should make it more viable to resuscitate it. Parking is always cited as a problem but there's several lots within a few blocks. At least the main auditorium should be opened up again. There's a great cigar shop just to the right of the former entrance that's like walking into another era.

Too be clear, anything in the Vogue is preferable to what we have now, which is nothing.

Why can't all these theatres be converted to legit stages? "Wicked" is closing at the Pantages in January of 2009 to make room for "Mama Mia", "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Grease" among others. What gives? These shows have played the L.A. area many times through the years. The Pacific Theatre is big enough to handle Broadway musicals. Just as they saved the Ricardo Montalban Theatre, formerly the Dootlittle and Huntington-Hartford, I'm sure the Fox, Vogue, Ritz, Vine and Pacific can be converted. They did that to the Henry Fonda. I'm all for saving Hollywood, so let's save what's there. Anybody remember seeing "A Chorus Line" at the Las Palmas back in the early 80s? It was awesome. And not that theatre just sits there.

Rolando

Well the cost of putting a large Broadway style production on is very high. So those productions need larger size full stage theatres like the Pantages, Mark Tapper Forum the former Wilshire and the razed Shubert Theatre. The Fox, Vogue, Ritz, Vine Theatres are much to small for a true Broadway size musical production. The Pacific Theatre is the right size and would need to enlarge the stage area and remove the 1978 tri-plex remodeling to work. The problem with the Pacific is that it would cost alot of money to return it back to a single stage/screen theatre. Pacific Theatres has been trying to sell the theatre for almost 20 years.

Thanks for the reply William. My point is that the smaller venues would be perfect for plays. Ever try hearing a play at the Wilshire? Talk about a barn. Perhaps a letter to the L.A. Conservancy or Hollywood Chamber of Commerce might be in order. Not that it would do much.

The Vogue and Fox are turning into some kind of clubs. The Ritz is very small and the Vine's owner wants any kind of money, if it does not cost him anything out of his pocket to put back into it. (very thifty person) None of those four theatres (Fox,Vogue,Ritz or Vine have stages) The Ricardo Montalban and the Music Box/Henry Fonda were built with stages from the start. It's mainly the cost of redoing the Pacific, that is stopping that house from returning fully into operation. The theatres along Broadway are better suited as stage theatres, because some of them have small to middle size stages. Million Dollar has returned, the Los Angeles would make a Great house for shows and the State too.

In New York the large Broadway houses doing musicals range from 1000 to 1935 seats.

Thanks for the input; when did Million Dollar cease being a church?
I hear the theatre Dr. Gene Scott was in is not longer holding services; am I mistaken on that?

Rolando

I've heard this comment before about trying to sell Pacific's. What is the asking price?

Bruce, When I closed the house as a the Hollywood Pacific in the 90' they were asking around $13 Million for the building.

That was probably a lot back then - if it's still 13 mil I can't imagine why a studio wouldn't buy it and restore it and make it a flagship house like the El Capitan. All they need to do is make one piece of crap less for the year and voila.

The UA theater in downtown LA is still a church.

Every summer the L.A. Conservancy hosts "Last Remaining Seats" to raise money to save the movie palaces on Broadway. Other than the Orpheum being renovated, is ANYTHING being done? The other theaters are just sitting there either for filming or turned into discount stores.

Here is a link regarding the Broadway theatres:
http://www.bringingbackbroadway.com/index.html

Hey, thanks Monika, sure do appreciate you providing the link to Bringing Back Broadway. I think I just might have to join the organization.

The Last Remaining Seats series during the summer is a great way to see the inside of the old movie palaces on Broadway and watch a classic film projected on a large screen. The recent screening of Mildred Pierce at the restored Million Dollar theater was great. Its beautiful inside although there were complaints of bad sighlines in the back part of the orchestra.
As to the Vogue, there was a lot of work going on for a while but recently, nothing. Not sure what is going on. The place is a real mess and needs to be cleaned up.
As to the comment above regarding the Las Palmas theater, its not empty, it functions as Element nightclub.

Thanks for the update soca109. Bummer I missed 'Mildred Pierce' at the Million Dollar. I sure hope there are plans to bring that movie palace back to its original use.

