Los Angeles Theatre

My mother considered the Los Angeles so special that she set aside an entire day to take me to a matinee there in the late 1940's. The interior is truly overwhelming, like the most opulent of opera houses.

During the Los Angeles's early years it was part of the Fox West Coast Theatres.

The Los Angeles is open and available for filming and live events. If you are interested in renting it and can't find a contact for the manager, e-mail us and we will get you in touch with them!

RaymondTheatre@aol.com

WOW! That place is beautiful, I love the nice gold color it has to it. Just by looking at it, this is one of my favorites!

The last remaining seats site link is truly astonishing..thankyou!

Was a relief projectionist there in the 70s and early 80s. The place will take your breath away... awesome...

You can see historic photos of the theatre here.

http://catalog1.lapl.org/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?resultsScreen+12244+1+10+7

It is from the Los Angeles Public Library.

Scratch that address above.
Instead, click the link below.

http://catalog1.lapl.org/a_photo.html

Click on "Search the Database" on the bottom.
Allow it time to redirect.
Type in "Los Angeles Theater" in the space provided for the search.
On the "Keyword" drop-down menu, change it to "Subject Browse" and
click on the "Search" button.

I saw "El Jefe" here as part of the Los Angeles Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats program. I also toured the interior during the Los Angeles Conservancy's Broadway Behind-the-Scenes program. The relatively small exterior bellies the enormous interior with two balconies. In my opinion this is truly grandest theater on Broadway on Broadway.

I was given a tour of this theatre by a projectionist friend around 1990. Words cant describe theatres like this. One thing I found ammusing is that the size of the main mens room could accomidate ten of todays multi-plex sized theatres. Each stall had its own sink and mirror. To say they dont make them like this anymore is an understatement.

You can see some of the lower lounge area in the movie "New York, New York". And its been used many times in recent years as a music video and commerial location.

if anyone has a direct contact with the owner/leasee of the theater please contact me at WiseGuyRewind@earthlink.net , I'm involved with a business opportunity and I'm looking for space - Thanks ( matt )

I use to go there in the 80s. A friend of mine worked there so I saw every room, including the balconies. Therer is a crying room on the balcony level. The seats are elevated so when kids were seated they could see the show behing an enclosed room with a glass window.

Paul, I was fortunate to have a projectionist friend who did the same for me. What a theatre it is.

Robert, did you ever go to the private screening room in teh basement?

I am going to see Some Like it Hot there on June 2, sponsered by Turner Classic Movies. The Los Angeles Conservancy is hosting the event.

Is all of the renovating completed or is it a work in progress?

Updated link to the Los Angeles Conservancy - Last Remaining Seats:

http://laconservancy.org/remaining/index.php4

Last year or so, there were due to be a series of events put on by UCLA in the Los Angeles, the Orpheum and the Palace. The Orpheum was just fine, Gilmore shut the Palace down, and the Los Angeles was revealed not to have had a fire curtain(!), which led the fire marshals to shut it down indefinitely. Just watching "Charlie's Angels II: Full Throttle", it's very funny at the end to see the characters hop in a sportscar directly outside of Grauman's Chinese, and in the next scene magically appear just outside the Orpheum, drive past the Tower (heading south, of course), back past the Orpheum repeatedly, and then crash into the main stage of the Los Angeles! At least they made Broadway at night look dishy and cosmopolitan; would've been funny to see this scene set in the other Broadway theatre district (nearer South Central, comprising the theatres Aloha, Kiva, etc.).

The LOS ANGELES is notable for many luxurious appointments such as the lavish decor, the neon strips bordering the aisles, the fire curtain sporting fully clothed figures upon it, the viewing device in the lower lounge, and that most unforgettable ornament: the crystal fountain at the head of the Grand staircase. This opulent ornament is one thing that sets this theatre apart from so many others in that it is a feature beyond the ordinary and focuses to the smaller scale as well as the grand scale of the theatre.
Another theatre that employs smaller scale, focus point ornaments is the CORONADO in Rockford, Ill, which features 'vases' of stained glass flowers in niches in the sidewalls under the balcony to this day. Using flame shaped bulbs to illuminate them, these decorations also lend the more artistic air so little found in smaller scale in theatres; we all appreciate the large scale effects, but a good planner balances the theme by means of attention to ornaments on both ends of the size scale. One might also recall similar ornaments in the form of the dioramas of Chicago cityscapes that once graced the niches in the walls of Chicago's long-lost SOUTHTOWN (preserved at the Theatre Historical Soc. www.HistoricTheatres.org ), but people can increase the level of interest by using smaller 'jewels' to highlight the lobbies, as was done with antique figural lamps upon an imported mahogany back bar in the PABST in Milwaukee, for example. The wonderful 'fountain' of stained glass centered in the rotunda of the lobby of the RIALTO in Joliet, Il, also comes to mind as a wonderful focal point feature that takes that theatre beyond the ordinary.

One can see many vintage photos of the LOS ANGELES in the Annual of the Theatre Historical Soc. by that name for the year 1998 and its 36 pages will leave one a lasting impression of a luxury that has rarely been seen in American theatres, and unlike its reputed model, the San Francisco FOX, it is still with us and used by many commercial photographers as a background, even as it has been used in many videos.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either "Marquee" or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link "PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List" and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The "Marquee" magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall ('portrait') format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long ('landscape') format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]

Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.

Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at: execdir@historictheatres.org
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)

Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM--4PM, CT)

This theater is currently presenting the live stage production of "Alma".

Thank god this theatre is not in New York or it would have been torn down already. This place is as beautiful as a church.

Now to Dec. 5 this gorgeous theater is once again open to the public with the stage production of "Alma". I don't have statistics on this but it has to be the first time in years one of these classic Broadway houses was open on a regular basis (except for church services). The marquee is now fully lit at night and is absolutely stunning.

For some reason, I'm very interested in the area of Los Angeles where this movie theater is located. It seems like a once forgotten area that is being found again. Is this true? What is the area like now? It appears to be one of the few areas in LA that actually looks like NY. I know they've used it as a stand in for NY when the want to make NY look seedier (not a nice thing to do...they did this in a bad movie called "Phone Booth").

Anyway, is the renovation of these theaters helping this district?

CConnoly:

Downtown Los Angeles has never been forgotten, at least not in the sense that some of the old areas of lower Manhattan were forgotten and then rediscovered. Broadway has been a thriving commercial street for over a hundred years. As late as the 1980s, the sales per square foot in Broadway stores were the second highest of any shopping area in Southern California, exceeded only by pricey Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. They continue to be among the highest today.

By 1906, the three major department stores of downtown, (The Broadway, Bullocks, and May Company- then called Hamburger's) were established at Broadway locations which they would occupy until at least the late 1960s. The Broadway Department Store was the first to go, ironically moving a few blocks west along Seventh Street. Bullocks and the May Company followed in the mid-1980s, moving six blocks west to Figuroa Street. Still, the smaller shops along Broadway have survived, and done quite well, and vacancies are rare.

Broadway has not been a popular destination for the middle class for at least four decades now, but lower income groups still throng to it. The neighborhoods in nearby sections of the city, and many of those those further out with easy access to Downtown by public transit, still attract large numbers of immigrants, and Broadway has long been a street on which you can hear many languages. The place is very cosmopolitan and, by day at least, very busy.

In fact, the theaters are almost the only buildings vacant (at the street level- the offices above have been mostly vacant for years now) along most of the street. Were the large movie palaces to be demolished and replaced with ordinary commercial space, that space would probably fill up quickly. It is a wonder that most of Broadway's old theater buildings survive at all, so valuable would their space be for retail uses on this busiest of L.A.'s streets.

The area is pretty rough by night, now that the theaters no longer bring crowds, and skid row has long since spilled over and around Broadway, but then Downtown has not been the center of L.A. nightlife since the late 1920s, when the action shifted to Hollywood and, since then, to other parts of the west side. Even the modern business district a few blocks west of Broadway tends to empty out at night. There have been attempts to bring more residents into the area, and many proposals to convert the vacant offices above Broadway's stores to apartments and lofts, but it's pretty slow going.

There are a lot of inherent problems in getting a good urban neighborhood established in downtown. For one thing, the blocks are huge, making for poor pedestrian circulation. Also, the area is relentlessly commercial and industrial, with few apartments, and most of those are either in decay or, if built recently, are in projects that are deliberately isolated from surrounding streets. And though public transit has improved somewhat in recent years, it still doesn't offer the sort of access and reliability that are necessary for urban neighborhoods.

Most importantly, Los Angeles lacks any real urban tradition and thus, those people who are trying to make downtown work like a real city, instead of just the big business district it has long been, come up against a lot of official ignorance, and even hostility. Chances are that Pasadena will develop a good urban core before Los Angeles does, even though Los Angeles has more to work with. But if L.A. does ever get its act together, Downtown could be a great place. It has great potential, but nobody has been able to tap into it yet.

Joe Vogel: Absolutely fascinating what you wrote. I'm a New Yorker and if Downtown LA were in NY, whoa boy!!! That sucker would've been way regentrified by now. NY-ers love space like that. But the most interesting thing you wrote is that Los Angeles lacks any real urban tradition. New York IS an urban tradition. That's why I find the area we are speaking of so endlessley fascinating. It's being used but not regentrified like it would be in New York. In so many ways, you have to be thankful for this. In New York, the land values were and are so high that the beautiful movie palaces like The Capitol, The Rivoli and others were demolished because developers would get more for the land. In downtown LA, they've survived, for better or worse, because of the lack of value and/or interest. I'm not trying to put the area down. I think it's beautiful from what I've seen. I love the grittiness. NY-ers do. We hate it when a neighborhood that is alive (like some parts of Manhattan) become "trendy". Then everything that made it real, vital and interesting slowly gets pushed out and the Pottery Barns, Bed Bath and Beyonds and Starbucks move in and sap the life out of it.

You never know what's around the corner for certain area. NY is a prime example of this. There are areas and neighborhoods that were unseemly and outright dangerous 10 or 20 years ago that are now some of the most trendy, upscale neighborhoods in town. Let's hope the LA Preservationists keep up their good work. You may find it will pay off handsomely in the future when the rest of the world rediscovers that area. I just want to see it someday before it goes trendy. And dies...

I think Downtown is another decade away from being a 24 hour destination. Many lofts are being redeveloped as we speek along with new condos and apartments. I think downtown in another ten years will have a large enough population to support more restaurants and theatres. The city of LA needs to continue to put money into cleaning up all the historic facades on Broadway.A lot of investment has gone into Downtown North of Broadway such as the Cathedral,Disney Concert Hall and the Staples Center. Maybe they can turn Broadway into an Old LA Historic District.brucec

Film crew working here today. The marquee read Barbara Stanwyck in "Sorry Wrong Number".

