Pacific 1-2-3
6433 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6433 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
60 people
favorited this theater
Showing 126 - 150 of 394 comments
John
Although I trained with Jack at the Hollywood Pacific, it wasn’t long before I was “committed” to the Wiltern shortly after Keith Devereaux and the nasty boiler fire. Al Young was District Manager. A number of years ago I was one of two candidates for Manager of the soon-to-open Disney El Capitan Theatre. During the interview process, I learned that the manager of the Lakewood Center (I’ve forgotten her name) during that time was still with Pacific in the home office. She opened the Lakewood right after it was divided – I remember working the opening. I think her first name was Terry.
Forgive me Jack for not calling you all summer long! I’ll do it soon.
Jack,
Great to hear from you. I was the manager of the LaMirada when you were at the Hollywood Pacific. I eventually became district manager for Hollywood. You mentioned Carol Burnett. Last year. we gave her one of the wooden hand painted auditorium doors for her home media room. Its the door she got fired in front of. The theatre is still in remarkably good shape although it would take a lot of money to bring it back. Great hearing from you. I think the only Pacific people left from your time are Jay Swerdlow and myself.
John Sittig
JACK!!! I do remember the goatee, the Bent Flashlight Award, and a lot more. I think I know how to reach you and Don by phone, and I’ll try. My day is made! And once again, I can thank this theatre for another great life experience!
What a great web site. It is great to read all of the memories from people who loved this theatre. Jack Tate here! Manager in the mid 70’s. Steve, we (Don & I) are still in New Hampshire, New London to be exact. We are now connected to the New London Barn Playhouse (the oldest continuously operating summer stock theatre in New Hampshire) We never made it to Colorado, but still talk about moving there when we “retire”.
Do you remember during the first “Rocky”, Sylvester Stallone coming by the theatre to check on audience reaction. He had the studio make him a fake goatee (to match mine at the time) so that he could come and go and not be recognized?
I also remember the day we put Carol Burnett’s star in the walk of fame and presented her with the “Bent Flashlight Award”.
Those were all great times.
Jack
Marjorie may have mostly spoken with managers and the ubiquotous Erne DelPonte. Yes, Ernie was short, portly and could be funny in a campy sort of way. He was a huge movie minutia hound. When Pacific decided to triplex the house, they sold-off all the old lobby furniture – grand old items fit for a castle. Ernie got first pick. Yes, that box office was small – it was constructed for a “grind” policy where patrons came and went all day long. If you had to “sell” the house with the two windows it had… well, you couldn’t. The safe was incredibly small, remember? Jack straightened every bill so that it took as little space as possible so he could get enough cash in there to go through the evening. Remember how the window air conditioner just above the safe used to clog with lint from paper currency? I remember Holly quite well. She was a lovely and competent young girl. I wish I remembered John. Did he work the door or snack bar?
Steve
Don’t remember Marjorie Main but I also worked the very fancy tiny ticket office way out there almost on the sidewalk. When Jack came in to switch tills it was a little small in there. There was a regular ticket girl named Holly who usually worked the booth. Since the Pacific and Pantages were owned by the same company I had to walk down the street once or twice and fill in there, probably because of a big opening or something. Was Ernie short, portly and funny? I might remember him. The name is familiar. I’d like to find John McGuire. He was an aspiring actor. (of course) Nice to know about the organ. Pretty dramatic it must have been.
I was hired by Walk-in General Manager Harold Citron an assistant manager to Jack Tate in 1972. I was also a long-term member of the American Theatre Organ Society (later, President). I too remember the 4-manual 28-rank Marr & Colton theatre pipe organ.
Do you remember doorman Ernie DelPonte? How about Marjorie Maine’s daily noon chats by the box office?
Jack came to Pacific from Denver, CO sometime in the 1960s I believe. He and his partner Don Boxwell were both theatre managers – Don at the Academy in Pasadena. Jack spent time at the Pantages before moving on to the Picwood for its massive redecoration. He then assumed the position of Managing Director at the Hollywood Pacific (one of the last such positions). Jack and Don owned a wonderful Victorian in Pasadena they were restoring. I believe Jack left Pacific just before the triplexing to open an antique store in New Hampshire with Don. I corresponded with them for years, until they moved back to their native Denver, where I lost track of both.
