Tiffany Theater
8534 W. Sunset Boulevard,
West Hollywood,
CA
90069
8534 W. Sunset Boulevard,
West Hollywood,
CA
90069
15 people
favorited this theater
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Hehe, I saw Rocky Horror in June 1982 for my b-day! Imagine a bunch of pre-teens standing on Sunset at midnight, throwing dry rice at passing by cars, lol.
Were you at Rocky Horror when I was there ‘78-80?
What a party!
I attended the Tiffany regulary for ROCLY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, and other features,got some good memories there,, sitting in the 3rd row CENTER, for A STAR IS BORN 76, it was right in my face, and the sound was wonderful. The Tiffany was my fav place away from Hollywood Blvd.
Sinclair: When Edd Byrnes (Kookie) of the TV show 77 Sunset Strip came to the Tiffany in the late ‘70s I asked him about shooting the recurring show opening using the Tiffany lobby door. He looked around, and said “yeah!” At the time, Dino’s was named 'Chez Denis.'
I was manager 1978 – 1980. When did you work there?
I left New York and the Bleecker Street Cinema in 1977, and my first job in California was manager of the Tiffany Theatre. My first day was a late August Friday, with art films in the evening; and Rocky Horror at midnight and 2AM. I’d been feeling not great, but I put it down to nerves starting a new job.
Right at midnight, just as they were about to open the doors to the Rocky Horror crowd, I fainted in the middle of the lobby! It turns out that I had the flu, and some people from the Tiffany staff [bless you Jim Bennett and Mary Whiteley] took me to the ER.
They thought Rocky Horror was too much for me— but I returned 2
days later, and managed the Tiffany til spring, 1980.
Rocky Horror was my life…
I remember attending The Rocky Horror Picture Show from 81-83 and it has great memories for me growing up there.
How many people remember that 77 Sunset Strip opener with the door on the immediate left side of the theater being where Efram Zimabalist Jr would walk over to the driveway to Dino’s?
The Tiffany. I had the opportunity to be a non-union projectionist there for such events as the American Film Market, showing such mega-hits as “Rotweiller” in 3D. Many 3D films played here because of the near-flat projection onto the screen, something valuable for really good 3D. Doing weapons checks during the runs of Rocky Horror Picture Show – a cherished memory. Having to stop the film (a ragged mess after years of cinematic abuse) whenever the audience got a bit too High School with their antics, which should be noted as the income that allowed this place to stay afloat for quite some time. Yes, stars would occasionaly come by to view – and complain vociferously over what? to owner Tom Cooper. New prints some times did arrive, like a spanking brand new copy of the The Robe. But sometimes, something like that caused a ruckus, like the arrival of “Treasure of the Four Crowns” during said Film Market – put into the projector wrong (and not by this hand), it made producer/star Gene Quitano understandably apoplectic, instantly sending the first reel back to a befuddled lab, which could only return the film wondering what the…. I put this same first reel on after the fact (to an empty house but for Mr Quitano, so he would be sure this was an ok print after all) and, Voila! – perfect 3D! After many years of working with the mentally challenged, I was barely ready for this job. It was wonderful.
The Tiffany has been refurbished as the Sunset Millenium and is currently occupied by the Actors Studio. A combination of readings and original productions are showing. Contributing artists have included Martin Landau, Mark Rydell, Charlie Robinson, Ralph Waite, Sandra Locke, William Devane, John Rubenstien, George Furth, Jeffery Hayden, Lyle Kessler, Virgina Newcomb, Danny Truxaw, etc.
They still have performances scheduled through November.
Developer Donates Temporary Use of Tiffany Theater
to the Legendary Actors Studio
WEST HOLLYWOODâ€"The legendary Actors Studio has opened a new performance space thanks to the generosity of Apollo Real Estate Advisors, developer of the proposed Sunset Millennium project.
Apollo is donating the temporary use of the Tiffany Theater, which is located on the proposed site of the mixed-use development, and has refurbished the interior and exterior of the building. The Actors Studio at Sunset Millennium opened on July 4 with a staged reading of Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys†starring Mark Rydell and Martin Landau.