Look how incredible this place looks

http://community.webshots.com/photo/170640446LRBVhA

http://community.webshots.com/photo/199042964fBHNlK

Here is a night shot

Today a crew was busy cleaning the marquee.

Does anyone know if part of the M & M's commercial with Megan Mullally (Karen on "Will & Grace") where she's singing on a grand staircase (I think it's the scene with the Red M & M) was shot at the Los Angeles Theatre? It looked a lot like the photos I've seen of it and it's appearences in a couple of music videos.

I thought it was, Bryan. Sure looked like it to me.

Yes, it was the unmistakeable LOS ANGELES, with the image computer colored to immitate the tints of the M&Ms. The scene following it was also shot in one of the lounges there, it too being tinted and dressed to further the theme of the commercial. It appears that the theatre is largely surviving on commercials these days, but then where else can they go for such a sweeping stairway shot? The FOX in San Francisco is gone, as is the MARBRO in Chicago, and their wonderful UPTOWN is not in any photographic condition. Thank goodness location scouts are aware of the LOS ANGELES and other movie palaces around the nation (and of course, it IS in their 'back yard' so moving and location expenses are much lower than going elsewhere)! The Theatre Historical Society once started a file of theatres used as film/commercial/video locations, but I don't know if it is any longer maintained. Contact them via their web site: www.HistoricTheatres.org

Washington Mutual Savings has a commercial that is currently being shown that uses the lobby of the Los Angeles Theatre. On newly released DVD of "NEW YORK, NEW YORK", you can see the lower lounge area in the theatre.

Thanks Jim & MagicLantern--that grand staircase is really unmistakable when you see it and thought for sure that it had to have been shot at this theatre. (Plus I think Megan is terrific, even in a candy commercial!)

Hey,

Two questions. 1)Anyone know what year the Marquee was changed, and 2) Anyone know where their might be Historic photo's, from its earlier years. (both interior and exterior shots?) if so please inform me with any information.

Thank you,
Ashley Paradiso

I think the marquee was charged out in the late 30's. And you can find photos of interior and exterior of the theatre at the Los Angeles Public Library site.

If you had read the previous comments you would have seen mine of May 2004 wherein I list the source of a large booklet crammed with large photos of the LOS ANGELES.

Late 1906s(?) photo:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/299449504/299449504zJfLMv

In early 1969 Russ Meyers classic soft core epic "Vixen" opened here at the Los Angeles. The three other locations were Loews Picfair, Loews Century and Loews Cine.

The pic TC's link shows has the Los Angeles sporting The Notorious Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet (probably not the Zefferelli version) on it's marquee. Were softcore films regularly shown here? Most recently the marquee announced "AFIs 100 Years 100 Quotes" starring Pierce Brosnan. Does anyone know if the special was taped there?

With regard to the last comment: The photo taken by TC was likely taken in 1970(maybe late 1969). Both the Cleopatra and the Romeo and Juliet film(full title: Sex Lives of Romeo and Juliet) were Harry Novak-produced titles that played first at the Pussycat theater chain(Romeo was a 1969 release and Cleopatra came out in 1970). Some of the more popular films would get released outside of the Pussycat chain and play other theaters and even drive-ins as this time period X-rated fare was doing good business. (Trader Hornee and the later Erotic Adventures of Zorro were the two biggest crossover titles.) Also, it was not unusual for downtown theaters, with their declining attendance, to turn to "adults only" fare for a period of time.

I saw "Some Like It Hot" also, back in 2004. I don't think the Conservancy has shown a film at the Los Angeles in a while. This year's films were all at the Orpheum. Speaking of Broadway, I often appear at the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board on the 9th floor of the original Broadway building on 4th street. I would be interested in any links that would show the interior of the store in its heyday. There are plenty of exterior shots on the LAPL database.

Hi. We're thinking of coming to film our UK television show at the LA Theater. This is a programme all about Hollywood history and the paranormal.

I'm looking for any interesting stories to do with the history of the theater and wondered if any of you chaps might be able to help. I've read all about the theater's history on the official website but am interested in anything else you might know.

Was "City Lights" the only film ever to premiere there? Did it decline from then on? Are there any famous stories associated with the theater that you know of?

Would appreciate the help!

Regards.

To "UKuser": You don't give any contact information in your post or on your Profile page, so this will have to do.

The LOS ANGELES is one of the most lavish theatres remaining in the country and is even well documented in one of the ANNUALS of the Theatre Historical Society of America (www.historictheatres.org) and you would find it a very fine location.

However, you mention it in regard to the "paranormal" and if your quest is sincere and not merely a location for Halloween time special effects, then you are starting on a dangerous quest that could sooner or later cause you and yours injury! I have commented at length on this elsewhere here (can't find the link) and elsewhere, so won't repeat here, but do contact me via private Email if you want the gory details, by clicking on my name below in blue and noting the Contact data on my Profile Page to which you will be taken. I can likely save you horrors that you have no accurate knowledge of, and will dearly wish you had never encountered.

If you merely seek to do a real magazine piece on American movie palaces, then do contact the L.A. as well as the Society listed above, and they will be willing and able to assist you greatly. Best Wishes. Jim Rankin, member THSA since 1976

UKuser: Two theatres that you might look into in the Hollywood area are the Pacific 1,2,3 (aka: Warner Hollywood Theatre) and the Vogue Theatre. Both have had paranormal activity. The Vogue Theatre was subleased by a group doing paranormal research. They say a former long time projectionist (of the Vogue) and a stage hand from the Chinese and two or three children have been studied there. Over at the Pacific, former long time employees said Sam Warner roams the theatre. I've worked both theatres over the years and there is something. The old GCC Sherman Oaks 3-5 Theatre also had a former projectionist roam the theatre after his death.

I think this sign is still in the alley:
(Courtesy of the LA Library)

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015042.jpg

The Downtown theatres seemed to do well into the mid 1950's and then started to decline with Metropolitan theatres taking over most of the leases by the 1960's. Downtown LA had to compete with Hollywood Blvd and many films such as "A Star is Born" would play an exclusive engagements Downtown LA and Hollywood. The theatres thrived during the 1960's playing more and more to hispanic audiences who became the major patron by the 1960's.The City of Los Angeles has the largest hispanic population oustide of Mexico City.It is the hispanic population that saved most of the downtown movie palace's and lack of investment on Broadway and Spring Street. If the old Downtown had been redeveloped like many cities across the US most of the theatres would have been torn down which happened in one downtown after another.The Broadway district of Downtown should be restored as an historic district.brucec

I think it is a historic district.

Like, duh!!

Dear all,

Further to my previous post, we will be basing our television show "Dead Famous... LIVE!" in the Los Angeles Theatre for 3 days in November.

This is going to be a very exciting programme and a unique look in to arguably one of the most glamourous of the downtown movie palaces. We are going to be investigating the life of Charlie Chaplin, who's film "City Lights" premiered there and venturing in to many other areas of Hollywood history. As I mentioned before, an element of the show is that investigate reports of spirits living on in places. The Los Angeles will be the first of several places we investigate over the 3 days to find out if it is haunted.

We are very keen to talk to anyone who may have worked in, visited or has any ties to the theatre. This is both for research purposes and with a view to them coming on the show. If you saw a movie at the Los Angeles when you were a kid or worked as an usher there as a teenager, we'd love to hear from you. And if you'd just love to have to opportunity to come and be part of the studio audience for the show then please get in touch. We're going to be dealing with some fascinating subjects and interviewing some amazing people.

If you feel you can help in any way then do not hesitate to contact me at:

georgehughes@twofour.co.uk

Thanks again,

George

I hope the program will be picked up by some Cable network here. Let us know. I'd love to see the interior of this theater.

The program mentioned above will be broadcast live 11/11-11/13 according to tv.com. The theater is currently sporting the words "HISTORIC THEATER DISTRICT" on it's marquee.

On what network? On a local L.A. Station?

A film crew was at the theater all last week and the marquee reads "Dead Famous...LIVE!"

It appears the program's outside segments are pre-taped and the inside program will be live. It will be done here in the afternoon so it can be live in the 9pm-12 midnight time slot in the UK on those 3 days I mentioned above. Err, maybe that should be broadcast dead. You be the judge.

Anyone have any info on the old Matrix theater?
Pam

The Los Angeles is one of the few downtown theatres which has two balconies. I only saw the second balcony opened once, when the theatre was four-walled for an exploitation movie called "Poor White Trash" in about 1963.

Back in 1987, a friend of mine worked in the concession stand. Just about every week I would go watch a movie there. He showed me the entire movie theatre, including the crying room and both balconies. He told me that there was undergroung tunnels that connected some of the theatres together. I can't confirm that being true, but I thought I'd share it since it sounds interesting. There use to be a private screening room on the basement level, where the bathrooms are. Last year I attended the LA conservancy "last remaning seats" movie viewing and noticed that the private screening room was empty. The room was just adjacent to the ladies restroom. Now the room is a standing lounge area.

Down in the lower lounge where the restrooms are, before the screening room was installed. It was originally a restaurant. The room or doorway to the left in the ladies lounge area near their rest room was used for child care when the theatre opened. The tunnel story about them connecting some of the theatres together might just be one of those urban legends. But there are tunnels that are used for major cables for power & phone systems down there.

I'm curious, what other theaters in downtown L.A. have 2 balconies?

The Los Angeles Theatre and the Palace Theatre. The Palace's has been closed off for years.

I wonder what the genesis of two balconies in these two movie palaces is? In most cases of such, it was in the Olde South where there was racial discrimination and the upper balcony therefore was the only place that Black people could sit. These were often referred to as "Jim Crowe" balconies, usually having their own entrances, box offices, and staircases separate from the others. This is in distinction, of course, from the many theatres that had a mezzanine below the balcony, and in distinction from the many legit theatres around the world having galleries as opposed to the model of the lone, vast balcony of the movie palace. Since there was no overt segregation in the Los Angeles area that I am aware of, perhaps the additional upper balcony was merely for more general seating?

It was more general seating for the theatre. In the South Central area of Los Angeles, there were theatres that operated or were listed as Negro Theatres. They operated along Central Ave.

Bill Robinson (800 seats)
Florence Mills (700)
Largo (904)
Lincoln (1960)
Rosebud (800)
Savoy (700)

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. We are filming in Los Angeles in our next visit in the next few weeks and we are investigating Rita Hayworth and her performance with her family the Dancing Cansinos at the Downtown Palace Theatre (previously called the Orpheum I believe), it is 630 S Broadway and is opposite the Los Angeles Theatre.

Therefore I am emailing Cinema Treasures to see if anyone knows anymore about the history of the theatre in connection with Rita Hayworth, whether anyone worked there in the past and whether anyone experienced or has heard of any accounts of ghosts being at the theatre as we look at the paranormal side of the theatre as we also will be looking for the spirit of Rita Hayworth too.

