Ken, the two 1982 American Classic Images you linked to show a pole with a flourish on top sticking out of the center portion of the marquee. It’s not in the 81 or 83 photos. I wonder if it was something related to “Chariots of Fire,” the movie they were showing when those shots were taken… maybe an Olympic torch??
Considering that it’s a 99 seat theater, that screen size is probably not too bad in there. What I can’t figure out, reading the posts here and on their page, is how much of the old building survived. Also, is the facade a recreation of the building’s original look?
Re: GR8B comment, “No screen — full performing arts theater.” I went by today and they are advertising a Fall Film Festival. Their website says the facility is “ideal for… classic movie screenings.”
Should the Covina Center for the Performing Arts, like the ImaginAsian that replaced the Linda Lea, get its own page?
Back in 2003, Harry Lime wrote about another El Capitan theater in Hollywood: “The Hollywood Playhouse (1927 – 1945), located at 1735 North Vine Street, recently The Palace and now The Avalon Theatre (a Clear Channel operation), was formerly the El Capitan, and the Jerry Lewis Theatre.”
Does this not have a page here? I’ve been searching on the various names (and checking “previous names”) and can’t seem to find it.
A big question at yesterday’s All About: where exactly was the fountain with the electric eye? No one can seem to find a photograph showing it. We also examined all the nooks and crannies, trying to figure it out, with no luck.
The renovation is planned to take part in 3 stages. The first involves the entrance/lobby, the second covers the auditorium, the last would involve removing everything beyond the proscenium and creating an entirely new structure that would include dressing rooms and support space. The projected completion date is now 2012.
Doors open at 10 a.m. this Saturday. Here’s an idea of what to expect:
10:00 â€" Doors open â€" register guests
PowerPoint onscreen – LA’s Historic Theatres â€" as guests arrive
10:30 â€" Program Begins in Auditorium
Welcome â€" LAHTF, DCA, & guests
Save the Fairfax â€" Friends of the Fairfax
How the tour works
PowerPoint history by Ed Kelsey of the Leimert/Vision and neighborhood
PowerPoint from design team of Vision’s future
Q&A
Review neighborhood dining & shopping options
Theatre Tour â€"
(self guided, with docents in place to point out areas of interest and historic detail)
12:30-1:00 â€" tour ends â€"
I just heard from Ed Kelsey, who gives the history presentations for the LAHTF’s “All About” tours. He said he has a 1967 photo of the theater which shows the tower intact; he believes it was removed in the early 1970s as a result of the San Fernando quake. If he finds a more precise date in his files, I will post it here.
Just took another look at that Wikipedia page. As well as giving an incorrect date for the removal of the tower top, it repeats that business about the Tower being the location of a sneak preview of “The Jazz Singer,” which others here have given evidence as being untrue.
Anybody up for a tour of this theater and a presentation on its history? The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation will be holding an “All About…” at the Leimert/Vision Theater on October 17th. Keep an eye here for more details, check in at www.lahtf.org, or join us on Facebook.
The barriers and scaffolding are now down (looks like we’re stuck with the indifferent color). The glass is in place, and you can see into the building where they are still working. The marquee still needs to be cleaned up, however.
The LA Historic Theatre Foundation will be restarting its popular “All About…” series this Saturday, Sept 26. Meet at the Million Dollar (doors open at 10:30, presentation starts at 11), then tour the Million Dollar and Globe/Morosco Theaters. It’s free! See you there.
The LA Historic Theatre Foundation will be presenting some historical background on the Broadway theaters, plus a tour of not only the Million Dollar, but also the Morosco (Globe). Saturday, Sept 26th, doors open at 10:30, presentation starts at 11. See you there!
For a while it operated solely as a movie theater, but now it has embraced all its former functions for the community. So the theater has apparently lost some space.
It was closed (and supposedly boarded up) the whole time I was in Key West, but I distinctly remember walking past and the front door ajar. Can’t recall if I poked my head inside or not. I remember being curious about the place, but the people hanging around were less than reputable. Key West was like that…
Thanks for that link to the Movies Made in Key West site. I also remember Capt Tony giving out posters for “Key West Crossing” in his bar. This would have been late 78, early 79. I looked for it, but never saw the movie come out.