Does anyone know where they are now?
Yes, at one time the organ at the Warner would rise out of the pit. And yes the usherette uniforms were Orange and Blue at that time. Later they became orange and brown during the 80’s. (In the 80’s the men’s were brown usher usher jackets with tan pants.) I remember Jack at the Hollywood Pacific, I think he was at the Picwood for a short time before the Hollywood Pacific.
I worked at the Hollywood Pacific about 1974 as a “candy girl” and usherette. Jack Tate was my manager. It was one of my very first jobs but I never forgot him or his name. He was dapper and professional. And a nice person. My uniform was I think was an orange and (blue?) dress made of that awful polyester stuff most uniforms were made of then. I worked with two ushers I remember; one a slender,lovely usher named Hal and a sweet guy named John McGuire.
Hal and I sneaked down to see the old organ which I remember being attached to a hydraulic pole that in the old days made it rise to the stage level. Does anyone know if it really did this? It was spooky down there, and also behind the stage where you could see all the ropes and pulleys still hanging. The whole theater was a little
spooky. “Jesus Christ Superstar” ran forever and ever, it seemed. Hal and I had all the songs memorized. “I don’t know how to lo-ove him”… Hoo boy.
Yes, Palm, trees would make a lot more sense. Not only are they more “hollywood”, they are also not as invasive to sidewalks, and if pushed up a marquee, it’s leaves are above it, so they don’t block!
With the 3 bulb street lights, you were supposed to see Hollywood Boulevard from space. I figured with the energy cost, that is the reason the 3 bulb lights were taken away. Too bad, they could of changed the bulbs and made them more efficient.
I love trees, and think they look great on Hollywooed Blvd, rtrimmed or natural….but they don’t belong pushed up against either side of a theater marquee!!
Whilst I love trees, I believe the don’t belong on Hollywood Blvd. I say cut out the trees. If you need something green on Blvd, put in plastic trees. Hey, this is Hollywood, not Yellstone!
How many recent views can you possible show?
When I ran the Hollywood Pacific and other theatres on Hollywood Boulevard all the trees were maintained well along the blvd. The last time I was there it looked so bad that they have let them get that bad.
When I lived there in 1981, those nasty trees were all trimmed in a cone shape and well cared for, the whole length of the Boulevard, Graumans to the Pantages, and past to the east.
When I was there in 2001, they looked as if they had not seen a trim in 20 years, it was a sad look for the Boulevard. In fornt of the Pacific and Fox. Shabby and overgrown. The Vouge marquee was mostly hidden behind a large over growth.
There’s those ridiculous trees in front of the marquee again! What were those tree plansters thinking!
Happy Birthday to the Warner Bros. Hollywood Theater, many happy returns, and let’s hope she will be opened to the public again, eventually!
On This Date, April 26, 1928, 80 Years Ago Today, The Warner Bros. Hollywood Theater Opened Its Doors For Business.
I know that civic and cultural groups responsible for local signage can’t be expected to have expert knowledge of cinematic history or effective usage of punctuation. Nevertheless, the term “Warner Pacific Theatre” in the photos just posted by hollywood90038 strikes me as bizarre.
This venue has had several names over the years, but Warner Pacific wasn’t one of them!
Does anyone have pictures of other places/offices in the building? The dressing rooms, Jack Warners office, screening rooms, the radio station (does this room/office still exist?), etc. Still hoping I could win the lottery and invest in the restoration of the theatre!!
Here is an interesting view from the LA Times site. The photo is from 2004:
http://tinyurl.com/5fg2ag
Thank you so much Ken for posting all these photos you did on all the theaters you did yesterday.
Thanks. I wasn’t around in the glory days, so is the best I can do.
Not living in Hollywood any longer, I appreciate any (current, past) photos. Thank you !!