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,

I could say this much - The Palace is across from the Los Angeles Theatre, the Orpheum is just a couple of blocks west of the Palace, located on Broadway as well.

Oops, I meant to say south of the Palace Theatre.

Paul

Hello!

It is great to see that my Granfather's work is so enjoyed still today. S. Charles Lee designed over 400 theatres in the art deco period. If you are so inclined you canview many of his drawings and pictures at http://digital.library.ucla.edu/sclee/
All of his original drawings etc. etc. are kept at the UCLA Schol of Architecture.

Thanks,

Ken Keiter

Thanks, but why isnt the Los Angeles theater listed there?

I was wondering the same thing...

If he designed 400 theaters a lot of them aren't there. I think they only include what they have photos of.

That's all they have because a few years before his death. A lot of the original materials were stolen. A friend of mine interviewed him about his theatre designs. The interview took place at his home in Beverly Hills. I have a video transfer of the interview somewhere.

Cool! Perhaps I can get a copy of it.

We spent afew hours talking for the interview. I have to start looking for the video materials.

If William cannot find his interview with S.Charles Lee, perhaps some will find the only book written about him of interest:
http://tinyurl.com/7vxdu

I have not seen the out-of-print book (though Amazon.com does list nine sources of it) so do not know if it reflects all the "300 theatres" that it claims he designed, but it would at least be a start, even if the woman who wrote it was apparently more a self-appointed architecture critic than a biographer. Click on the link I give here and you should be taken directly to the book's page at Amazon.com. IF she furnished a list of his projects, it is not evident in Amazon's write-up.

A post script to the previous: for those wanting a to see Mr. Lee shortly before his death, he can be seen speaking lucidly in the 1987 documentary "The Movie Palaces" by the Smithsonian Instution (a division of the federal government), not available for many years, but still to be found in some libraries. Feel free to copy the video tape, since title 17, section 205 of the US Code says that the government has no legal right to make copyright what it publishes, aside from legal or classified documents which this historical tape is not. Thus, the copyright warning at opening is bogus and designed to deceive those ignorant of law. I state this because the video tape is valuable to history, and should not be allowed to disappear from use as the copies in libraries deteriorate. IF repeatedly copied in multiple formats, it may survive for the generations to come. (yes, the Smithsonian has been approached repeatedly to reissue the title, but they have no interest, as befits bureaucrats already paid handsome salaries to do as little as they wish.)

Calling all those interested in the Los Angeles Theatre. Our UK television programme "Dead Famous LIVE" will be filmed in the Los Angeles in a few weeks time in mid November.

We are looking for people who would like to be part of the studio audience for the show. This will be an invaluable opportunity to take a look inside one of LA's most impressive movie palaces.

If you would like more information then contact me at george.hughes@twofour.co.uk

Many thanks,

George Hughes

That documentary was available in two versions. The long version was around 30 minutes and the short version was 8-9 minutes. The long version turns up sometimes on the PBS stations. I taped the long version from PBS and was able to get the short version in 35mm, which I show every so often at special screenings.

The book "The Show Starts on the Sidewalk" is a very good book about the works of Mr. Lee.

From the California State Library:

http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/laci/1991-0697.jpg

Another view of the interior:

http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/laci/1991-0696.jpg

http://www.losangelestheatre.com

A most happy anniversary today for this most wonderful movie palace on the 75th year of its opening day!!

I second that. What a gorgeous place. And still standing!

On behalf of the staff of the Los Angeles Theatre, thank you for the 75th anniversary well wishes. After years of concentrating on filming, the Los Angeles Theatre is returning to public performances. This April you can see the Lyric opera of Los Angeles perform MANON LESCAUT. (www.lyricoperala.org) We will once again participate in the Last Remaining Seats program of the LA Conservancy on May 31. For more information, please visit our website: www.losangelestheatre.com Carey Upton, Theatre Manager

More interior photos:
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/laci/1991-0695.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/laci/1991-0694.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/laci/1991-0692.jpg
http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/laci/1991-0691.jpg

I have gone to the Last Remaining Seats shows for several years. My question for some time has been why the programs are never held at the Million Dollar theater. The former owner was showing first run films in the late 1990s, so the theater must be operational. It would be interesting to see some films in theaters other than the Los Angeles and the Orpheum. Otherwise, kudos to the Conservancy for a well-run program each June.

Happy to hear the theater will be in use again (for more than film shoots!)

In the New York area, there is a commercial currently airing for a product called "Fahrenheit" Diet supplement pill. You can see some of the lobby area (mainly the ceiling) as a women walks back and forth like in a fashion show.

I stopped by the LA Conservancy Page and noticed the following under Events:

http://laconservancy.org/events/events_main.php4

Rare Opera in a Rare Venue

Lyric Opera of Los Angeles (LOLA), a cultural partner of the Broadway Initiative, will present the nineteenth-century French operatic masterpiece “Manon Lescaut” by Daniel François-Esprit Auber from April 21-30 at the majestic Los Angeles Theatre.

With its opulent, French Baroque-inspired design, the 1931 Los Angeles Theatre is the perfect setting for French opera. In bringing this production to the Los Angeles, LOLA seeks to provide theatergoers with an unforgettable experience, while fostering the use of Broadway’s historic theaters in bringing new life and entertainment to historic downtown.

First performed in 1856, “Manon Lescaut” is the poignant tale of a young woman at the turn of nineteenth-century France who, on the way to a convent, meets a young man and runs away with him to Paris. She discovers the vagaries of power, love, lust, and debauchery in Parisian society, and through a tangle of events is arrested and shipped off to Louisiana, where she meets her destiny.

This production has not been performed in the U.S. since 1979, so this is a rare opportunity. With ticket prices so affordable, you can bring friends and family to support this unique event in this spectacular theater.

“Manon Lescaut” by Daniel François-Esprit Auber
Los Angeles Theatre
615 South Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles

Friday, April 21 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 22 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 23 2:00 p.m.
Friday, April 28 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 29 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 30 2:00 p.m.

Tickets: $10-30

For tickets or more information, visit www.LyricOperaLA.org or call (800) 471-9515.

If you love opera and are in the LA area, it's a great price. My only hesitation is that I've see "Manon Lescaut" and it's not one of my favorites.

The "perfect setting for French opera" is NOT hype! I've been twice inside, both for Los Angeles Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats, Thief of Bagdad with orchestra, and From Here to Eternity. This restored theater is one of the most beautiful neoclassic movie palaces ever built. Its opulent design is indeed perfect for opera. If I was living in LA, I'd love to attend. The auditorium looks like it was indeed designed for opera, the Grand Lobby is unforgettable, and the lower lounge neat, too.

This should have become LA's main venue for opera, and other neoclassic movie palaces in other cities should have been saved for opera, too, rather than building new performing arts centers, such as in Manhattan, Washington, D.C. etc.

Howard Haas is very right that most cities did indeed have movie palaces suitable to being converted to opera houses, but most of them were as egocentric as they were flush with the "Great Society" dollars of pres. Johnson's revenue sharing of the 1960s, so their priorities were upon the potential campaign slogan of such as 'Look what I built for our city during my last term!!' (as mayor, county Exec., or the like.) Since then, the ethos has changed from Urban Renewal to Historic Preservation, but now the money is not there; all governments are deeply in debt and spending on the arts has all but vanished. Now the retired politicos of the '60s and later saunter by the PACs with the plaques with their names on them and smugly say "See what I left for everyone!" Yes, they often left jerry-built eyesores that are sometimes still being paid for, but they couldn't have left as large a plaque if it had been merely a converted movie palace built by someone else. And how else would they have been able to pay back all their campaign contributors with construction jobs unless they built from scratch? Look at the sad story of the FOX in San Francisco as the case study it is of political machanitions that brought down possibly the best candidate for an opera house that ever existed.

I've heard excerpts from the 1884 Manon by Massenet, and the entire 1893 Manon by Puccini, but Auber's earlier version is so rarely recorded (and almost as rarely performed) that I don't think I've ever heard so much as a single aria from it.

The Lyric Opera company's ticket prices seem quite reasonable, though. The ten dollar tickets are probably for the second balcony. I've only ever been up there once, but I recall the view being fairly decent-- in fact, better than the comparable seats in the Music Center's Ahmanson Theatre (though the best seats in the Los Angeles are definitely those in the side sections that extend from the first balcony.) I wish I could get to L.A. for this event. Even if Auber was no Puccini, it would be worth sitting through an archaic, Victorian opera just to see the Los Angeles Theatre in operation again.

Here is a 2005 photo of the Los Angeles Theater.

And here is a 2006 photo of the Los Angeles.

There are two commercials running in the New York Tri-State area that uses parts of the Los Angeles theatre's lobby. The current Burger King "French Toast sandwich" spot. They use it as the King's bedroom. The other is for a diet pill Fahrenheit.

The storefront section of the Los Angeles would look much more appealing if the ornament was restored to its former appearance!

Does anyone know exactly when the Facade was removed from over the right hand storefronts? And Why? I have a 1937 photo with the Facade intact. By 1952, it was definitely gone. We are in the process of restoring that facade.
Carey Upton, Theatre Manager

Carey: Though I undoubtedly saw the facade before 1952, I don't remember what it looked like. My mom tells me that we went to the Los Angeles a couple of times in the late 1940's and early 1950's, but my only early memories of any downtown theatres are of the Warner Brother's and the RKO Hillstreet. My first memory of the facade of the Los Angeles is from about 1960.

I don't remember what retailers were in the north wing storefronts in 1960, but by 1963 I know there was one of those cheap electronics dealers in one of them, because I bought a radio from them. Whatever company had caused the remodeling to be done was probably gone by then. I've always suspected that the owners of the building had allowed the remodeling to be done by a tenant- probably some time in the 1940's, as that plain style of facade was popular with retailers during that decade. An old city directory (many are available at the downtown library) would give the name of the store's occupant(s) during that time.

I'm glad to hear that you intend to restore the facade. It's always bothered me that the north and south wings don't match.

Any remodeling should have come under the authority of a building permit, and an archive of them should be maintained by the city, so one could look there for dates and names of contractors, if any. Some cities also retain the blueprints submitted for the permits, at least on microfilm. Your state historic preservation officer may also know of local sources.

If there is no official record, then you would do best to contact the Ex. Director of the Theatre Historical Society of America through his E-mail address given at the bottom of their front page of their web site at: www.historictheatres.org They have a vast archive of photos and data of theatres across the nation. Best Wishes.

Building and Safety did not have a record of a permit pulled for the change in the North Retail facade. Many of the pre-1960 records are missing for both the Los Angeles and Palace Theatres.

