During the 60’s and 70’s I loved going to Los Angeles movie palaces in the downtown city center. Back then there was only three ways to get to these theatres, by bus, car or walking. I took the bus or walked since I lived only a couple miles away and I didn’t own a car. Now with several metro rail and commuter rail lines going into the city people don’t have to drive, they can take the subway or light rail instead and with tens of thousand of new residential units with thousands more under construction the Los Angeles city center will have a population big enough to support these theatres along with many others who will be coming in from outside the city using the metro rail system.
Nothing beats Grauman’s Chinese theatre in Los Angeles which has more movie premiere’s than any other theatre in Los Angeles. Honorable mention goes to the completely renovated downtown Orpheum theatre on Broadway and the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Blvd.
In June 1977 I visited my cousins who had moved from Los Angeles to the Frisco Bay Area a year earlier. They wanted to see Star Wars. Although I had already seen it in Los Angeles in 70mm a few dozen times I wanted to see it again so I took them to a theatre in San Jose that was showing it. As expected the Star Wars phenomenon hit the Frisco area with a lot of force. As we waited in line for the second showing we watched as the first group was let out of the theatre. Every person leaving the theatre laughed and smiled as they talked about what they had just seen.
To me present day trailers are dull. Trailers of the past (pre-1964) built up the movie in a sensational way with exciting narration and effects. These trailers are truly classics. One of the joys of seeing old movies on DVD is seeing these classic trailers that are included. Some DVD’s include more than one classic trailer. Trailer makers of today could learn a thing or two from these classics.
Very good article Michael. Keep ‘em coming. Here’s a link to one of the best site’s I ever found about Los Angeles. Within the main home page are links (in the table of contents) that will take you to pages about the direction the “downtown city center” and the “movie palaces of the Broadway theatre and shopping district” are headed. Three local guys co-author this site. http://www.geocities.com/los_angeles_coast/
A high rise office building was later built on the old Hollywood hotel site east of Grauman’s Chinese and for many years until it’s demolition in the late 90’s sported a huge roof top sign that read FRIES ENTERTAINMENT.
In 1978 there was a story in the Downtown Los Angeles News about a construction company that had difficulties breaking up these huge bell shaped concrete foundation casings that were found fifty feet down after digging up a parking lot so that an office tower could be built on the site. The concrete casings were finally blasted apart with explosives. Could that have been the former site of the Paramount theatre or was it the former site of the Sunkist building on West 5th at Flower? I’m confusing the two locations because both were being developed at the same time and it happened so long ago.
Thank you Minnieseesaw for sharing the realities of operating a “discount” theatre in today’s world. It is a risky business to be sure but with careful planning and good marketing it can be a successful business venture.
Greg thanks for the update as a good many of us are waiting for this historic theatre to re-open.
While visiting a friend who had moved down to Arizona it was great to sit inside a cool theatre and out of that hot Arizona heat.
During the 60’s and 70’s I loved going to Los Angeles movie palaces in the downtown city center. Back then there was only three ways to get to these theatres, by bus, car or walking. I took the bus or walked since I lived only a couple miles away and I didn’t own a car. Now with several metro rail and commuter rail lines going into the city people don’t have to drive, they can take the subway or light rail instead and with tens of thousand of new residential units with thousands more under construction the Los Angeles city center will have a population big enough to support these theatres along with many others who will be coming in from outside the city using the metro rail system.
Nothing beats Grauman’s Chinese theatre in Los Angeles which has more movie premiere’s than any other theatre in Los Angeles. Honorable mention goes to the completely renovated downtown Orpheum theatre on Broadway and the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Blvd.
Only in Los Angeles!
In June 1977 I visited my cousins who had moved from Los Angeles to the Frisco Bay Area a year earlier. They wanted to see Star Wars. Although I had already seen it in Los Angeles in 70mm a few dozen times I wanted to see it again so I took them to a theatre in San Jose that was showing it. As expected the Star Wars phenomenon hit the Frisco area with a lot of force. As we waited in line for the second showing we watched as the first group was let out of the theatre. Every person leaving the theatre laughed and smiled as they talked about what they had just seen.
To me present day trailers are dull. Trailers of the past (pre-1964) built up the movie in a sensational way with exciting narration and effects. These trailers are truly classics. One of the joys of seeing old movies on DVD is seeing these classic trailers that are included. Some DVD’s include more than one classic trailer. Trailer makers of today could learn a thing or two from these classics.
Very good article Michael. Keep ‘em coming. Here’s a link to one of the best site’s I ever found about Los Angeles. Within the main home page are links (in the table of contents) that will take you to pages about the direction the “downtown city center” and the “movie palaces of the Broadway theatre and shopping district” are headed. Three local guys co-author this site. http://www.geocities.com/los_angeles_coast/
Theatres should be eliminating ads, not enhancing them. Just who’s stupid idea was this anyway?
A high rise office building was later built on the old Hollywood hotel site east of Grauman’s Chinese and for many years until it’s demolition in the late 90’s sported a huge roof top sign that read FRIES ENTERTAINMENT.
This theatre reeks of body fluid stench in the back row.
In 1978 there was a story in the Downtown Los Angeles News about a construction company that had difficulties breaking up these huge bell shaped concrete foundation casings that were found fifty feet down after digging up a parking lot so that an office tower could be built on the site. The concrete casings were finally blasted apart with explosives. Could that have been the former site of the Paramount theatre or was it the former site of the Sunkist building on West 5th at Flower? I’m confusing the two locations because both were being developed at the same time and it happened so long ago.
Thank you Minnieseesaw for sharing the realities of operating a “discount” theatre in today’s world. It is a risky business to be sure but with careful planning and good marketing it can be a successful business venture.
I don’t think so. As I remember it the building was much closer to PCH.
The top two theatres in Los Angeles that presents 70MM the way it should be shown, Grauman’s Chinese and the Dome.