The terrazzo is back in place, and the entire building has been painted a color somewhere between grey and mint green. Since the scaffolding is still up in front, I’m hoping this is just a primer layer or something. But I don’t have high hopes. The insets above the retail spaces on either side of the marquee have some details painted in more normal shades of green.
And here I thought they put the trees up in front of Studs (the former Tomcat, the former Pussycat) on Santa Monica Blvd to block the marquee with its silly gay porn titles… It seems cities everywhere have something against theater marquees.
Scott, AMC 7 presently has 2167 seats. The expansion plans, which apparently include parking structure 3, would double that. If the Broadway 4 closes, they lose 1049 seats.
Ken MC, Benetton took over Midnight Special’s place on the Promenade, and MS didn’t close — they moved over to 2nd Street. But it took them several months to reopen, and the financial strain wiped them out.
The impression that I get from the Bayside District Corp is that they are not pro-competition. They seem to stack the deck to favor certain businesses, particularly the big, national chains. Pretty much all of the small, locally-owned businesses have been driven off 3rd Street.
And from what I hear, the city is going to go ahead and raise parking rates…
Scott, to answer your question (nearly two years later!) as someone who has gone to all of these theaters many times — the insides of all of the 3rd St Promenade theaters are fairly recent (90s era) and so are pretty plain. That’s why I’ve never bothered to take any photos inside them. I can’t speak for others.
The link above has gone bad. Here’s the image:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics18/00028729.jpg
and the info:
View link
Ken, the two 1982 American Classic Images you linked to show a pole with a flourish on top sticking out of the center portion of the marquee. It’s not in the 81 or 83 photos. I wonder if it was something related to “Chariots of Fire,” the movie they were showing when those shots were taken… maybe an Olympic torch??
Want to help save the GG? Have personal history with this gem that you’d like to share? Want to see any changes made to the building be reversible?
Write your support for the sensitive adaptive re-use of the Golden Gate ASAP. The Planning Commission is meeting TOMORROW.
Address your email to: .gov, .gov, and
Considering that it’s a 99 seat theater, that screen size is probably not too bad in there. What I can’t figure out, reading the posts here and on their page, is how much of the old building survived. Also, is the facade a recreation of the building’s original look?
Re: GR8B comment, “No screen — full performing arts theater.” I went by today and they are advertising a Fall Film Festival. Their website says the facility is “ideal for… classic movie screenings.”
Should the Covina Center for the Performing Arts, like the ImaginAsian that replaced the Linda Lea, get its own page?
Back in 2003, Harry Lime wrote about another El Capitan theater in Hollywood: “The Hollywood Playhouse (1927 – 1945), located at 1735 North Vine Street, recently The Palace and now The Avalon Theatre (a Clear Channel operation), was formerly the El Capitan, and the Jerry Lewis Theatre.”
Does this not have a page here? I’ve been searching on the various names (and checking “previous names”) and can’t seem to find it.
A big question at yesterday’s All About: where exactly was the fountain with the electric eye? No one can seem to find a photograph showing it. We also examined all the nooks and crannies, trying to figure it out, with no luck.
The renovation is planned to take part in 3 stages. The first involves the entrance/lobby, the second covers the auditorium, the last would involve removing everything beyond the proscenium and creating an entirely new structure that would include dressing rooms and support space. The projected completion date is now 2012.
Word is that Crenshaw Blvd will be closed tomorrow between MLK and Rodeo for a street festival.
www.tasteofsoulla.com
Be prepared with an alternate route!