For some reason, I have found directories for every city except Los Angeles in that area of the LA Library (the bottom floor). I think there was one LA directory from 1986 the last time I was there.

ken mc: Are the directories in that room on open shelves? It's possible that they keep the L.A. directories in a closed area, and available only on request, as they'd probably be the most popular, and thus the ones most likely to become damaged or lost if kept on open shelves. Also, a lot of the old reference materials in the library have been put in storage after being made available on microfilm or microfiche. The library's web site contains a City Directories Index search page, but I haven't figured out how to use it.

Carey: I've never searched for anything in the L.A. Building and Safety Department's records, so I don't know how their filing system is set up. Did you search by the theatre's name, or by address? Sometimes bureaucratic filing systems are inconsistent over the years. There might be records filed under the name of the retail tenants, or the name of the building owner (personal or corporate), or by the address of the retail store rather than the address of the theatre. Many times, an institution's initial claim that they don't have a particular bit of information turns out to be wrong, and digging deeper will unearth it.

It would also be good to let your search for photos be known among the city officials at the managerial level; they often have experience locating things in places the public might not know of. For example, here in Milwaukee a lot of exterior photos of theatres were found accidentally when we were told that the city's bureau of roads and bridges had been photographing intersections and city repair projects and buildings appeared incidentally in the background. The snap shots were not of publishing quality, but any such might serve your purpose, especially if you make it known that you are not interested in publishing rights, and maybe that you will offer a small reward for finding anything (managers and clerks have other duties, so you want to create an incentive for them!) Maybe if you know some people in city and county governments, a little gift (box of chocolates?) might 'grease' the way. Another way is if you know a wealthy contractor or businessman who contributes large sums to campaigns who might pose your request to his contacts in government; he might get access to people of power that you might not beven know of.

Insuance companies are another possible source if they had a policy there, and your state insurance commissioner may have a listing of policies registered for that property (be sure to have the Legal Description of the land available as well as the city address!) The Register of Deeds will have your Legal Description and possibly deeds and other documents that might describe the changes made; it would give you some idea.

Also check with your local Stock Photos dealers in the Yellow Pages; they take and buy street scenes all the time, and act as location sources for film crews. With LA often being a background for the studio shoots, contact the companies which do the film location scouting for the filmmakers; they may very well have something, though they may charge to search their files if they do not smell a sale to come of it. Post card publishers also have dozens of street and building scenes -- including many never published that you or your agent may have to wade through. Best Wishes.

Jim's mention of stock photos reminded me that for several decades in Los Angeles, the commercial photographer Dick Whittington documented a great many of the city's businesses. The collection consists primarily of negatives, and is one of several collections currently held by the University of Southern California Archival Research Center. I'm not sure how large the collection is, or how it is indexed, but it's one more option to consider.

I was fortunate enough to be in Los Angeles last weekend (for a family wedding). I got to L.A. on the morning train and walked around Broadway before going to the hotel and I saw that the opera "Manon Lescaut" was going to be playing at the Los Angeles Theatre that night. While the rest of my friends and relatives went out to drink I walked over to the theatre to see if I could get in at the last minute.

The opera was a budget production, but the singing and music were beautiful. The theatre was slam-dunk gorgeous! As usual, photographs do not do it justice. The theatre was very dusty, and had the dank feel of a building that is not used often, but it is still in very good shape. The famous crystal fountain was lit up, and I noticed that the base of the fountain was actually plumbed for water (no water was flowing that night, of course).

I met one of the stagehands after the performance, and he gave me a tour of the theatre before I left.

ziggy: I was hoping that somebody would make it to one of the Lyric Opera's performances and post about it here. What sort of seat were you able to get at the last minute? Did you notice if they opened the second balcony or not? How are the acoustics for a live performance? I've only ever been there for movies, and I've always wondered if the theatre sounds as good as it looks.

Hi Joe,

I was able to get a seat in the third row. The seats were sold by section rather than by aisle and number. Being close to the stage, the acoustics were great. I tried moving further back after the intermission (just so I could have a better view of the auditorium), but had a hard time understanding the spoken dialogue (the dialogue in this opera was simply spoken rather than being sung as recitative), so I moved up to the 5th row. There were plenty of people sitting further back, so the problem may have been mine more than the acoustics. The second balcony was not open, and the staircases were too closely watched for me to sneak up during the performance. I also noticed the stumps of what must have at one time been drinking fountains near the bases of each staircase up to the 1st balcony.

I attended the opening night of this years Last Remaining Seats on May 31st. I have never been to a movie theatre with so much beauty and awe. I was absolutly stunned at the great decor this theatre has. You walk in and feel like your entering another time. The fountain located half way up the grand staircase was just amazing and was working. I walked all over the place and chose to see the film "The Mark Of Zorro" from the top balcony. I almost sat in one of the side opera style balconies but felt i had to go higher. The painted curtain, deco ceiling, cherubs on the walls, lobby, bathrooms, and really the whole theatre are just breathtaking. When you see this theatre from the outside you have no idea what is waiting for you inside. I have been to hundreds of movie theatres and none have come close to being as awesome. Some repairs still need to be made but you just don't care when your there. I would love to see these Broadway Theatres all repaired and used for daily showings of hollywoods latest blockbuster features. Sadly though the area is very depressing, and not safe feeling at night. Not everyone is going to visit an area of town where your harrassed and hit up for your change every 10 feet. Other than that anyone who has not seen a movie there should get tickets to the next showings of The Last Remainging Seats by The Los Angeles Conservancy at The Los Angeles Theatre. I believe the showing of "Rebel Without A Cause" is sold out but there are tickets still available to "Dos tipos de cuidado" for $18 dollars online ($15 for members) or $20.00 at the box office. That movie is showing on June 28th and Rebel on July 5th. You can see the schedule at laconservancy.org for this theatre and for the Orpheum and Palace Theatres. These Broadway theatres are a must for movie theatre fans...

We had tickets to the "Rebel Without a Cause" show, but missed it due to another committment. Yesterday, though, we took the Conservancy walking tour, and were lucky enough to get inside the Los Angeles. We happened to be there when the door was open, and our docent quickly spirited us inside! She says that it is difficult to get access to this theatre, so we felt very very lucky.

Because we were "sneaking" in, we didn't get to explore it at our leisure like Mike did above, but, boy, what we saw was fantastic. The lobby takes your breath away! It's like Versaillles! We could see the bare brick stage wall through passageways beneath the grand stairway with the fountain, and it was lit, so we went in there. The cleaning crew was vacuuming, and let us look around undisturbed. The decor was magnificent. I only wish my photos of it came out! The front of the stage has little footlight shades along the front that look like shells. I was so busy looking that I didn't sit in the seats, but my fellow tourists said they were comfortable - I believe they are the original seats. The ceiling has a beautiful dome painted with murals.

We went down to the basement, where there is an incredible oval space, wood-floored, like a ballroom. Then off that was the ladies' room, which is incredible. There is a mirrored ladies' lounge, very opulent, The stalls lead off that; they are completely enclosed, floor-to-ceiling walls, not booths; each with its own detailed door. The room with the sink was tiled - I got a photo I will try to post. The most amazing thing was the downstairs nursery, with painted walls and ceiling designed to evoke a circus tent; the walls were decorated with murals of circus dancers and carousels and animals like monkeys, parrots, and peacocks.

We had to hustle out -- there was a general sense of urgency to avoid being locked in by the roll gates. But it felt like a real stroke of luck to get inside.

The tour was definately worth taking; I want to take it again. I advise anyone taking the tour to bring a good flashlight with new batteries, and if you can figure out how to take photos in low light, please do so. We also saw the Arcade, the Cameo, the Million Dollar, the Warner and the Orpheum. We came tantalizingly close to sneaking into the Palace, too! Will update those theatre pages.

We had tickets to the "Rebel Without a Cause" show, but missed it due to another committment. Yesterday, though, we took the Conservancy walking tour, and were lucky enough to get inside the Los Angeles. We happened to be there when the door was open, and our docent quickly spirited us inside! She says that it is difficult to get access to this theatre, so we felt very very lucky.

Because we were "sneaking" in, we didn't get to explore it at our leisure like Mike did above, but, boy, what we saw was fantastic. The lobby takes your breath away! It's like Versaillles! We could see the bare brick stage wall through passageways beneath the grand stairway with the fountain, and it was lit, so we went in there. The cleaning crew was vacuuming, and let us look around undisturbed. The decor was magnificent. I only wish my photos of it came out! The front of the stage has little footlight shades along the front that look like shells. I was so busy looking that I didn't sit in the seats, but my fellow tourists said they were comfortable - I believe they are the original seats. The ceiling has a beautiful dome painted with murals.

We went down to the basement, where there is an incredible oval space, wood-floored, like a ballroom. Then off that was the ladies' room, which is incredible. There is a mirrored ladies' lounge, very opulent, The stalls lead off that; they are completely enclosed, floor-to-ceiling walls, not booths; each with its own detailed door. The room with the sink was tiled - I got a photo I will try to post. The most amazing thing was the downstairs nursery, with painted walls and ceiling designed to evoke a circus tent; the walls were decorated with murals of circus dancers and carousels and animals like monkeys, parrots, and peacocks.

We had to hustle out -- there was a general sense of urgency to avoid being locked in by the roll gates. But it felt like a real stroke of luck to get inside.

The tour was definately worth taking; I want to take it again. I advise anyone taking the tour to bring a good flashlight with new batteries, and if you can figure out how to take photos in low light, please do so. We also saw the Arcade, the Cameo, the Million Dollar, the Warner and the Orpheum. We came tantalizingly close to sneaking into the Palace, too! Will update those theatre pages.

Here are some photos of the Los Angeles Theater.

Here is a 1951 photo showing the marquee from the USC Archive:
http://snipurl.com/vsw2

That last photo appeared to be something about a "Freedom Float." Did I miss the theatre somehow?

It's behind the float.

This is a recent night view of the Los Angeles Theater.

This whole street strikes me as a museum of sorts. All these great movie palaces continue to survive, possibly the greatest concentration left in the United States, and yet most of them don't seem to have a concrete function. It almost looks to be a salute to L.A's movie heritage.

Another recent photo of the Los Angeles Theater can be seen here.

This theater is a real beauty. I remember driving by it a couple years back when I was in LA. I had no idea it was so beautiful inside though!!

Portions of the interior should be visible during tonight's NBC telecast of "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," a one-hour variety special that was taped at the Los Angeles Theatre with Rob Marshall as director. The program airs at 8:00 PM (EST). I don't know what the schedule is for other time zones.

This is a more recent photo of the Los Angeles Theater.

Here is a recent night view of the Los Angeles Theater.

