I just uploaded a photo of the new marquee which I had the pleasure of designing. It was a great collaboration with the creative team at Bob Baker Marionette Theater, and the fabricators and installers at Signmakers. All real neon, with some animation!
I grew up walking by the York Theatre, and also went to the original Bob Baker Theatre when I was a little kid in the 1960s, so seeing everything come together and the theatre alive and thriving is quite wonderful!
There is a comment above about the original seating. Somehow, the original 1923 York Theatre seating was returned and is now used every day. I will upload a closeup of the seat standards, the “YT” for York Theatre is clearly visible. They also discovered sections of the original 1923 marquee. While it is currently hidden, it is still there underneath!
I’d trust my friend Kurt’s site over Wikipedia any day. He shows every movie ever played at the Chinese. Here is the page on 1974: http://graumanschinese.org/1974.html. It shows Chinatown opening on Friday June 21, 1974. As I remember , opening days were usually Friday, until they started doing midnight shows on Thursday and sneaking earlier to make the opening weekend BO numbers look better.
For me what is wonderful is that the historic Chinese Theatre has been selling out a science movie for months. It was a brilliant presentation, I was there for the projector load in and watched it twice with a full house. Yes, they have had 24 hour screenings of other movies, but they were all franchise sequels, not a one-off movie about a real life scientist.
Lots of people are claiming lots of firsts, it is all PR spin. I doubt that a 2 month run could ever sell more tickets than a year long run, different capacity, different ticket prices. The record I heard and believe is that this was the highest grossing single screen for THIS movie. That makes sense. The fact is that a science movie was filling the seats at the most historic of theatres, that people were going back multiple times for the experience, and everyone I have spoken to was glad they saw it at the Chinese!
Hi, Escott Norton here, founder of Friends of the Rialto. I respectfully suggest that the main description be changed in the last paragraph. The Mosaic Church, the current tenant, did not do any sort of “restoration” on the interior. The nicest thing I could say is they “cleaned it up”, but in the process they smashed all of the audience seating and removed it, leveled the floor, covered up many of the iconic plaster sculptures, and painted everything a non-original pallet me of off whites. To my knowledge they have only allowed one movie to be screened since the remodel, and have not allowed any outside organizations to do any events, both things they said publicly they would do. While the theatre is still there, is is not “restored” at all, “renovated” would be more accurate. While someday it could be restored, it looks nothing like it did in 1925. Here is a link to my update with current photos. https://friendsoftherialto.org/news.html
Mr. Osborn, I just discovered the Grand Theatre in my recent visit to Alton to research my great grandfather who lived there in the 1920-30s. I am a historic theatre advocate from the Los Angeles area, and very curious what the latest news is. From what I can see, it was dedicated as a landmark, and then removed from the list, which is frustrating, then it looks like a couple of New Year Eve parties happened. If anyone has more recent info and if it is the same owner, I’m very curious. Such a great resource for the city, it’s such a shame to see it wasting away.
PR is a big game, always has been! The good news is that going to the movies in a fabulous theatre IS news again, and people are coming in droves! I just got back from the Chinese and it’s fantastic to see so many people there!
As for facts, the media frequently exaggerates to make headlines, that’s just the way it is. They even misquoted the PR man for the Chinese who is a friend of mine, one article said he was the IMAX spokesperson! Here are the FACTS as I see them, we have a good summer’s worth of quality films that are getting butts in seats and selling popcorn, and as an advocate for historic theatres, that is the best news ever after surviving a pandemic!
Here’s one way it’s relevant. When the Academy first proposed their new theatre they presented it to the community as a place for small revival screenings, no new movie premieres. This is important because movie premieres is a major source of revenue for the Chinese Theatre. If the Academy goes against what they promised it will hurt the Chinese, and piss off the immediate neighbors. I personally don’t care how “state of the Art” the Academy is, it will never have the prestige of a grand opening in the Chinese Forecourt!
I am puzzled by RogerA’s comment, there are quite a few “good” theatres left in Los Angeles, and in my opinion, some magnificent ones, like the Chinese, El Cap, Hollywood Legion, United Artists, Palace, Los Angeles, United Artists, Orpheum, Million Dollar, etc. I was just at the Westwood Village for Last Remaining Seats and it seems well maintained with good sound and picture, clean throughout, and an attentive staff. not sure about the curtain, but that would be low on my list, very few theatre even HAVE curtains any more, sadly.
