As I indicated in my comment of October 8, 2006, in the 1940’s the Olympic operated as a “request” theatre' which meant that the programming of the theatre was determined by requests from patrons. As I recall from a personal visit, there was a desk in the lobby with a book in which one could enter suggestions for movies to be shown.
Of course this 1921 ad would not be for this Orpheum, since it didn’t open until 1926. It would be for the previous Orpheum, now called the Palace, further up Broadway.
First of all, those aren’t palm trees. Palm fronds have been attached to the light poles along with the banners. And, no, it’s not Palm Sunday or Flag Day. The Shriners are in town! (Note the Shriners' emblem on each light pole at the bottom of the palm fronds.)
When I was very young (the 1930’s and ‘40’s) I remember that spittoons were commonly found in banks and other public places. They were also very close to the ground. Apparently persons who chewed tobacco at that time were not only much more numerous and accepted in polite society than they are today but were also quite accurate in their aim! I would bet that the mysterious cannisters were in fact spittoons.
There were indeed originally two signs, one facing east and an identical one facing west (visible in early photos). Both had fallen into disrepair over the years. Probably all letters but the “O” on the east-facing sign had fallen down. During the recent renovation of the theatre, the west-facing sign was restored and the remnants of the east-facing one were removed. I guess it was assumed that the east-facing sign would not likely be seen much (a reasonable assumption, I think).
From Brady Westwater’s blog, entry dated June 22, 2007: “The State, the Palace, the Tower and the Los Angeles theaters, owned by Michael Delijani, are currently used for filming, live events and the Last Available Seats movie series.” (Of course he means “Last Remaining Seats”.)
Actually, the property behind the theater on Hill Street, the William Fox Building, is owned by the same people who own the theater. They acquired the Fox Bldg. in the 80’s for conversion to a jewelry mart and the theater came with the deal. The two buildings were built at the same time and have always constituted a single parcel of land. The theater building extends nearly 2/3rds of the way to Hill Street, thus allowing it to be oriented perpendicular to the street, in contrast to the other large theaters on Broadway. At first the owners were reportedly considering breaking through the back wall of the theater stage and extending the jewelry mart into the theater! Fortunately that never happened and the owners have come to recognize its value as a theater. (In fact, I believe they have also acquired the Palace and the State. Can anyone confirm this?)
The L.A. is more likely to be used these days as a movie and TV location (e.g. the recent Tony Bennett TV taping). As for its use as a first run movie theater, the problem is that a 2000-seat, single-screen house is a near financial impossibility in today’s market, regardless of location. Some people have been exploring its use as a live venue, but there are problems. One is difficult backstage access (for sets, etc.). Another is the lack of sufficient nearby parking.
The State is leased to a Hispanic church, which doesn’t want it to be used for other anything else, period. The situation at the UA is more interesting. That theatre is owned by the Gene Scott ministries. When Dr. Scott first acquired the State he not only spent a lot of money restoring it but seemed to be open to the idea of it being used for other purposes when not needed for church services (Sunday mornings), much like the old Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. In fact, Last Remaining Seats had a couple of screenings at the theatre with his blessing and he allowed the Conservancy’s Saturday morning tours in there on a regular basis. However, one always felt that he was a little nervous about having “strangers” in his building. His church attendees were carefully screened (you couldn’t attend services without making a reservation in advance) and when the Conservancy tour groups came in they were always accompanied by one or more church security people and closely watched throughout their visit. So at a certain point he informed the Conservancy that no more LRS or other outside events would be permitted at the theatre. The tours continued, however, until 9/11, at which point his apparent nervousness about possible “terrorist” plots prompted him to terminate those as well. Dr. Scott died recently and the church is now in the hands of his widow, who seems even less inclined to allow outside groups in. (“This is a church, not a tourist attraction!”) So it appears that the beautifully restored UA will, for the foreseeable future, be off-limits to anyone except the church parishioners.
They’ve been approached, but no dice. (Same situation at the United Artists.) I’m quite sure that the theatre is still equipped to show movies. The Million Dollar has been off-limits because of a hazard from loose ceiling plaster caused by the last earthquake.
I agree. The first LRS, 20 years ago, was intended to be a one-time event which would spotlight a number of the old, neglected theatres on Broadway and attempt to recreate the early movie palace experience. Little did those of us involved in planning that first series know that it would take off and become the blockbuster (and major money-maker for the Conservancy) that it is today. In the early years, the Los Angeles and the Orpheum were used, of course, but also, the State, the United Artists, the Million Dollar and the Palace downtown and theatres in other parts of town, such as the Westlake, the Wiltern, the South Pasadena Rialto and even an old drive-in in Culver City. For various reasons, including the unavailabilty of some of these venues, size requirements and probably some political and sponsorship considerations, the current planners seem to have moved away from the original intent; spotlighting lesser-known and neglected theatres seems to be no longer the main thrust. (The Alex is hardly neglected and why the Ford was chosen truly mystifies me — probably for political reasons!)