Interviewees Needed - Hi all, I'm working on a report and would really like to interview anyone who had anything to do with the Historic Theaters in downtown Los Angeles while they were still functioning as theaters - whether you worked in them or attended. Please contact me at lhinojosa2@socal.rr.com Thanks!

This is a 2007 photo of the Los Angeles Theater.

Here is a 2007 close-up view.

I was in the cast of the opera performance mentioned above – I had a small part in Manon Lescaut as “Le sergent” and sang in the chorus. When I auditioned for the company I didn’t know where we would be performing, but was thrilled when I learned that it would be at the fabulous old Los Angeles Theater, since I remembered the theater vividly from my childhood.

In the mid ‘50s, my mother used to take my brother and me downtown from Culver City, and we’d go to a movie at the stunning Los Angeles Theater, and have lunch at Clifton’s Cafeteria across the street (still operating!). I remember seeing “The Robe” and “Demetrius and the Gladiators” there, and being terribly impressed by the over-the-top performances of actor Jay Robinson as Caligula in both movies (I also remember seeing Bette Davis in “The Virgin Queen,” which Jay Robinson was also in – more about Mr. Robinson later!).

Much later, in my adulthood, I also met the architect, S. Charles Lee, at a showing of the movie “The Seven Year Itch” at the theater. I was introduced briefly to Mr. Lee, a spry and friendly old man, who was doing what the rest of us were doing, standing just inside the front door, watching the amazed faces of people as they came in and saw the lobby for the first time!

And then, decades later, I was able to perform in the theater myself. The pseudo-French architecture of the theater suited Manon Lescaut perfectly, I think, though the theater was really too large for our purposes. One of the other cast members, Greg Iriarte, was a docent for the L.A. Conservancy, and I imagine that this is how the venue was obtained. Greg would have preferred the Orpheum as a performing venue, and it’s true that the Los Angeles had a very shallow stage and inadequate dressing rooms for a cast the size of ours. But I was thrilled to be at the Los Angeles, and it was a gift that it had dressing rooms at all, thanks to the fact that stage performances had taken place between movies in the early years. The dressing rooms had been furnished with modern mirrors and lights, but there were no tables or chairs, so we brought our own. One of the larger rooms, obviously designed for “the star,” had original mouldings and “French” tracework, and it was easy to imagine it as it might have been.

The acoustics of the theater seemed fine to me, and I didn’t feel I had to force at all in my solos (and, of course, we sang unamplified – even the spoken dialogue was unamplified), but some people remarked that the men’s voices traveled better than the women’s, so perhaps there was a lack of upper resonance in the theater. Though the place looked shabby in the strong rehearsal lights, in performance, when the auditorium was evocatively lit, the place looked overwhelmingly festive and gorgeous.

At our six performances we had an audience of about 600 people a night, a surprising turnout for an unknown/forgotten opera. However, it was obvious that the theater itself was bringing them in, because when we put on our next production, Verdi’s second opera, Un Giorno di Regno, at the Palace across the street (having lost the use of the Los Angeles Theater for undisclosed reasons), hardly anyone attended its six performances, and the company was forced to cancel the rest of the season. The Palace is the right size for an opera house, in my opinion, being about the size of a normal European opera house, e.g. the Stuttgart Opera, and it has better acoustics than the Los Angeles. But the Palace has nothing of that latter theater’s magnificence and glamour, faded though it may be.

Back to actor Jay Robinson: Southern California suffered some severe storms earlier in 2006, and the basement of the Los Angeles Theater was flooded, ruining the parquet flooring in the downstairs ballroom, and causing a dank, musty smell. During those same storms, out in the San Fernando Valley a tree fell on the parked car of a friend of mine. The tree happened to be on the property of Jay Robinson in Sherman Oaks (on Milbank at Woodman) near where I live, and because of this unfortunate circumstance, I got to meet him during the period of my performances of the Los Angeles Theater, where a half century before I had seen his (filmed) performances that had so impressed me. In fact, I found out his birthday on the internet, and took a card over to him and got invited in for a nice chat and a look at his movie and stage memorabilia. This icon from my childhood has lived a block away from me for the last 30 years! I felt that my experience with the Los Angeles Theater had gone full circle.

Rickard Roudebush

This photo is circa 1931:
http://tinyurl.com/2wd84d

There is another batch of interior photos on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/37mq4a

I just watched the 2006 movie "The Prestige." There are several shots inside the Los Angeles Theatre, standing in for a 19th century London theatre. The famous "3-dimensional" fire curtain, depicting costumed French nobility in the countryside, is clearly visible at times and is actually raised at one point. (There is also an exterior shot of the Tower Theatre, S. Charles Lee's other downtown L.A. masterpiece, with the name changed to "Pantages." There are some other theatre interior shots in the movie, which I was unable to identify.)

Recent pics:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/dwntwnLosAngelesMar22200701.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/dwntwnLosAngelesMar22200702.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/dwntwnLosAngelesMar22200703.jpg

Beautiful smogless sky over Los Angeles.

I moved to LA in 1984 and could barely breath when I was looking for a job downtown. The situation has improved considerably.

We were told, when the cast of Manon Lescaut was given a tour of the theater, that the wigs of the French nobility on the curtain were made of real human hair.

You can see an excerpt of the Manon Lescaut on YouTube. Unfortunately, it doesn't show much of the interior of the theater, but it does give you an idea of what a production looked like on stage (I am on the far left - stage right - as "The Sergeant" - and am barely audible!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqqMLrFae0I

There is a treasure trove of pictures of the Los Angeles Theatre, interior and exterior, ca 1931, at the California State Library web site. I counted over 130 pictures available for viewing and/or download there. (There is also a huge cache of pictures of the Hollywood Pantages Theatre plus a handful of shots of other L.A. area theatres at the same web site.) Enjoy.

http://www.lib.state.ca.us/html/welcome.html

The auditorium of this great looking theatre is beautiful. Not too large a capacity either for transformation to a full scale programed theatre. My god, i love that auditorium so much. THe side boxes are fantastic.

This is an interesting photo from 1931. Hopefully it hasn't already been posted:
http://tinyurl.com/2wevpk

Ken, that 1931 photo must have been taken on the opening night. City Lights, indeed!

The CA state library website has hundreds of pictures of this theater, mostly interior and mostly from the thirties. No way to post them all here, but it's worth a look.

Use the link that Richard W posted in April.

Don't miss the rare opportunity to see the interior of this theatre in all its lit-up glory by attending the L.A. Conservancy's annual "Last Remaining Seats" film and live entertainment series. This year, in addition to 2 events at the Los Angeles, they are featuring the L.A. Orpheum, the Alex in Glendale and the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. The dates are May 23 (Orpheum), May 30 (Los Angeles), June 6 (Orpheum), June 13 (Los Angeles), June 20 (Ford) and June 27 (Alex). For program and other information, visit http://www.laconservancy.org .

I always appreciate the program, so I don't want to appear to be grousing. However, it seems like the theater rotation was better when I started attending a decade ago. I suppose it's not possible to screen films in some of the other Broadway theaters, like the State for example, but I'm not too motivated to see a movie at the Ford that I can watch on AMC. The idea is to see the movies in the original settings. Just an opinion.

I agree. The first LRS, 20 years ago, was intended to be a one-time event which would spotlight a number of the old, neglected theatres on Broadway and attempt to recreate the early movie palace experience. Little did those of us involved in planning that first series know that it would take off and become the blockbuster (and major money-maker for the Conservancy) that it is today. In the early years, the Los Angeles and the Orpheum were used, of course, but also, the State, the United Artists, the Million Dollar and the Palace downtown and theatres in other parts of town, such as the Westlake, the Wiltern, the South Pasadena Rialto and even an old drive-in in Culver City. For various reasons, including the unavailabilty of some of these venues, size requirements and probably some political and sponsorship considerations, the current planners seem to have moved away from the original intent; spotlighting lesser-known and neglected theatres seems to be no longer the main thrust. (The Alex is hardly neglected and why the Ford was chosen truly mystifies me -- probably for political reasons!)

I will bet that if you offer the Iglesia people at the State some amount of money, they will set up a big movie screen on the stage, assuming the old one is not there anymore. I would pay to see a movie there, or in the Million Dollar.

They've been approached, but no dice. (Same situation at the United Artists.) I'm quite sure that the theatre is still equipped to show movies. The Million Dollar has been off-limits because of a hazard from loose ceiling plaster caused by the last earthquake.

The "old drive-in in Culver City" mentioned above was the Studio Drive-In where Jefferson and Sepulveda come together. Unfortunately, it has been demolished. A housing project is on the site.

I was in downtown Culver City yesterday and saw that the Old Culver Theater, a wonderful old Art Deco movie house, has been turned into the Kirk Douglas Theater, a legitimate theater. It's near the Culver Hotel, where the Munchkins were put up during the filming of Wizard of Oz - it's the tallest building in town. You can't miss it.

The Culver is across the street from the old MGM studio.

Here is a circa 1940s photo from the USC archive:
http://tinyurl.com/2xxzog

An article in today's LA Times discussed a proposal to turn Broadway between 2nd and 9th into a pedestrian mall with a busway. This had been proposed in 1977, but nothing came of it. The general manager of the Los Angeles theater was quoted favorably on the issue. I recall that this was done on Chestnut Street in the 80s with limited success. I think that street is once again open to traffic.

I was there last night to view "Roman Holiday" as part of the Last Remaining Seats series. I had never been to the theater and wow -- I agree with all the above comments. I've never seen such detail, such craftsmanship in a theater. The three levels of seating, the enormous rooms downstairs that weren't even utilized (the ones separating the bathrooms; the "lounge", what looked like a kitchen). What a labyrinth. Security wasn't tight and we were tempted to sneak up the various stairwells but decided not to. An amazing place. I hope they replace the worn carpet and continue the restoration. Wouldn't it be great to see movies here again all the time? The audience sure appreciated it.

<<They've been approached, but no dice. (Same situation at the United Artists.) posted by Richard W on May 12, 2007 at 10:50am >>

I would love to see films at these locations as well. Just out of curiosity, Richard W, can you divulge what their rationale is? You'd think the owners would be interested in maintaining the public's interest (as well as pocketing the dough they'd receive for something like this) in these landmarks, not shun the curious.