Since there are no shots of the Vogue in its classic 60s mode, here are two from circa 1965ish when What's New Pussycat was playing.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/whitesheik/vogue1.jpg

And looking the opposite way, facing east.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/whitesheik/vogue2.jpg

Sorry these are coming out sideways - I edited the photos in photobucket, rotated them, said to replace original, and it shows up there fine, but not here - how come?

That's weird, the last one came out correctly. Go know.

Great shots.

I've added photos to the Lido, the Stadium, the Bruin, and the Wiltern. Will do more as I get the time - I've got great photos of early 60s Chinese, the Forum, the Carthay Circle, the Palms, etc.

Haines: Those are pretty awesome pictures! Not only does the theatre look so different, the entire street does.

I was in Hollywood last week (9/17/08) and saw that the Vogue is being cleaned out and that the rightmost side of the marquee has been removed from the building. The photo I took is on a film camera, will scan and post here after processing.

Last week the Fox on Hollywood Boulevard had construction work going on. You could look right in since the boards were down and the inside was completely gutted and workers were busy inside. Seeing all the work going on left the impression that it will no longer be a theatre of any kind. Anybody have any info if the Million Dollar Theatre, downtown, will be showing films again?

It's used for special events right now. I saw a few movies there last spring for Last Remaining Seats. Check here once in awhile:

http://www.milliondollartheater.com/Events.html

Haineshisway: Those are great pics of the Vogue I haven't seen before. As someone else pointed out, they have started removing the marquee on this theater. The whole place is such a wreck and Hollywood Blvd overall still has a long way to go in terms of rejuvenation. The hookers and drug dealers may be gone but there are a lot of empty stores and too many homeless wandering the streets with their shopping carts (I live a couple of blocks away). It will take a few big name retailers to get the ball rolling. Not sure if the Vogue is still slated for a nightclub conversion but the Fox seems to be on its way to becoming a retail outlet once the Crobar club pulled out of its commitment to the place. The Vine and Pacific and X theater near Gower also sit empty and unused. Sad.

Let me get this straight - that sickening club PULLED OUT and now it's going to be a store? Unbelievable. I'm sure if you scroll up you'll see my reactions to the Vogue becoming a club - I said the Hollywood club trend would be dead by the time these idiots got around to this, and it's proven to be the case - they're all dying, just sooner than I thought.

A bit heavyhanded to say all clubs in Hollywood are dying. There are still new ones opening like The Kress as older ones close or change hands. Avalon is still going strong. I don't honestly know what is exactly going into the Fox but from what I've read there wasn't much left to begin with (it was a storage facility for years). A single screen venue of that size isn't feasible anymore and the Fox has seen its day (although I loved its crazy 60's facade). Time will tell what will happen to these places but anything is better than the eyesore state the Vogue is in right now. They did a nice job redoing the exterior of the Ivar but nothing goes on there anymore (I think the Los Angeles Film School bought the building)

It's not heavy handed, and in six months come back here and tell me how many are thriving. I can tell you the answer will be 0. The trendy never stay in one place, one area, and the cretins who are pandering to the young cretins who populate these awful places never learn this lesson. Apparently, the club that was going into the Fox DID learn it, but probably after spending a lot of money. Tell Disney how a single screen venue isn't feasible - had they not bought the Hollywood, I wonder if THAT would be a club right now, or some retail store, or just have been torn down. I know it's bigger, but you put the right films in those houses and they'd do just fine. The Pacific's (formerly Warners Cinerama) one of the most beautiful theaters ever, sits there being used as a church. It makes me want to vomit on the ground. If Disney can do what they did with the El Capitan, why can't Warners or another studio do the same for the Pacific's? And frankly, if the Hollywood and the Vogue are both going to be disemboweled beyond recognition, tear 'em down and do something new.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Disney didn't buy the Holywood. They leased, not bought, the Paramount (now renamed El Capitan-its orginal name). The building btw just went up for sale although Disney is saying it will keep on leasing the theater. The Hollywood is the Guiness Records museum.

Sorry, I meant the Paramount, not the Hollywood, but I think you knew that when I mentioned Disney.

Here is a photo taken today:
http://tinyurl.com/4uqsej

Heartbreaking.

I love trees and all, and think they add to the look of most streets....but WHY in the world would they plant a tree right in front of a theater marquee? Don't these people think when they open the hole in the sidewalk about placement?