Don’t miss the rare opportunity to see the interior of this theatre in all its lit-up glory by attending the L.A. Conservancy’s annual “Last Remaining Seats” film and live entertainment series. This year, in addition to 2 events at the Los Angeles, they are featuring the L.A. Orpheum, the Alex in Glendale and the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. The dates are May 23 (Orpheum), May 30 (Los Angeles), June 6 (Orpheum), June 13 (Los Angeles), June 20 (Ford) and June 27 (Alex). For program and other information, visit http://www.laconservancy.org .
There is a treasure trove of pictures of the Los Angeles Theatre, interior and exterior, ca 1931, at the California State Library web site. I counted over 130 pictures available for viewing and/or download there. (There is also a huge cache of pictures of the Hollywood Pantages Theatre plus a handful of shots of other L.A. area theatres at the same web site.) Enjoy.
I just watched the 2006 movie “The Prestige.” There are several shots inside the Los Angeles Theatre, standing in for a 19th century London theatre. The famous “3-dimensional” fire curtain, depicting costumed French nobility in the countryside, is clearly visible at times and is actually raised at one point. (There is also an exterior shot of the Tower Theatre, S. Charles Lee’s other downtown L.A. masterpiece, with the name changed to “Pantages.” There are some other theatre interior shots in the movie, which I was unable to identify.)
I just noticed that in the photo posted by vokoban on Dec. 13, 2005, close examination reveals a vertical sign next to the “Olympic” sign which says “Request.” This confirms my recollection of Oct. 8, 2006.
What is being referred to as the Los Angeles Theatre Conservancy is actually the Los Angeles Conservancy. At the time of the demolition of the California Theatre, there was another organization, the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation, which had been formed a few years before and which desparately tried to prevent the demolition, but lacked the clout of the LAC. Also, the less than sterling performance of the LAC in this instance (essentially by it’s executive director at that time) was not well received by the membership and board of that organization. For that, and a number of other reasons, the responsible individuals were sacked and the organization has since gotten back on track as a highly effective advocate for preservation in the L.A. area. It’s annual film series, Last Remaining Seats, has continued to bring public attention to the remaining theatres on Broadway and has, I believe, had much to do with their continuing preservation and even, in several cases, their restoration as viable performance spaces.
I recall that in the 1940s the Olympic was operated as a “request” house. There was a desk in the lobby with a book where patrons could enter the names of films they wished to see.
As I indicated in my comment of October 8, 2006, in the 1940’s the Olympic operated as a “request” theatre' which meant that the programming of the theatre was determined by requests from patrons. As I recall from a personal visit, there was a desk in the lobby with a book in which one could enter suggestions for movies to be shown.
Actually, William, on Feb 4 you should have said “Just making sure you’re on the ball.”
Or I suppose it could even be for an Orpheum in some other city!
Of course this 1921 ad would not be for this Orpheum, since it didn’t open until 1926. It would be for the previous Orpheum, now called the Palace, further up Broadway.
I guess William beat me to it!
First of all, those aren’t palm trees. Palm fronds have been attached to the light poles along with the banners. And, no, it’s not Palm Sunday or Flag Day. The Shriners are in town! (Note the Shriners' emblem on each light pole at the bottom of the palm fronds.)
When I was very young (the 1930’s and ‘40’s) I remember that spittoons were commonly found in banks and other public places. They were also very close to the ground. Apparently persons who chewed tobacco at that time were not only much more numerous and accepted in polite society than they are today but were also quite accurate in their aim! I would bet that the mysterious cannisters were in fact spittoons.
There were indeed originally two signs, one facing east and an identical one facing west (visible in early photos). Both had fallen into disrepair over the years. Probably all letters but the “O” on the east-facing sign had fallen down. During the recent renovation of the theatre, the west-facing sign was restored and the remnants of the east-facing one were removed. I guess it was assumed that the east-facing sign would not likely be seen much (a reasonable assumption, I think).
From Brady Westwater’s blog, entry dated June 22, 2007: “The State, the Palace, the Tower and the Los Angeles theaters, owned by Michael Delijani, are currently used for filming, live events and the Last Available Seats movie series.” (Of course he means “Last Remaining Seats”.)
Actually, the property behind the theater on Hill Street, the William Fox Building, is owned by the same people who own the theater. They acquired the Fox Bldg. in the 80’s for conversion to a jewelry mart and the theater came with the deal. The two buildings were built at the same time and have always constituted a single parcel of land. The theater building extends nearly 2/3rds of the way to Hill Street, thus allowing it to be oriented perpendicular to the street, in contrast to the other large theaters on Broadway. At first the owners were reportedly considering breaking through the back wall of the theater stage and extending the jewelry mart into the theater! Fortunately that never happened and the owners have come to recognize its value as a theater. (In fact, I believe they have also acquired the Palace and the State. Can anyone confirm this?)