The State is leased to a Hispanic church, which doesn't want it to be used for other anything else, period. The situation at the UA is more interesting. That theatre is owned by the Gene Scott ministries. When Dr. Scott first acquired the State he not only spent a lot of money restoring it but seemed to be open to the idea of it being used for other purposes when not needed for church services (Sunday mornings), much like the old Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. In fact, Last Remaining Seats had a couple of screenings at the theatre with his blessing and he allowed the Conservancy's Saturday morning tours in there on a regular basis. However, one always felt that he was a little nervous about having "strangers" in his building. His church attendees were carefully screened (you couldn't attend services without making a reservation in advance) and when the Conservancy tour groups came in they were always accompanied by one or more church security people and closely watched throughout their visit. So at a certain point he informed the Conservancy that no more LRS or other outside events would be permitted at the theatre. The tours continued, however, until 9/11, at which point his apparent nervousness about possible "terrorist" plots prompted him to terminate those as well. Dr. Scott died recently and the church is now in the hands of his widow, who seems even less inclined to allow outside groups in. ("This is a church, not a tourist attraction!") So it appears that the beautifully restored UA will, for the foreseeable future, be off-limits to anyone except the church parishioners.

In the above comment you stated "When Dr. Scott first acquired the State", you mean the United Artists theatre right.

You're right. My apologies.

Here is a recent close-up of the Los Angeles.

There is going to be some fight if they ever try to bulldoze this. At least I hope there will be a fight.

Look at the detail on this building. Its a shame that this is no longer an everyday movie theater.

Everybody stands in line once a year for the last remaining seats show. Other than private parties, that's about it. But, as we've said on some of the other pages, is there enough demand to keep a first run theater going in DTLA? I guess the Staples people will find out when they open up their multiplex in a few years. There will be an increased need for entertainment if the downtown population continues to multiply.

The L.A. is more likely to be used these days as a movie and TV location (e.g. the recent Tony Bennett TV taping). As for its use as a first run movie theater, the problem is that a 2000-seat, single-screen house is a near financial impossibility in today's market, regardless of location. Some people have been exploring its use as a live venue, but there are problems. One is difficult backstage access (for sets, etc.). Another is the lack of sufficient nearby parking.

There is actually lots of parking at the Pershing Square underground lot, which is only a block away from the theater. At the opera production I was in, mentioned above, a discount rate was negotiated with this parking facility for people with a validated ticket. It worked beautifully.

But the Los Angeles does have a shallow stage and limited backstage facilities, which compromise it for live productions. If some enterprising person would buy the property in back of it, the backstage area could be completely redone.

Actually, the property behind the theater on Hill Street, the William Fox Building, is owned by the same people who own the theater. They acquired the Fox Bldg. in the 80's for conversion to a jewelry mart and the theater came with the deal. The two buildings were built at the same time and have always constituted a single parcel of land. The theater building extends nearly 2/3rds of the way to Hill Street, thus allowing it to be oriented perpendicular to the street, in contrast to the other large theaters on Broadway. At first the owners were reportedly considering breaking through the back wall of the theater stage and extending the jewelry mart into the theater! Fortunately that never happened and the owners have come to recognize its value as a theater. (In fact, I believe they have also acquired the Palace and the State. Can anyone confirm this?)

I met the owner of the Palace Theater at a party after the opera we did there (a very young man whose name I've forgotten). He also owns the restaurant where the party was, which had wonderful photos on the walls of the Palace Theater in its original vaudeville state). He said he had just bought a much smaller theater downtown as well, but I don't think he owns the Los Angeles Theater.

If you contact Brady Westwater at http://lacowboy.blogspot.com/

I'm sure he could tell you the owner(s) of the Los Angeles Theater.

(I wish it were the guy who owns the Palace - like I said, a young guy who seems to have unlimited funds - he treated the entire cast to drinks and dinner at his restaurant - and a great appreciation for the history of the theaters on Broadway.)

From Brady Westwater's blog, entry dated June 22, 2007: "The State, the Palace, the Tower and the Los Angeles theaters, owned by Michael Delijani, are currently used for filming, live events and the Last Available Seats movie series." (Of course he means "Last Remaining Seats".)

Hmmm... Well, that must be the guy then, and Brady Westwater is a good friend of his (Brady was at the party, too). And, believe me, if there is anybody you want standing up for the Los Angeles Theater, it's Brady Westwater. That theater would be compromised over his dead body.

Brady is on over twenty councils, committees and commission for downtown redevelopment, and I know for a fact that he has a very special love for the Los Angeles Theater.

Brady is the one who took down Mike Davis and his book "The Ecology of Fear." Don't mess with Brady!

There was a cyclone fence across the front of the theater today. No one was around, so I couldn't ask what was going on.

Here are some July 2007 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/yp8ssc
http://tinyurl.com/2f8go5
http://tinyurl.com/28bz7o
http://tinyurl.com/2eleor
http://tinyurl.com/ypwj6j
http://tinyurl.com/yw5rbq

Here is an early photo of the Los Angeles from the LAPL. Date is 1932:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics30/00049663.jpg

You can also see the vertical sign for the Paramount Theatre down the street, on the former Broadway entrance.

That corner building next to the Paramount annex is still there. It has "Sun Drug Co" carved on the front, near the top.

I don't know what to make of this picture. Perhaps they are implying that the photographer was standing behind the robber at the moment of the crime. It could be a re-enactment, or maybe they're referring to the ticket prices:
http://tinyurl.com/yvc5vm

I was inside the Los Angeles the other day for the millionth time with a group of tourists and while they were looking up at the amazing lobby ceiling I was taking to Frank the manager. He said that the theatre is working on securing a liquor licence for future events. This to me shows that the owners are serious about re-opening this theatre on a regular basis for events and whatnot. I've spent thousands of hours in this building with the LAC's Historical Theatres Committee and he Lyric Opera of Los Angeles and I never get tired of it.

Here are two undated photos. "Conservancy" is a tough word to spell, apparently:
http://tinyurl.com/2lezcj
http://tinyurl.com/3azxcb

The Dodgers are welcomed to Los Angeles, 4/18/58. It looks like the car in the middle is an Edsel:
http://tinyurl.com/3xons8

The first photo is from January, 1931 at its formal premiere opening day.

Does LA have any plan to help restore Broadway as a Theatre District in the historic core. The building of the Nokia Theatre with 7000 seats and a smaller theatre with 2400 seats doesn't help Broadway and it delays the rebirth of this area. LA is one of the only Large Cities not investing in the historic downtown they build everthing around it where they should be spending money restoring the historic core. Its nuts that a 2400 seat theatre is being built in the Nokia complex when you have the Los Angeles,Orpheum,State,United Artists,Million Dollar,Palace and Warner all located Downtown. Its this lack of planning that delays the rebirth of Broadway. LA really needs a new 2400 seat capacity theatre when you have so many historic theatres waiting to be reborn.The Nokia theatre will never be another Radio City City Music Hall as it likes to compare itself to. The Nokia will really hurt the 6200 seat Shrine Auditorium which has made a comback hosting Award shows during the past two decades.This will be the second time LA has turned its back on Broadway, the first was when the Music Center was built in the 1960's and now the Nokia Entertainment complex. If New York City can revive 42nd Street I think LA can revive Broadway with better planning.brucec

Brucec, Yes it's a shame that all those theatres are not being reused as theatres. As newer complexes are being built around the area. The Wiltern Theatre came back from near death. The Pantages Theatre is alive in Hollywood. I remember working along Broadway and these theatres all were just waiting for their time to be rediscovered. As progress was always just a few blocks away waiting for the light to change.

The ad on the far right was in the LA Times in March 1947. People were somewhat perturbed about the advent of the atomic weapons era:
http://tinyurl.com/26qu9w

The Unique would have been a few doors south. If they were projecting something on the Unique-O-Scope, would that qualify it as a theater? The ad is from 1906:
http://tinyurl.com/288ls6

This 1/24/31 ad in the LA Times preceded the formal opening of the theater:
http://tinyurl.com/2zggqb

This ad is dated 1/29/31:
http://tinyurl.com/2awy93

COULD THE BOARD PLEASE ENSURE THAT I DONT GET NOTICES FROM THIS THEATRE LISTING!!!
IT ISNT ON MY 'REPLY WHEN MESSAGE POSTED' or 'MY FAVOURITES' LIST AND IT COMES UP ALL THE TIME AND IS VERY ANNOYING!

I'm not Board, but when I receive messages they all have at their end, an option to opt out for that theater. That option always works for me.

Ive never taken that option on this theatre as i have on so many others. Its very annoying. maybe if i take the option then i wont get bothered.

Wow...just testing to see if Ian is 'bothered' by this message. I love the photo posted by ken mc from Aug. 19 that shows the north wing of the retail space on the building. Someone over the years either removed or covered all detail so it is basically a box now. You can see how it looked in that photo. I'm glad the south wing has remained untouched.

There will be a special screening of MGM's "Meet Me in St. Louis" at the Los Angeles Theater on Sunday, December 2nd at 2pm. The event is being sponsored by the Los Angeles Conservancy and tickets are only $10. It's also a freshly struck archival print of the 1944 film!

https://secure2.convio.net/lac/site/Ecommerce?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=1621&store_id=1601&JServSessionIdr012=978ico1oa1.app13a

I already have my tickets in my sweaty little monkey paws. The only thing that bugs me is that this was originally supposed to be at the Palace. I guess there was a problem so now its at the Los Angeles. I wanted to see if they have done anything to the inside of the Palace since the outside looks fabulous now after a cleaning.

Here is an interior view.

This is a recent night view of the Los Angeles Theater.

Recent scan of magazine pictures and article:
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/dwntwnlaLosAngelesTheater01.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/dwntwnlaLosAngelesTheater02.jpg

Wow, this theater is a real gem! I remember passing by it last time I was in the Los Angeles area.

For the marquee admirer, here is another one. The one handed clock is included at no extra charge.

It's always half-past something at the Los Angeles.

The city that never sleeps (well, not exactly):
http://tinyurl.com/32zwdf

There was a story in the LA Times today about an ambitious plan tp renovate the Broadway district, including the remaining film houses. This isn't the first time we've heard this, of course, so we will see what happens.

Here is the LA Times article about the "Broadway makeover".

Sounds pretty good. Anything to make that area live again.

I read the article in the LA Times and I think its a step in the right direction. I wouldn't close the street to cars it would do more harm than good this is not Santa Momica. I like the idea of a street car going up an down Broadway. I do not agree with the professor from UCLA, the street has declined as a destination for Latinos from the 1970's thru 2008. There is more competition for Latino shoppers in other areas. The population growth of 20,000 in the last 5 years are urban professionals which will double in the next few years which should spur restoration and development along Broadway. If the city was smart Broadway should start catering to Downtown's growing population as a diverse destination and not just the shrinking shopping destination for Latinos. Downtown LA is coming back in a major way and Broadway should not be left behind.I think the City should concentrate along with the private sector and improve the curb appeal of the street. I think the City should have a plan that improved proper signage along Broadway and steer away form the swapmeet look of Broadway. Make sure you save all the historic signage along Broadway as well as the historic theatre marquees.brucec

You can see the downstairs lounge with all that wood paneling in the current Kia commercial for President's Day (Millard Fillmore). It is currently running in the New York market.

