LIGHTS, PROJECTORS, ACTION!

Travel to 1920s and ’30s with a visit to Downtown L.A.’s theaters

“They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway.
They say there’s always magic in the air.”

The songwriters of the The Drifters’ 1963 hit record “On Broadway” were thinking of New York City, but there’s another Broadway Theater District in the U.S. - also deservedly famous and at one time no less glamorous.

From 1900 to the late 1940s, Broadway was the main commercial thoroughfare in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA). Nearly 20 opulent theaters lined Broadway and nearby streets. Most were initially built for vaudeville and live stage acts, the dominant entertainment in the 1920s.

Then, film captured the public’s imagination and, pre-World War II, DTLA claimed the title of movie capital of the world.

Today, 12 once-lavish movie palaces built from 1911 to 1931 remain in the Broadway Theater and Commercial District, stretching for six blocks from Third to Ninth streets - the first and largest theater district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some have been restored to their original glory and operate as theaters or special event venues; others are retail stores. A few remain waiting for a new dreamer to transform them.

Neon and splendor on parade
Their names evoke imagery of splendor and architectural motifs - the Million Dollar Theater, the Roxie, the Cameo, the Arcade.

In June 1911, the 2,000-seat Palace Theatre at 630 S. Broadway gave the district its start. The architecture echoed a Florentine Renaissance palazzo, with marble walls and mosaic tiles, a men’s smoking lounge with fireplace and the ladies lounge with fountain. The Palace became a silent movie house in 1926 and soon after added sound. Its owners still book live performances.

Los Angeles Theatre
Reportedly modeled after the Palace of Versailles in France, this may be the most ornate movie palace to line Broadway, with its lobby dressed in crystal chandeliers, marble, gold leaf and silk damask wall coverings. It opened in 1931 at 615 S. Broadway with a premiere of Charlie Chaplin’s silent “City Lights.” Today, the theater can be rented for special events.

The Orpheum^® Theatre
When it opened in 1926, The Orpheum Theatre welcomed big-time vaudevillians like the Marx Brothers and Will Rogers. In the 1960s, it hosted rock concerts. Its pink-and-green neon - the current marquee was an update in 1941 to make it more visible to people in automobiles - still lights up the sky at 842 S. Broadway. The Orpheum has appeared as a location in at least 50 movies, TV shows and music videos.

Tower Theatre
The first L.A. movie theater to be wired for sound, the Tower Theatre hosted a sneak peek of “The Jazz Singer,” the first feature-length talkie, in 1927, the night before the film’s official opening in New York City.  Its terra-cotta façade is French Renaissance Revival style combined with Spanish, Moorish and Italian influences. Today, it is a tech palace - home to Apple’s flagship downtown store at 802 S. Broadway.

You can still experience Broadway’s spirit with your own self-guided tour. To learn the inside story, consider a walking tour hosted at 10 a.m. every Saturday by the Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and revitalizing historic places in L.A. County with cultural and architectural significance. The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation also holds occasional “Coffee & Conversation” events in memorable movie houses.

Every summer, the L.A. Conservancy presents “Last Remaining Seats,” a series of film classics in classic movie houses, such as the Palace, the Los Angeles and the Orpheum theatres. Tickets sell out quickly, so if you’re interested, watch the Conservancy’s website for availability.

VISITING/DETAILS
Los Angeles Conservancy
www.laconservancy.org 
info@laconservancy.org 
213.623.2489
Walking Tours: $18 for members, $25 for general public

Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation
www.lahtf.org
info@lahtf.org
213.443.6201

HOLLYWOOD GEM
Downtown doesn’t hold a patent on spectacular movie houses. Take time out from your downtown explorations to see the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, the last movie palace to be built in Hollywood.

The Pantages Theatre opened in 1930 at 6233 Hollywood Blvd., featuring live vaudeville acts in between feature films, but soon became silver-screen exclusive. Two grand staircases in the lobby flank massive Art Deco-styled chandeliers. Dramatic bronze-hued starbursts populate the lobby and auditorium ceilings.

The Pantages hosted the Academy Awards from 1950-1960. By 1977, this majestic beauty resumed its theatrical identity and now features live stage performances and Broadway touring shows