Doors open at 10 a.m. this Saturday. Here’s an idea of what to expect:
10:00 â€" Doors open â€" register guests
PowerPoint onscreen – LA’s Historic Theatres â€" as guests arrive
10:30 â€" Program Begins in Auditorium
Welcome â€" LAHTF, DCA, & guests
Save the Fairfax â€" Friends of the Fairfax
How the tour works
PowerPoint history by Ed Kelsey of the Leimert/Vision and neighborhood
PowerPoint from design team of Vision’s future
Q&A
Review neighborhood dining & shopping options
Theatre Tour â€"
(self guided, with docents in place to point out areas of interest and historic detail)
12:30-1:00 â€" tour ends â€"
I just heard from Ed Kelsey, who gives the history presentations for the LAHTF’s “All About” tours. He said he has a 1967 photo of the theater which shows the tower intact; he believes it was removed in the early 1970s as a result of the San Fernando quake. If he finds a more precise date in his files, I will post it here.
Just took another look at that Wikipedia page. As well as giving an incorrect date for the removal of the tower top, it repeats that business about the Tower being the location of a sneak preview of “The Jazz Singer,” which others here have given evidence as being untrue.
Good question, DB. The top is also visible in the (circa) 1942 shot at the top of the page, and the 1938 shot posted on 2/3/07.
Anybody up for a tour of this theater and a presentation on its history? The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation will be holding an “All About…” at the Leimert/Vision Theater on October 17th. Keep an eye here for more details, check in at www.lahtf.org, or join us on Facebook.
The new marquee is up and is a pleasant surprise. I went by last night expecting back-lit plastic, and instead I saw neon. They’ve done a great job.
The barriers and scaffolding are now down (looks like we’re stuck with the indifferent color). The glass is in place, and you can see into the building where they are still working. The marquee still needs to be cleaned up, however.
Wendell is the man!
The original architect is named in my first post.
The LA Historic Theatre Foundation will be restarting its popular “All About…” series this Saturday, Sept 26. Meet at the Million Dollar (doors open at 10:30, presentation starts at 11), then tour the Million Dollar and Globe/Morosco Theaters. It’s free! See you there.
The LA Historic Theatre Foundation will be presenting some historical background on the Broadway theaters, plus a tour of not only the Million Dollar, but also the Morosco (Globe). Saturday, Sept 26th, doors open at 10:30, presentation starts at 11. See you there!
For a while it operated solely as a movie theater, but now it has embraced all its former functions for the community. So the theater has apparently lost some space.
It was closed (and supposedly boarded up) the whole time I was in Key West, but I distinctly remember walking past and the front door ajar. Can’t recall if I poked my head inside or not. I remember being curious about the place, but the people hanging around were less than reputable. Key West was like that…
Thanks for that link to the Movies Made in Key West site. I also remember Capt Tony giving out posters for “Key West Crossing” in his bar. This would have been late 78, early 79. I looked for it, but never saw the movie come out.
The terrazzo is back in place, and the entire building has been painted a color somewhere between grey and mint green. Since the scaffolding is still up in front, I’m hoping this is just a primer layer or something. But I don’t have high hopes. The insets above the retail spaces on either side of the marquee have some details painted in more normal shades of green.
And here I thought they put the trees up in front of Studs (the former Tomcat, the former Pussycat) on Santa Monica Blvd to block the marquee with its silly gay porn titles… It seems cities everywhere have something against theater marquees.
Sorry, 2167 is the number of added seats. 2100 is the number the AMC 7 supposedly has now.
Scott, AMC 7 presently has 2167 seats. The expansion plans, which apparently include parking structure 3, would double that. If the Broadway 4 closes, they lose 1049 seats.
Ken MC, Benetton took over Midnight Special’s place on the Promenade, and MS didn’t close — they moved over to 2nd Street. But it took them several months to reopen, and the financial strain wiped them out.
The impression that I get from the Bayside District Corp is that they are not pro-competition. They seem to stack the deck to favor certain businesses, particularly the big, national chains. Pretty much all of the small, locally-owned businesses have been driven off 3rd Street.
And from what I hear, the city is going to go ahead and raise parking rates…
Scott, to answer your question (nearly two years later!) as someone who has gone to all of these theaters many times — the insides of all of the 3rd St Promenade theaters are fairly recent (90s era) and so are pretty plain. That’s why I’ve never bothered to take any photos inside them. I can’t speak for others.