From yesterday:
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/LosAngelesFeb16200809.jpg

All i have to say is GREAT!!!

It is a wonderful theatre it is hard to grasp that it has only 2200 seats it looks like a 4000 or more seat palace.
Great just great.!!!

Does the Los Angeles presently have 2,200 seats, or was that the number with which it opened?

My question relates to the original seating plan, in which individual blocks of seats were no more than five or six across. There were more aisles then! (I haven't been inside since the early 1980s, but even at that time one could see where these original aisle doors had been sealed off from the lobby.)

Does anyone know when these "extra" aisles were filled in, and how the overall seating capacity was affected by that change? Were new seats merely added in the former aisle spaces, or were entire rows replaced?

I've always wondered about this -- and some other chronological details concerning the Los Angeles, too, such as when the downstairs restaurant closed, when the prism device for displaying the movie in the downstairs lounge was removed, and when the neon strips in the aisle floors that once guided patrons to their seats stopped functioning.

I have a vague memory of having read in a magazine or newspaper article forty or so years ago that the two extra aisles in the Los Angeles Theatre were converted for seating during the boom years of WWII, when many downtown theatres remained open 24 hours and still had full houses for may performances. I know that some movie theatres had their orchestra pits covered over to provide more room for seats during that time.

This photo shows that the aisles were about wide enough for two additional seats per row. I would suspect that, to minimize the cost of the change, the existing seats would have been left in place and the new seats would have simply been bolted into the rows (probably after the removal of the decorative end-pieces on the seats adjacent to the aisles), adding only one additional armrest between them, but I don't know for sure. Of the 150 or so images of the theatre in the 9 folders in the state library collection (search \"Los Angeles Theatre\"), all are from the period before the change.

As for the prism device in the basement lounge, I know it wasn't working in the early 1960s, when I went to the theatre frequently. The restaurant was gone by that time, too, but I remember the aisle-side lighting strips still glowing. They were blue.

I've finally posted some of the photos I took during last summer's Los Angeles Conservancy sponsored screening of "Roman Holiday" at the Los Angeles Theatre.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=93406&id=838355645

It says I have to log in to see the page.

Log in and let me know what happens.

This photo (from the California State Library collection) is of the men's lavatory:

http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2469.jpg

Does anybody know what those cylindrical objects are on the floor along the wall? Spittoons, perhaps?

Looking through the free-standing boxoffice side grill, the 2 well-worn combination safes are visible:
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/LosAngelesFeb26200815.jpg

Could thay be some kind of ashtray?

That is what thay look like to me.

In regard to the cylindrical objects in the mens room, I don't recall them being there in the 1960s. I suppose they might have been spittoons, or maybe places to discard cigar or cigarette butts (I believe such devices were called silent butlers), but their tops were pretty close to the floor for either of those functions. It's an interesting mystery.

The mysterious metal cylinders were located in the "hall of urinals," too:

http://helios.library.ca.gov/soca/mott-merge/2006/1992-2424.jpg

Odd. Wonder if they stored the urinal cakes in there? LOL.

Wow. Mysterious cylinders. Perhaps they were placed there to stimulate evolution and in the future will be found buried on the moon and sending signals to Uranus.

Sorry. I was in the "2001" audience at the Dome. :-)

This event will probably never happen.

Wouldn't it be nice to have the Daytime Emmy Awards at the Los Angeles Theater instead of that Kodak Theater which lacks any beauty!

They have used Radio City Music Hall in the past, but I doubt if they would ever consider the Los Angeles Theater because of the area that it is in.

But, it would be fantastic to see the theater live on tv!
Trainmaster

The Spring 2008 issue of "Cottages & Bungalows" has a short article on the Los Angeles Theatre. It also has two vintage black & white photos, one of the auditorium and one of the exterior at the time of opening. The exterior shot, while excellent, is the commonly published view. It also has a very nice recent color photo of the beautiful main lobby. And the rest of the magazine is pretty good, too. The main point of the article is that the Broadway Theatre district in LA is poised for revival, and the LA Theatre is at the center of that.

Does anyone know of a book on the "Los Angeles Theater?"

I am aware that the theater appears in numerous theater books, but would like to see a dedicated book on that theater alone.

I am aware the THS did an annual on the Los Angeles Theater. Unfortunately, it is out of stock. Maybe they will offer it again.

Trainmaster

I don't think there is a book on the Los Angeles Theatre, out of all the books on the market. The S. Charles Lee book has a small amount of info but no real book. Fox West Coast Theatres programs you could buy that had pictures and alittle history on the house. But that's it.

Has any one found out what the metal cylinders are and what thay were used for? Thank you for your time.

I continue to ponder the purpose of those metal canisters and how they could possibly relate to men's grooming and toiletry needs of the era. The more I consider uses like spittoon or ashtray, the more skeptical I am of those guesses. The objects just seem too close to the ground, and their openings too small, for such prosaic functions without making a big mess! Rather, I'm convinced that they represented some kind of engineering marvel in the same way that other features of the Los Angeles Theater were groundbreaking and unique.

I recall that one of the first articles I encountered concerning Broadway's theater district was in Westways magazine (the publication of the Auto Club of Southern California (AAA)) in the early 1970s. (While my childhood memories had included shopping downtown and eating at Clifton's Cafeteria with family, we never went to a movie there; a lifelong fascination with movie palaces was thus awakened largely by this single article and its accompanying photographs and vivid descriptions of faded elegance.)

That Westways piece mentioned the exotic and avant garde elements of the Los Angeles Theater, including the individual marble rooms in the ladies' restroom, the human hair wigs on the curtain, the periscope device in the downstairs lounge and the lighted strips in the aisle floors. I remember, too, the description of the shoeshine stand in the men's room –- and I'm quite certain that there was a mention of some other feature regarded as quite unusual back in the day. But wrack my memory as I do, I just cannot seem to recall what it was -- yet I am pretty sure that those metal canisters are the evidence of it.

Unfortunately, I lost my copy of this article many years (and many moves) ago, and the online archive of Westways doesn't go back nearly that far. What, oh what, could be the possible function of those cylinders? They aren't in the ladies' room, so it could only have been useful to men. I believe they must concern something that was a custom of the times, now vanished and therefore not on our radar at all -- but what?

Does any one know if the Los Angeles Theatre has a historical record keeper? Maybe then we will know what the cylinders were used for.

Also if you compare the shot of the urinals from the link above(the black and white picture) to the shot of the urinals ( the one on the offical page) here`s the kicker, thay are not their thay were removed . Thank you for you time :)

When I was very young (the 1930's and '40's) I remember that spittoons were commonly found in banks and other public places. They were also very close to the ground. Apparently persons who chewed tobacco at that time were not only much more numerous and accepted in polite society than they are today but were also quite accurate in their aim! I would bet that the mysterious cannisters were in fact spittoons.

Here is some detail from the lobby ceiling, circa mid 1970s. Sorry about the white spots, but most of the detail is visible regardless:
http://tinyurl.com/2epn4b

Is that a copyrighted photo?

Lost Memory.....if it IS a copyrighted photo ken might be comfortable with taking the very low chance that he will get sued. If anyone other than you cared about posting one photo from a book where no one is making a profit (for educational and illustrative one time use), they would most likely just ask him to remove the link...cease and desist. Yes, he could just state the source and say that if you go buy this book and look on page so and so you can see a photo of the ceiling of the theater, if the book is still even in print, but ultimately its the individual's choice. It's not your choice.....unless you're some type of Copyright Keystone Cop. I deal with photo copyright all day long at work and this issue is small potatoes.

Its not one photo. If it was, I wouldn't say a word. He has hundreds of copyrighted photos in his Photobucket. It is the owner of the photos that has the choice if their photos can be copied or not. In most cases you need the owners permission. There is no polite word for this, its called stealing. At the very least he could give the source of the photo. I'm not a "Copyright Keystone Cop" and I don't think this is a joking matter. If he scanned the photos from the Cinema Treasures book without permission and linked them to other websites, I don't the authors would be happy about it.

Are you planning to report him to someone? Maybe you should contact Photobucket. While you're at it you can contact the LA Times every time I quote from an article from the past. It's nothing personally against you, but ken mc posting photos or having them in his Photobucket account seems highly innocuous when there is a deluge of internet media theft occurring right now that actually hurts people and destroys businesses. In my opinion, its similar to giving the jaywalker a ticket as an army of drunk drivers pass by freely.

I haven't made any decision yet. And your entitled to your opinion, but I think that the owners of the photos should be heard from. If they have no problem with this practice, then thats fine with me. Someone else on this site was doing something very similar. That individual got off easy. He lost his Photobucket account for violating their terms of service. No, I did not report that individual.

Oh well. I've tried to steer clear of this topic as this site is not the place for lectures on fair use and copyright law. Essentially, fair use relies on a four part test, but the primary focus is on the nature of the use (non-profit v. commercial), the ratio of the excerpted work as opposed to the work as a whole, and the potential impact of the use upon the commercial value of the work. This is a very brief and condensed view of a complex topic.

If I was to be sued, which is a laughable assertion, the owner of the work would have the burden of proof to show that the use of the work caused some dimunition in commercial value. This is a difficult burden and the reason why there is such a variance in the case law regarding fair use.

With all due respect to Mr. Memory, the person who complains the most should not be the person who knows the least. That's why I haven't responded to the prompts for sources and so on. I do this strictly for fun. If it's going to be burdensome, I will go back to online poker. I work about a hundred hours a week and this is a good way to relax between assignments. Since this is all off topic, I am tabling any further discussion on my part. Mr. Memory is free to "report me" or to pursue whatever he considers his legal remedies. I know a little bit about the law and I think I will survive whatever legal assaults that may be headed in my direction. I apoogize to the site owners for taking up space with this tangential discussion.

Ken McIntyre

I'll also make this brief. Some photos require a fee to be copied or distributed. You are depriving those owners of their fees. We might do this for fun, but to the owners of some of those photos it is a business. I also doubt that you will be sued and I hope that you aren't. Thanks for your permission to set the wheels in motion.

It would be nice if you'd spend more time posting interesting things that relate to theaters instead of this incessant complaining, kvetching, moaning and groaning from the Citizens Auxiliary Police. I wish you would take Ken on Judge Judy so I could see her scream at you. YOU HAVE NO DAMAGES! Let the people who took the precious photos go after the vile thieves. I think I'll start referring to you as Jay Santos.

"It would be nice if you'd spend more time posting interesting things that relate to theaters". That is what I do here. Maybe you haven't noticed. As I said before, your entitled to your opinion. This really doesn't involve you, so don't act like a child and start calling me names or posting insults. I won't tolerate it.

LOL....nothing else required.