The L.A. is more likely to be used these days as a movie and TV location (e.g. the recent Tony Bennett TV taping). As for its use as a first run movie theater, the problem is that a 2000-seat, single-screen house is a near financial impossibility in today’s market, regardless of location. Some people have been exploring its use as a live venue, but there are problems. One is difficult backstage access (for sets, etc.). Another is the lack of sufficient nearby parking.
You’re right. My apologies.
The State is leased to a Hispanic church, which doesn’t want it to be used for other anything else, period. The situation at the UA is more interesting. That theatre is owned by the Gene Scott ministries. When Dr. Scott first acquired the State he not only spent a lot of money restoring it but seemed to be open to the idea of it being used for other purposes when not needed for church services (Sunday mornings), much like the old Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. In fact, Last Remaining Seats had a couple of screenings at the theatre with his blessing and he allowed the Conservancy’s Saturday morning tours in there on a regular basis. However, one always felt that he was a little nervous about having “strangers” in his building. His church attendees were carefully screened (you couldn’t attend services without making a reservation in advance) and when the Conservancy tour groups came in they were always accompanied by one or more church security people and closely watched throughout their visit. So at a certain point he informed the Conservancy that no more LRS or other outside events would be permitted at the theatre. The tours continued, however, until 9/11, at which point his apparent nervousness about possible “terrorist” plots prompted him to terminate those as well. Dr. Scott died recently and the church is now in the hands of his widow, who seems even less inclined to allow outside groups in. (“This is a church, not a tourist attraction!”) So it appears that the beautifully restored UA will, for the foreseeable future, be off-limits to anyone except the church parishioners.
They’ve been approached, but no dice. (Same situation at the United Artists.) I’m quite sure that the theatre is still equipped to show movies. The Million Dollar has been off-limits because of a hazard from loose ceiling plaster caused by the last earthquake.
I agree. The first LRS, 20 years ago, was intended to be a one-time event which would spotlight a number of the old, neglected theatres on Broadway and attempt to recreate the early movie palace experience. Little did those of us involved in planning that first series know that it would take off and become the blockbuster (and major money-maker for the Conservancy) that it is today. In the early years, the Los Angeles and the Orpheum were used, of course, but also, the State, the United Artists, the Million Dollar and the Palace downtown and theatres in other parts of town, such as the Westlake, the Wiltern, the South Pasadena Rialto and even an old drive-in in Culver City. For various reasons, including the unavailabilty of some of these venues, size requirements and probably some political and sponsorship considerations, the current planners seem to have moved away from the original intent; spotlighting lesser-known and neglected theatres seems to be no longer the main thrust. (The Alex is hardly neglected and why the Ford was chosen truly mystifies me — probably for political reasons!)
Don’t miss the rare opportunity to see the interior of this theatre in all its lit-up glory by attending the L.A. Conservancy’s annual “Last Remaining Seats” film and live entertainment series. This year, in addition to 2 events at the Los Angeles, they are featuring the L.A. Orpheum, the Alex in Glendale and the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. The dates are May 23 (Orpheum), May 30 (Los Angeles), June 6 (Orpheum), June 13 (Los Angeles), June 20 (Ford) and June 27 (Alex). For program and other information, visit http://www.laconservancy.org .
There is a treasure trove of pictures of the Los Angeles Theatre, interior and exterior, ca 1931, at the California State Library web site. I counted over 130 pictures available for viewing and/or download there. (There is also a huge cache of pictures of the Hollywood Pantages Theatre plus a handful of shots of other L.A. area theatres at the same web site.) Enjoy.
http://www.lib.state.ca.us/html/welcome.html
I just watched the 2006 movie “The Prestige.” There are several shots inside the Los Angeles Theatre, standing in for a 19th century London theatre. The famous “3-dimensional” fire curtain, depicting costumed French nobility in the countryside, is clearly visible at times and is actually raised at one point. (There is also an exterior shot of the Tower Theatre, S. Charles Lee’s other downtown L.A. masterpiece, with the name changed to “Pantages.” There are some other theatre interior shots in the movie, which I was unable to identify.)
I just noticed that in the photo posted by vokoban on Dec. 13, 2005, close examination reveals a vertical sign next to the “Olympic” sign which says “Request.” This confirms my recollection of Oct. 8, 2006.
What is being referred to as the Los Angeles Theatre Conservancy is actually the Los Angeles Conservancy. At the time of the demolition of the California Theatre, there was another organization, the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation, which had been formed a few years before and which desparately tried to prevent the demolition, but lacked the clout of the LAC. Also, the less than sterling performance of the LAC in this instance (essentially by it’s executive director at that time) was not well received by the membership and board of that organization. For that, and a number of other reasons, the responsible individuals were sacked and the organization has since gotten back on track as a highly effective advocate for preservation in the L.A. area. It’s annual film series, Last Remaining Seats, has continued to bring public attention to the remaining theatres on Broadway and has, I believe, had much to do with their continuing preservation and even, in several cases, their restoration as viable performance spaces.
I recall that in the 1940s the Olympic was operated as a “request” house. There was a desk in the lobby with a book where patrons could enter the names of films they wished to see.