Warner Beverly Hills Theater
9404 Wilshire Boulevard,
Beverly Hills,
CA
90212
9404 Wilshire Boulevard,
Beverly Hills,
CA
90212
14 people
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Designed B. Marcus Priteca in the early 1930’s, the Warner Beverley Hills Theatre was a medium sized theater, designed after its sisters in Huntington Park and San Pedro. This theater, like the other two other theatres, the Hollywood Pantages Theatre and the Warner Wiltern Theatre, are outstanding examples of what Art Deco style can be.
With changing times and audiences & neighborhoods, the large Beverly Hills theaters would soon become parking lots, banks, and office buildings. The only theater to be saved was the Wilshire Theatre.
A few years ago when the restored “Lawrence of Arabia” was having its special reissue premiere in Los Angeles, the Warner Theatre was being torn down. Ironically, the Warner Theatre was the site of the original LA premiere for the film.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 79 comments)
Only two or three had the horizontal VistaVision projectors. The Warner Beverly Hills, Radio City Music Hall and Paramount Times Square. Radio City’s were there only for White Christmas engagement.
White Christmas and Strategic Air Command were both projected horizontally, but the other VistaVision films were projected the standard vertical way.
A legendary streetcar comes to Beverly Hills: British Pathe
Curiously, the first arrivals shown in the newsreel of the “Streetcar Named Desire” premiere are Mary Pickford and husband Charles “Buddy” Rogers, but their names go unannounced. Did the commentator fail to recognize the legendary “America’s Sweetheart?”
What was the Beverly Hills theatre on Wilshire Blvd Pacific operated during the 1970’s? I used to go to it when my Mom worked at Robinson’s Beverly Hills. They had first run showings and often played films the same time as Westwood.
During the early 70’s it usually had exclusive engagements (Mary, Queen of Scots, Travels with My Aunt, Amarcord)or exclusive reissues (The Sound of Music and Gone with the Wind). Westwood and Hollywood would share first runs, not Beverly Hills.
@William: The Paramount Hollywood was also equipped with Sidewinders for VistaVision (per Morry Lauterman, who ran the theater at the time).
BobSe, So those were the only two in Los Angeles.
Click here for an exterior view of the Stanley Warner Theatre circa 1963. “Lawrence of Arabia” on the marquee.
How incredibly sad to see those pictures of the demolition of this theater. I went here a number of times (2001, Wild in the Streets, Gone With The Wind), and loved sitting in that auditorium. I used to go to the movies 3 or 4 times a week; now, the last time I went was Thanksgiving weekend of 1996. The megaplexes offer nothing but overpriced tickets, noisy people, and concession stands that should have a financial aid option.
Moviemanforever, “1996?” It was demolished 1988.