This is an interesting editorial from the opening of the Los Angeles:

(Feb. 2, 1931) LA Times

PREVIEW PANDEMONIUM
It is a moot question whether some better regulations will not have to be adopted to meet the occasions when premiere pictures are programmed and popular movie stars are on parade. In the case of the first showing of the Charlie Chaplin picture at the opening of the Los Angeles Theater the whole traffic on the chief downtown thoroughfares for a mile on either side of the theater was at a complete standstill for more than two hours, store windows were broken, clothes were torn, windshields in cars were smashed and many women fainted in the milling multitudes gathered to make a movie holiday.

Los Angeles is too large a city and the freedom of the streets is too vital for such conditions to be countenanced as recurrent accompaniments of every new high-powered picture production. In the capital of filmdom such scenes are bound to occur when the kings and queens of the screen are advertised to be on parade, unless the police authorities take the same precautions for handling the crowds as is done in other large cities in similar circumstances. Apparently a the opening of the Los Angeles Theater the authorities left everything to chance.

There is no reason why a premiere parade should be allowed to degenerate into a preview pandemonium. The people who assemble for a glimpse of their favorite actors and actresses are in the main a cheerful, good-natured, happy-go-lucky, if somewhat boisterous, crowd of sightseers. It would be a pity if such demonstrations had to be discontinued for lack of preparedness on the part of the officials hired to attend to these civic duties. Premiere parades are a distinctive feature of Los Angeles life and under proper control a good advertisement of thhe city no less than for the motion-picture industry.

At the opening of the Los Angeles Theater they were not under proper control. Police, motion-picture people and citizens in general cannot afford to permit a repetition of these bear-garden festivities.

The occasion for the super-excitement on Broadway was, of course, an unusual one. The Los Angeles Theater is the very last word in what constitutes a modern playhouse, in appointments, conveniences and equipments. The Chaplin picture was in a way epochal and its inception had drawn the attention of the whole film world. That the people of Los Angeles should assemble in extraordinary numbers to show their pride and delight at this double event was a thing to be expected.

Here are two March 2008 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/29642o
http://tinyurl.com/2c985b

I have that article from the 1970s Westways mentioned earlier. Will
have to look it up sometime.

There are a nice bunch of pictures on Google Earth, including one of the theatre's rear marquee.

Here is a July 2008 and a 1961 photo for comparison.

French singer Vanessa Paradis' last video clip "L'incendie" was filmed inside the LA theater :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psHGKVVcHa8

Isn't she Johnny Depp's girlfriend?

You're right Ken, she's Johnny Depp's girlfriend.

You win the prize. Here is the winning link.

Here are two recent photos:
http://tinyurl.com/5xxvod
http://tinyurl.com/3s7jks

Home grown?

In 98 degree heat.

Have some hot coffee. I like the first photo. It's a great shot.

This is part of a story from the LA Times, dated 9/8/43;

GENTLEMEN BANDITS GET $2100 IN THEATER HOLD-UP

Two gentlemanly bandits, who shook hands with their victim after robbing him of $2100, last night held up the Los Angeles Theater, 615 S. Broadway.

Two holdup men accosted manager Edward Clark as he was entering his office and while one simulated a gun in his pocket followed Clark into the room. There they forced him to open the safe and withdraw a cash box, from which they scooped $600 in silver and $1500 in bills.

Another envelope containing $1200 earmarked for returning war veterans was taken by the bandits and then returned. They shook hands with Clark, and left.

At least thieves were more polite in those days.

You make an interesting point LM. I don't think that would happen today, although it is a big world out there. Ditto for returning the veterans money.

Here is a photo of one wing taken yesterday. The other wing has been brutalized.
http://tinyurl.com/56n5p7

Here is a 1931 photo of the Los Angeles Theater. Photo comes from the book "Theatres in Los Angeles".

This is a nice December 2008 photo.

Someone changed the time on the clock.

Notify the media.

You don't get this kind of detailed analysis on Cinematour.

And you don't get message boards filled with "fluff" comments either.

I think its interesting. Maybe someone was fooling around with the clock to see if it can be restored.

I think it was half past six since about 1955.

I know this is stating the obvious, but "how much more beautiful is the original marquee that the current one?!" This is almost always the case. The two that jump out at me right away are the Loews Jersey and the Loews Kings, but it is probably fair to say that very few of the new marquees erected over the years to "modernize" the theater and bring it up to date were actually an improvement over the original. It certainly wasn't in this case.

Here is a February 2009 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/bkcmle

I'm surprised Ken mc with all your many trips to take photos of these theatres. You never get any shots of the many terrazzo patterns in front of these theatres.

What about 7/28/07?

LOL

Just make sure your on the ball.

Broadway is always full of people, so it's sometimes hard to move them out of the way to take pictures of the sidewalk.

ken mc above should have said "Just making sure your on the ball". sorry.

I actually don't have to go out of my way, since I go downtown for work probably once a week. Today I had to park at 6th and Main as all of the lots on 4th and 5th were being hogged by film shoots, so I hoofed down Broadway on my way back to the car.

I would park in the lot by the old Eastern Columbia building. The Broadway side was where the Majestic Theatre once stood.

When I moved to LA in the early 80s, several of the Broadway theaters were still showing films, namely the State, Palace and Los Angeles. Probably some others as well that I can't recall off the top of my head. I stayed in a seedy hotel at 13th and Olive the first two weeks I was in LA, and I spent some time walking around Broadway and environs as I was assimilating. I remember the neon quite vividly.

Pretty much most of them were still running at that time. They all started to close in and around the next few years. I think the first ones to close were Arcade, Broadway, Globe, United Artists. (not in any order) Everything was Metropolitan, but Pacific Theatres operated the Tower and Cameo at the start of the 80's. Then Metropolitan took control of Broadway again.

If you check the Palace page, there should be a youtube video I posted last year that was taken from a car driving down Broadway at night, circa 1988.

Here is a nice photo.

In February, 1931, "The World's Finest Theatre" presented a movie that proved to be one of the greatest of any year. Tickets in reserved seat sections were as high as $1.50 (about $21 in 2009), but the top for unreserved seating was 75 cents (about $10.50 today). Kiddie tickets at all performances were 25 cents (about $3.50 today): http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/finest31.jpg

Actually, William, on Feb 4 you should have said "Just making sure you're on the ball."

Here and here are photos of the Los Angeles I took last week.

This month's tour is of the Los Angeles:

Saturday, March 21st, 10:30 am
Doors Open 10 am

ALL ABOUT THE
LOS ANGELES THEATER
ADMISSION IS FREE!
Los Angeles Theater
615 S. Broadway
Downtown Los Angeles

SEE! – the beautiful 1931 Los Angeles Theater
HEAR! – Theatre Historians tell the theaters story
TOUR! – get an insider’s look at this amazing theatre – from the Gallery to the Basement
DISCOVER! – how you can become actively involved with the LAHTF
PREVIEW! – a series of exciting events coming to historic theatres soon
LEARN! – how you can get experience in saving, restoring and programming great theatres
EXPLORE! – http://www.losangelestheatre.com
REPAST! – Join us at Clifton’s Cafeteria following the event to continue the discussion
SHOP! – Look for bargains in the nearby Garment District and in Broadway’s shops


Los Angeles Theatre (1931)
615 South Broadway
The most lavish and last built of Broadway’s great movie palaces, the Los Angeles was designed by legendary theatre architect S. Charles Lee. It was constructed in 1931 at an estimated cost of more than one million dollars. Patterned after the celebrated Fox theatre in San Francisco, the Los Angeles recalls the glories of the French Baroque. The façade rises five stories, decorated with huge columns and accented with urns, angels, and vines. Its majestic lobby features mirrors, fluted columns, sparkling chandeliers, finely detailed plaster ornament, and a sunburst motif alluding to France’s “Sun King,” Louis XIV. A grand central staircase leads to a crystal fountain.

In addition to its lavish decor, the Los Angeles originally boasted a number of unusual amenities. These included an electric indicator to monitor available seats, soundproof “crying rooms” (for parents with crying children) above the loge, a staffed playroom in the basement, and a glamorous ladies’ lounge featuring sixteen private compartments, each finished in a different marble. In the walnut-paneled basement lounge, a periscope-like system of prisms relayed the featured film from the auditorium to a secondary screen, allowing patrons to watch the film while socializing.

The Los Angeles has undergone a number of incremental improvements in recent years and is a popular filming and special-event location.

http://losangelestheatre.com

http://lahtf.org/index.html

http://laconservancy.org/remaining/remaining_theatres08.php4#la

Here is a 1931 photo recently added by the LAPL:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00078/00078395.jpg

Posting to get this theatre back on my "notifications" list, and to add that I greatly enjoyed the "All About..." event! Pictures soon...

The seating given on the "Related Websites" link above is:

Seating capacity: 2,050 (Orchestra: 1,465; Balcony/Mezzanine: 585)

Another photo is here.

Here are some 1983 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/czg3pf
http://tinyurl.com/cp2468

Los Angeles Theater photo

Here is a January 1948 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/cmo6fs

Here is a photo circa 1938:
http://tinyurl.com/ct37m6

This is a nice 2009 photo.

Wow that is a beautiful photo.

Here is a little video tour of Broadway:
http://tinyurl.com/lzl7l4

I shot some time lapse video at the Last Remaining Seats show two weeks ago of the exterior, auditorium and lobby. It's on YouTube if anyone wants to take a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox2UaEE7Eis&feature=channel_page

Very cool!

Thanks!

Here is a photo taken today:
http://tinyurl.com/m3t524

Here is a recent night photo.

This is a July 2009 close-up photo.

I just watched the sci-fi/fantasy/adventure/comedy "The Ice Pirates" and was interested to see the Los Angeles standing in as the lair for a group of Amazon women. There's a scene played on the lobby stairs leading up to the crystal fountain, and another down in the ballroom.

Here is an ad for "City Lights".

This was a "mystery theater" on the THSA site. They have now identified it as the Los Angeles in 1931:
http://tinyurl.com/mt2bd6

Is that the refreshments room just off the ballroom?

This is the information on the site:
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/gl-mystr.html

Why didn't you just link to the THSA site in the first place?

Here is a photo circa 1931:
http://tinyurl.com/m9m4s6

Here is an undated photo from the USC archives. The jumper has not made it to the ground quite yet.
http://tinyurl.com/n7xkqf

Ken, that is quite an interesting image. The Los Angeles' sign is still in that alley as shown in the photo (I've got a recent picture of it somewhere, I can't recall if someone has posted one or not). That alley has got to be one of the filthiest places in downtown.

That picture from ken mc's post from Aug 23rd 2009 is of the former restaurant in the lower lobby of the Los Angeles Theatre. That space later became a screening room for Metropolitan theatres in the 60's.