They did not think of what type of tree would be good for the street. The block going west from the Vogue Theatre now has palm trees which goes with the area. The other trees are the type they plant on neighborhood streets.

Actually, that would be fine....a palm tree in front of a marquee would look more "Hollywood", and wouldn't block it if you "have" to have a tree in front of a marquee (which seems silly to begin with).....

Ficus trees are pretty in the right place but they sure do destroy sidewalks.

Here is the photograph I mentioned in my 9/23/08 post:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/achangeinscenerymovies/2967927734/

Actually the store renovation next door is looking really good. Sad that they removed a part of the marquee but better than the eyesore that it was.

Here is a photo taken last night:
http://tinyurl.com/5s8yol

Did the Vogue and Hollywood across the street.

Boy that marquee shot looks so worn out.

The marquee is in poor condition and the trees in front of the theatre are growing into it. I wish the tress on Hollywood Blvd would be trimmed back and those if front of the Vogue, Pacific and Vine theatres should be completely removed.

In 99, when I was at El Capitan, I was seeing a girl who rented the Vogue and helped her in the projection booth, besides having worked there in the late 70s. They did film stuff back then.

The interior is currently being completely gutted and renovated into a nightclub venue (as is the Fox down the street on the south side)

As I mentioned on some of these Hollywood Blvd Theaters, I don't understand what kind of strange thinking (or lack thereof) makes someone decide it's a good idea to plant a tree right in front of a marquee. It makes no sense whatsoever. I love trees, but this is one time I think the ones in question should be cut down. What were they thinking?

The tress are a nuisance and the city doesn't maintain them. You can't see any signage as you drive down Hollywood Blvd. and they are starting to damage the siddwalk as they grow taller and the roots spread.

At one time the city did maintain them when I worked the theatres on Hollywood Blvd..

They should have just planted palm trees instead. They require less maintenance, and they don't block signage.

Boxoffice Magazine of October 19, 1959, featured an illustrated two-page spread about the Vogue, which had recently reopened after undergoing a $225,000 remodeling, designed by architect J. Arthur Drielsma.

I'd forgotten how the carpet extended all the way to the sidewalk.

Boxoffice Magazine of October 19, 1959, featured an illustrated three-page spread about the Vogue, which had recently reopened after undergoing a $225,000 remodeling, designed by architect J. Arthur Drielsma.

I'd forgotten how the carpet extended all the way to the sidewalk.

Stupid double posts. That's what last-second editing does for you.

I should add that the article included before and after photos of both the facade and the auditorium, and it looks as though all of S. Charles Lee's decoration, except for a bit in the auditorium ceiling, was removed by Drielsma.

Stupid double posts. That's what last-second editing does for you.

I should add that the article included before and after photos of both the facade and the auditorium, and it looks as though all of S. Charles Lee's decoration, except for a bit in the auditorium ceiling, was removed by Drielsma.

Here and here are photos of the Vogue which I took last week.

Great photos....but there's that ridiculous tree again!

Here is the Vogue and the tree, taken yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/cw8esx

Here is the Vogue in better days:
http://tinyurl.com/c2demq
http://tinyurl.com/cxghft

Here is a 1957 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ocbsbq

Hahahaha Ken, I just read you March post today, and almost bust a gut with the "Vogue and it's tree" comment!!
That ridiculously placed tree appears to have already been there, although trimmed in the old photos from the 1980's. But even trimmed, what a RIDICULOUS place to plant a tree!

Is the theater still vacant?

Some photos I took last week:
(Yes, the ever popular tree is still there.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/3575261784/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/3574392555/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/3574393307/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/3574393977/

The work seems to have stopped on the Vogue. The place is a dump and a total eyesore on Hollywood Blvd. Sad to look at the pics Ken MC posted of the theatre when it was showing Ghandi. It was plain but it had its charm.

Theatre showed XXX flicks in the mid-80S.

Work has started again on this place. All of the front doors have been removed and there's a big gaping whole into the building. The wreck of a lobby seems to have been painted all black at some point. The outer lobby is a mess. Not sure if this is the original nightclub project starting up again or a conversion to a restaurant or retail.

I think Artie might be thinking of the Ritz Theatre across the street. During that time Mann Theatres operated the theatre and ran regular Hollywood feature films.