As for bigjoe59’s query, I agree with silver that the Westwood Village should be included, it was built as a first run theatre, and still shows the biggest first run films. The exterior of the theatre is almost all original, including the marquee which has changed very little. It is probably one of the oldest original marquees still being used in Los Angeles.
The Chinese is NOT, I repeat NOT in danger of being torn down for housing. A local preservation group took something out of context and starting this scare campaign to boost attention to their org. The LA City Planning Dept responded that the theatre is not in any danger. The rezoning is part of a citywide effort to promote more housing opportunities, allowing areas that previously couldn’t build housing to have the option.
On March 10, 2021 at 7pm I will be doing a free online presentation on the history of the Rialto, leading right up to the recent exterior restoration that the owners did over the last year. I consulted with them to make sure authentic colors and materials were utilized. The presentation will include exclusive behind the scenes photos of the process as well as historic interior photos of non-public areas. You can register here: www.crowdcast.io/e/rialto
According to city files, there is substantial movement on the Miramar Theatre. in 2017 the previous owner got a plan to restore and adaptively reuse the property, with the theatre being an event space and the bowling alley adaptively reused as a food court. The property was sold in Dec 2019 to Fortuitous Partners. Permits have been pulled for partial demolition of the bowling alley structure, reports have been filed about what exact materials can be saved and not, and the new operator, restauranteur James A Markham will be running the food court element. I can’t find any info on who will be involved with the theatre. A pretty detailed Historic Structures Report on the theatre, including interior photos, can be seen here: https://www.san-clemente.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=28628
A new buyer has been announced. No name, but he appears to be a local restauranteur. https://www.sanclementetimes.com/historical-happenings-coming-attractions-miramar-theatre-complex-the-sequel/
Hi Bill_Lonee, and welcome! Great story! I remember my first viewing of Star Wars, also at the Chinese, and it also changed my life! I remember events in my life as pre- and post-Star Wars!
I hope when theatres reopen eventually that you come back and watch a movie at the Chinese, I go all the time (well, until it has to close) and the theatre is still magic, and in my opinion one of the best places to see a big movie!
Jmetcalf, what’s the latest? I just drove by the State after not seeing it for years. Did you contact the owners? Does anyone have current or vintage interior pix? Thanks!
bigjoe59, what great collection! I would love to see photos of the House of Rothschild program, or any programs that are from Los Angeles theatres. In fact, if you’re ever interested in donating any, the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation maintains an archive of ephemera related to theatres in L.A. County. www.LAHTF.org.
Thanks Jorge! Yes, I was there for the 3 day shoot, they did exteriors and interiors. They even shot in the projection room which is a first for the Rialto! Mick Garris, the writer/director, was really great, he actually visited the Rialto a lot when he was younger and wrote the script with it in mind, having no idea that he would be able to shoot there! For those interested, here is a link to some behind the scenes photos I shot during filming of Nightmare Cinema: https://www.facebook.com/pg/FriendsoftheRialto/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2558787384140105
I will be touring the Eagle with the listing agent tomorrow, and then will be moderating a community meeting on Thursday May 23 at 7:30pm at Eagle Rock City Hall to gauge community interest and see if we can bring the Eagle Theatre back to life. Anyone in the area is encouraged to come. If you are interested in getting involved, you can also email me at .
Thanks,
Escott Norton, Executive Director
Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation
Here is the latest news on the Star Theatre. The current owner has proposed tearing down the Star to build 22 condo units on the property and adjoining parking lot. The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation has submitted comments and case studies and spoken at the 2 most recent hearings. We found multiple errors and faulty assumptions in the Draft EIR. Last night, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve without any debate or discussion. Public comment was evenly split, 4-4.
Here is our advocacy page on the Star, it will be updated with all the information we have: www.lahtf.org/star-theatre/
Detailed project documents are available here on the City of La Puente’s website:
http://lapuente.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=3&event_id=455
The Chinese is not the largest screen, I think the record for that is in Sydney, Australia, and I think it is the 3rd largest screen in the US, but the Chinese is easily the largest IMAX theatre by seating capacity at 932, according to http://www.lfexaminer.com/theaUSA.htm. In my opinion it is the best audio and picture quality I have experienced. And it is a stunningly beautiful historic theatre too!
BigJoe, I recommend you spend some time on my friend Kurt’s website. He has an exhaustive collection of photos and information, including a COMPLETE list of every movie and show ever presented at the Chinese. Also check out the 1927 tour of the theatre! http://graumanschinese.org
Wrong theatre. This is the Egyptian down the street!
I just uploaded a photo of the new marquee which I had the pleasure of designing. It was a great collaboration with the creative team at Bob Baker Marionette Theater, and the fabricators and installers at Signmakers. All real neon, with some animation!
