Los Angeles Theatre

I was fortunate enough to be in Los Angeles last weekend (for a family wedding). I got to L.A. on the morning train and walked around Broadway before going to the hotel and I saw that the opera “Manon Lescaut” was going to be playing at the Los Angeles Theatre that night. While the rest of my friends and relatives went out to drink I walked over to the theatre to see if I could get in at the last minute.

The opera was a budget production, but the singing and music were beautiful. The theatre was slam-dunk gorgeous! As usual, photographs do not do it justice. The theatre was very dusty, and had the dank feel of a building that is not used often, but it is still in very good shape. The famous crystal fountain was lit up, and I noticed that the base of the fountain was actually plumbed for water (no water was flowing that night, of course).

I met one of the stagehands after the performance, and he gave me a tour of the theatre before I left.

It would also be good to let your search for photos be known among the city officials at the managerial level; they often have experience locating things in places the public might not know of. For example, here in Milwaukee a lot of exterior photos of theatres were found accidentally when we were told that the city’s bureau of roads and bridges had been photographing intersections and city repair projects and buildings appeared incidentally in the background. The snap shots were not of publishing quality, but any such might serve your purpose, especially if you make it known that you are not interested in publishing rights, and maybe that you will offer a small reward for finding anything (managers and clerks have other duties, so you want to create an incentive for them!) Maybe if you know some people in city and county governments, a little gift (box of chocolates?) might ‘grease’ the way. Another way is if you know a wealthy contractor or businessman who contributes large sums to campaigns who might pose your request to his contacts in government; he might get access to people of power that you might not beven know of.

Insuance companies are another possible source if they had a policy there, and your state insurance commissioner may have a listing of policies registered for that property (be sure to have the Legal Description of the land available as well as the city address!) The Register of Deeds will have your Legal Description and possibly deeds and other documents that might describe the changes made; it would give you some idea.

Also check with your local Stock Photos dealers in the Yellow Pages; they take and buy street scenes all the time, and act as location sources for film crews. With LA often being a background for the studio shoots, contact the companies which do the film location scouting for the filmmakers; they may very well have something, though they may charge to search their files if they do not smell a sale to come of it. Post card publishers also have dozens of street and building scenes — including many never published that you or your agent may have to wade through. Best Wishes.

ken mc: Are the directories in that room on open shelves? It’s possible that they keep the L.A. directories in a closed area, and available only on request, as they’d probably be the most popular, and thus the ones most likely to become damaged or lost if kept on open shelves. Also, a lot of the old reference materials in the library have been put in storage after being made available on microfilm or microfiche. The library’s web site contains a City Directories Index search page, but I haven’t figured out how to use it.

Building and Safety did not have a record of a permit pulled for the change in the North Retail facade. Many of the pre-1960 records are missing for both the Los Angeles and Palace Theatres.

Carey: Though I undoubtedly saw the facade before 1952, I don’t remember what it looked like. My mom tells me that we went to the Los Angeles a couple of times in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, but my only early memories of any downtown theatres are of the Warner Brother’s and the RKO Hillstreet. My first memory of the facade of the Los Angeles is from about 1960.

I don’t remember what retailers were in the north wing storefronts in 1960, but by 1963 I know there was one of those cheap electronics dealers in one of them, because I bought a radio from them. Whatever company had caused the remodeling to be done was probably gone by then. I’ve always suspected that the owners of the building had allowed the remodeling to be done by a tenant- probably some time in the 1940’s, as that plain style of facade was popular with retailers during that decade. An old city directory (many are available at the downtown library) would give the name of the store’s occupant(s) during that time.

I’m glad to hear that you intend to restore the facade. It’s always bothered me that the north and south wings don’t match.

The storefront section of the Los Angeles would look much more appealing if the ornament was restored to its former appearance!

I’ve heard excerpts from the 1884 Manon by Massenet, and the entire 1893 Manon by Puccini, but Auber’s earlier version is so rarely recorded (and almost as rarely performed) that I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much as a single aria from it.

The Lyric Opera company’s ticket prices seem quite reasonable, though. The ten dollar tickets are probably for the second balcony. I’ve only ever been up there once, but I recall the view being fairly decent— in fact, better than the comparable seats in the Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre (though the best seats in the Los Angeles are definitely those in the side sections that extend from the first balcony.) I wish I could get to L.A. for this event. Even if Auber was no Puccini, it would be worth sitting through an archaic, Victorian opera just to see the Los Angeles Theatre in operation again.

The “perfect setting for French opera” is NOT hype! I’ve been twice inside, both for Los Angeles Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats, Thief of Bagdad with orchestra, and From Here to Eternity. This restored theater is one of the most beautiful neoclassic movie palaces ever built. Its opulent design is indeed perfect for opera. If I was living in LA, I’d love to attend. The auditorium looks like it was indeed designed for opera, the Grand Lobby is unforgettable, and the lower lounge neat, too.

This should have become LA’s main venue for opera, and other neoclassic movie palaces in other cities should have been saved for opera, too, rather than building new performing arts centers, such as in Manhattan, Washington, D.C. etc.

In the New York area, there is a commercial currently airing for a product called “Fahrenheit” Diet supplement pill. You can see some of the lobby area (mainly the ceiling) as a women walks back and forth like in a fashion show.

I have gone to the Last Remaining Seats shows for several years. My question for some time has been why the programs are never held at the Million Dollar theater. The former owner was showing first run films in the late 1990s, so the theater must be operational. It would be interesting to see some films in theaters other than the Los Angeles and the Orpheum. Otherwise, kudos to the Conservancy for a well-run program each June.

On behalf of the staff of the Los Angeles Theatre, thank you for the 75th anniversary well wishes. After years of concentrating on filming, the Los Angeles Theatre is returning to public performances. This April you can see the Lyric opera of Los Angeles perform MANON LESCAUT. (www.lyricoperala.org) We will once again participate in the Last Remaining Seats program of the LA Conservancy on May 31. For more information, please visit our website: www.losangelestheatre.com Carey Upton, Theatre Manager

A most happy anniversary today for this most wonderful movie palace on the 75th year of its opening day!!

Another view of the interior:

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