“We are pleased to make it possible for the Actors Studio to use this space for a temporary period of time,†said Richard Ackerman, principal of Apollo Real Estate Advisors. “It will give them and their members the opportunity to demonstrate their skills to members of the community.â€
The Actors Studio has lined up a full series of programs to celebrate the opening of the performance space, which will operate until the Sunset Millennium project is approved by the city and construction begins.
The first eight weeks will feature readings by other Actors Studio members such as Sally Field, Estelle Parsons, Diane Ladd, Shirley Knight, Tony Franciosa and Barbara Bain in plays to be announced. In addition, Tony Award nominee Calvin Levels will star as James Baldwin in “James Baldwinâ€"Down from the Mountaintop†before taking the play to New York City.
Following that, on Labor Day weekend, award-winning playwright Lyle Kessler, author of “Orphans,†will present the West Coast premiere of his new play “Unlisted.†The next project will be “Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex and Sex,†the new play by Tony Award-winning playwright George Furth, author of “Company.â€
Founded in 1947 in New York City by Elia Kazan, Lee Strasberg and Cheryl Crawford, the Actors Studio is a non-profit theater workshop for professional actors, directors and writers. The Actors Studio in New York is led by co-presidents Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel and Ellen Burstyn. Its West Coast branch has operated out of William S. Hart Park in West Hollywood since 1966 and is led by executive directors Martin Landau and Mark Rydell.
“We are deeply grateful that Apollo Real Estate Advisors is allowing us to use this wonderful space,†said Barbara Bain of the Actors Studio. “It is truly a gift not only to us, but also the people of West Hollywood.â€
A pedestrian-oriented mixed-use development, the Sunset Millennium is proposed for three parcels located at the heart of the Sunset Strip. A prior version of the project that included office, hotel and retail space was approved by the West Hollywood City Council in late 1999. After construction of the first phase, which entailed the renovation of the former Playboy Building into Class A office space and construction of 107,000 square feet of retail space, Apollo reviewed the development in relation to traffic impact, the need for housing in West Hollywood, the real estate market and other factors and decided to build for-sale residential units in the place of office space. A draft environmental impact report on the Sunset Millennium will be released next month, and the City Council is expected to consider the project later this fall. If approved by the city, construction is anticipated to begin early next year.
Apollo Real Estate Advisors was formed in April 1993 as the real estate affiliate of the Apollo organization, a group of companies that has managed in excess of $16 billion in equity since its formation in 1990. Since inception, Apollo has overseen the investment of eight real estate funds, comprising over $4.5 billion of equity, which collectively have invested in more than 210 transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $20 billion.
For more information, call (310) 360-6936.
The words are up on the marquee announcing the play to be premiered there – I’m sure the L.A. Weekly or Times will have some kind of piece on it before long. I’d seen lights on and construction equipment for apparent renovation for the past few weeks but never stopped by to see what was going on. If the Actor’s Studio (a reasonably big deal in the Beverly Hills community) is in there now (their offices are next door to the Tiffany), I doubt there’s any plans for demolishing anything other than a few egos…
That’s a pleasant – and mildly shocking – bit of news. Did all or only part of the redevelopment project which would have resulted in the demolition of the Tiffany fall through?
As of July 4, this theatre (which had been closed for several years), became the new home of the Actor’s Studio. At least they didn’t tear it down!
Before the board ate his comments, moviemanforever said:
“moviemanforever > May 26, 2003 5:23 PM EDT
In the summer of 1971, the Tiffany adopted a policy of showing two films for 49 cents! I went here for the first time to see "Where’s Poppa?” plus “Joe.” A unique element of the Tiffany was the entrance to the auditorium. The entrance was located to the right side of the screen and in the middle of the auditorium. When someone entered the auditorium, there was a walkway that split the rows of seats in half, similar to a concourse in a larger venue. The Tiffany was closed for a number of years, then reopened in 1977 with a
revival policy similar to that of the Fox-Venice and Beverly Cinema. The opening features were “Auntie Mame” and “Gypsy.” The Tiffany was also popular for its midnight showings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which played for several years. I remember the theatre was very clean and the lobby resembled a classy storefront, with lots of glass and extensive lighting.
The Tiffany Theatre is located 8534 Sunset Blvd.