I grew up walking by the York Theatre, and also went to the original Bob Baker Theatre when I was a little kid in the 1960s, so seeing everything come together and the theatre alive and thriving is quite wonderful!
There is a comment above about the original seating. Somehow, the original 1923 York Theatre seating was returned and is now used every day. I will upload a closeup of the seat standards, the “YT” for York Theatre is clearly visible. They also discovered sections of the original 1923 marquee. While it is currently hidden, it is still there underneath!
I’d trust my friend Kurt’s site over Wikipedia any day. He shows every movie ever played at the Chinese. Here is the page on 1974: http://graumanschinese.org/1974.html. It shows Chinatown opening on Friday June 21, 1974. As I remember , opening days were usually Friday, until they started doing midnight shows on Thursday and sneaking earlier to make the opening weekend BO numbers look better.
For me what is wonderful is that the historic Chinese Theatre has been selling out a science movie for months. It was a brilliant presentation, I was there for the projector load in and watched it twice with a full house. Yes, they have had 24 hour screenings of other movies, but they were all franchise sequels, not a one-off movie about a real life scientist.
Lots of people are claiming lots of firsts, it is all PR spin. I doubt that a 2 month run could ever sell more tickets than a year long run, different capacity, different ticket prices. The record I heard and believe is that this was the highest grossing single screen for THIS movie. That makes sense. The fact is that a science movie was filling the seats at the most historic of theatres, that people were going back multiple times for the experience, and everyone I have spoken to was glad they saw it at the Chinese!
Hi, Escott Norton here, founder of Friends of the Rialto. I respectfully suggest that the main description be changed in the last paragraph. The Mosaic Church, the current tenant, did not do any sort of “restoration” on the interior. The nicest thing I could say is they “cleaned it up”, but in the process they smashed all of the audience seating and removed it, leveled the floor, covered up many of the iconic plaster sculptures, and painted everything a non-original pallet me of off whites. To my knowledge they have only allowed one movie to be screened since the remodel, and have not allowed any outside organizations to do any events, both things they said publicly they would do. While the theatre is still there, is is not “restored” at all, “renovated” would be more accurate. While someday it could be restored, it looks nothing like it did in 1925. Here is a link to my update with current photos. https://friendsoftherialto.org/news.html
Mr. Osborn, I just discovered the Grand Theatre in my recent visit to Alton to research my great grandfather who lived there in the 1920-30s. I am a historic theatre advocate from the Los Angeles area, and very curious what the latest news is. From what I can see, it was dedicated as a landmark, and then removed from the list, which is frustrating, then it looks like a couple of New Year Eve parties happened. If anyone has more recent info and if it is the same owner, I’m very curious. Such a great resource for the city, it’s such a shame to see it wasting away.
PR is a big game, always has been! The good news is that going to the movies in a fabulous theatre IS news again, and people are coming in droves! I just got back from the Chinese and it’s fantastic to see so many people there! As for facts, the media frequently exaggerates to make headlines, that’s just the way it is. They even misquoted the PR man for the Chinese who is a friend of mine, one article said he was the IMAX spokesperson! Here are the FACTS as I see them, we have a good summer’s worth of quality films that are getting butts in seats and selling popcorn, and as an advocate for historic theatres, that is the best news ever after surviving a pandemic!
Here’s one way it’s relevant. When the Academy first proposed their new theatre they presented it to the community as a place for small revival screenings, no new movie premieres. This is important because movie premieres is a major source of revenue for the Chinese Theatre. If the Academy goes against what they promised it will hurt the Chinese, and piss off the immediate neighbors. I personally don’t care how “state of the Art” the Academy is, it will never have the prestige of a grand opening in the Chinese Forecourt!
I am puzzled by RogerA’s comment, there are quite a few “good” theatres left in Los Angeles, and in my opinion, some magnificent ones, like the Chinese, El Cap, Hollywood Legion, United Artists, Palace, Los Angeles, United Artists, Orpheum, Million Dollar, etc. I was just at the Westwood Village for Last Remaining Seats and it seems well maintained with good sound and picture, clean throughout, and an attentive staff. not sure about the curtain, but that would be low on my list, very few theatre even HAVE curtains any more, sadly.
As for bigjoe59’s query, I agree with silver that the Westwood Village should be included, it was built as a first run theatre, and still shows the biggest first run films. The exterior of the theatre is almost all original, including the marquee which has changed very little. It is probably one of the oldest original marquees still being used in Los Angeles.
