Hollywood Theatre
6764 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6764 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
27 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox West Coast Theatres, Mann Theatres
Architects: Clifford A. Balch, Claud Beelman, Walter E. Erkes, John P. Krempel, Simeon Charles Lee
Firms: Krempel & Erkes
Styles: Art Deco, Romanesque Revival, Streamline Moderne
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- May 23, 2012 — Celebrating the Original STAR WARS on its 35th Anniversary
- Sep 1, 2004 — The Movie Palace Series: Gallery (Part One)
The former Hollywood Theatre was opened on December 20, 1913 as a silent movie palace in the rapidly emerging Hollywood Theater district. It was designed in a Romanesque style, by architectural firm Krempel & Erkes (John P. Krempel & Walter E. Erkes). The façade had glazed brick. The lobby was in marble tile and the auditorium was decorated with Corinthian columns and a coffered ceiling. In September 1923, a Wurlitzer organ, Opus 697 was installed.
The Hollywood Theatre was first remodeled in 1927. By June 1938 it was operated by Fox West Coast Theatres and they employed architects Claud Beelman and Clifford A. Balch to design a new Art Deco & Moderne style interior, and the neon marquee we see today was added, designed by S. Charles Lee. It was one of the first to be installed with angled side panels to catch the eyes of passing motorists.
After decades of showing movies, the seedy, dilapidated state of Hollywood Boulevard doomed the theatre and it was closed by Mann’s Theatres in 1992. It was converted in the mid-1990’s into a venue for the Guinness Book of World Records, which closed in early-2024.
The marquee was always the best element of the theatre, and it has been saved and integrated into the building’s current façade.
Fox West Coast Theatres, which ran the Hollywood for many years as a second run move-over house for the Chinese Theatre down the street, used the same design when it built the Granada Theatre in Wilmington, CA.
Contributed by
William Gabel, Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 99 comments)
Dave James, the manager of the Hollywood Theatre during the 70’s is second from the right in the above photo. I worked a couple of matinees at the Hollywood while I was working the evening showing of Fiddler on The Roof at the Fox Wilshire. Talk about a study in opposites. Working the Hollywood at any time of the day was anything but dull.
Anyone out there remember John Stark, Donna Perrot or Sandy Binkley? John was kind of a dork, but I’ve remained good friends with Donna and Sandy over the years. Sadly, Dave James committed suicide in the eighties.
Architect Beelman spelled his first name in the English style, without an “e” on the end: Claud.
When star wars moved over to this theater two weeks after its run at the chinese 40 years ago this past thursday, it had to be renovated and retrofitted with 70mm dolby stereo while the chinese showed Sorcerer. Star Wars stayed at this theater until August 3rd, 1977, when it returned to the chinese with a lavish ceremony. What movie played in its place?
moviebuff82: “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger” replaced “Star Wars” at this theater on August 3rd, 1977.
Forty years ago today, the Hollywood zone booking of “Star Wars” was forced out (no pun intended) of Mann’s Chinese Theater because of a previously-scheduled booking (“Sorcerer”) and moved over to this theater, where it played temporarily for six weeks before returning to the Chinese.
I saw the trailer for sinbad. Speaking of eye of the tiger, did rocky III play here?
The Guinness Museum closed a few months ago and the interior is currently undergoing a significant remodel (looked to be stripped down to the framework). While some listings have it classified as temporarily closed, the owners (same family that runs the Hollywood Wax Museum) have taken down the Guinness Museum website and removed all references to the attraction from their existing website. Whether they are planning to relaunch a new Guinness Museum or looking to create a different attraction is unknown (I believe the family also owns the property).
The family that owns the Hollywood Theatre is missing out on all the tourists in Hollywood $$$$ Turn It back into a GRINDHOUSE show old classic triple bill movies with plenty of B movie trailers candy snack ads cartoons ect. Put back the curtains and hire old crabby ushers and box office help. Bring back all the refreshment treats. Open the Hollywood Theatre 24/7 on the weekends. The seats will be filled with tourists, street sleaze to give the place some color along with sleepovers. Bring back the GRINDHOUSE movie experience.
Looks like the new train K line will be coming into Hollywood in the near future and hook up with the Hollywood & Highland Red line station. So long Fox West Coast Hollywood Theatre across the street. Seems they need the space for the new larger rail station. While the old Hollywood Theatre has not been used for many years as a movie theatre and the inside has been changed for other entertainment the classic neon sign and marquee still live on. They use the front for digital advertising these days. If the train people tear down this Hollywood landmark at least we hope they can save the classic popular still working flashing neon marquee and blade sign and put It intact on the outside of the new larger train station. I remember as a kid seeing the combo Jerry Lewis movies ‘The Bellboy’ along with ‘Cinderfella’ at the Fox West Coast Hollywood Theatre. The Hollywood area is very under screened but you will probably never see this former cinema open again showing movies. Maybe they can re open It for a few months and show the movie ‘Silver Streak’ or ‘Bullet Train’ for the visiting tourists before they demolish the building.
The station entrance may not end up affecting the theatre. They are proposing two possible options. Option one would be the southeast corner of Hollywood and Highland, resulting in the current Ripley’s museum and the theatre property being affected. Option two would be the southwest corner, affecting the current souvenir shop and rear parking lot area. Option two would involve less demolition/disruption and afford the use of the large open lot running behind the blvd properties for construction equipment (option two makes far more sense, but civic projects aren’t always driven by common sense).