The Chinese is NOT, I repeat NOT in danger of being torn down for housing. A local preservation group took something out of context and starting this scare campaign to boost attention to their org. The LA City Planning Dept responded that the theatre is not in any danger. The rezoning is part of a citywide effort to promote more housing opportunities, allowing areas that previously couldn’t build housing to have the option.
On March 10, 2021 at 7pm I will be doing a free online presentation on the history of the Rialto, leading right up to the recent exterior restoration that the owners did over the last year. I consulted with them to make sure authentic colors and materials were utilized. The presentation will include exclusive behind the scenes photos of the process as well as historic interior photos of non-public areas. You can register here: www.crowdcast.io/e/rialto
Great shot! After collecting Rialto photos for decades this is the first time I’ve seen this one! Thanks!
According to city files, there is substantial movement on the Miramar Theatre. in 2017 the previous owner got a plan to restore and adaptively reuse the property, with the theatre being an event space and the bowling alley adaptively reused as a food court. The property was sold in Dec 2019 to Fortuitous Partners. Permits have been pulled for partial demolition of the bowling alley structure, reports have been filed about what exact materials can be saved and not, and the new operator, restauranteur James A Markham will be running the food court element. I can’t find any info on who will be involved with the theatre. A pretty detailed Historic Structures Report on the theatre, including interior photos, can be seen here: https://www.san-clemente.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=28628
A new buyer has been announced. No name, but he appears to be a local restauranteur. https://www.sanclementetimes.com/historical-happenings-coming-attractions-miramar-theatre-complex-the-sequel/
Hi Bill_Lonee, and welcome! Great story! I remember my first viewing of Star Wars, also at the Chinese, and it also changed my life! I remember events in my life as pre- and post-Star Wars!
I hope when theatres reopen eventually that you come back and watch a movie at the Chinese, I go all the time (well, until it has to close) and the theatre is still magic, and in my opinion one of the best places to see a big movie!
Jmetcalf, what’s the latest? I just drove by the State after not seeing it for years. Did you contact the owners? Does anyone have current or vintage interior pix? Thanks!
bigjoe59, what great collection! I would love to see photos of the House of Rothschild program, or any programs that are from Los Angeles theatres. In fact, if you’re ever interested in donating any, the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation maintains an archive of ephemera related to theatres in L.A. County. www.LAHTF.org.
Thanks Jorge! Yes, I was there for the 3 day shoot, they did exteriors and interiors. They even shot in the projection room which is a first for the Rialto! Mick Garris, the writer/director, was really great, he actually visited the Rialto a lot when he was younger and wrote the script with it in mind, having no idea that he would be able to shoot there! For those interested, here is a link to some behind the scenes photos I shot during filming of Nightmare Cinema: https://www.facebook.com/pg/FriendsoftheRialto/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2558787384140105
I will be touring the Eagle with the listing agent tomorrow, and then will be moderating a community meeting on Thursday May 23 at 7:30pm at Eagle Rock City Hall to gauge community interest and see if we can bring the Eagle Theatre back to life. Anyone in the area is encouraged to come. If you are interested in getting involved, you can also email me at .
Thanks, Escott Norton, Executive Director Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation
Here is the latest news on the Star Theatre. The current owner has proposed tearing down the Star to build 22 condo units on the property and adjoining parking lot. The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation has submitted comments and case studies and spoken at the 2 most recent hearings. We found multiple errors and faulty assumptions in the Draft EIR. Last night, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve without any debate or discussion. Public comment was evenly split, 4-4.
Here is our advocacy page on the Star, it will be updated with all the information we have: www.lahtf.org/star-theatre/
Detailed project documents are available here on the City of La Puente’s website: http://lapuente.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=3&event_id=455
The Chinese is not the largest screen, I think the record for that is in Sydney, Australia, and I think it is the 3rd largest screen in the US, but the Chinese is easily the largest IMAX theatre by seating capacity at 932, according to http://www.lfexaminer.com/theaUSA.htm. In my opinion it is the best audio and picture quality I have experienced. And it is a stunningly beautiful historic theatre too!
BigJoe, I recommend you spend some time on my friend Kurt’s website. He has an exhaustive collection of photos and information, including a COMPLETE list of every movie and show ever presented at the Chinese. Also check out the 1927 tour of the theatre! http://graumanschinese.org
Photo by Lin Cariffe, for the National Register application in 1977.
Photo by Lin Cariffe, for the National Register application in 1977.
Photo by Lin Cariffe, for the National Register application in 1977.