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| Los Angeles Theatre | |
|---|---|
| Name | Los Angeles Theatre |
| Caption | Exterior on Broadway, 2019 |
| Location | Broadway and 300 block, Downtown Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 34.0445°N 118.2508°W |
| Opened | 1931 |
| Architect | S. Charles Lee |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Style | French Baroque, Beaux-Arts |
| Owner | Broadway Theatre Group (historic) |
Los Angeles Theatre is a historic movie palace located on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Opened in 1931, the theatre was designed by S. Charles Lee and became a landmark venue during the Golden Age of Hollywood alongside nearby palaces such as the Orpheum Theatre (Los Angeles), Pantages Theatre (Hollywood), and Warner Bros. exhibition spaces. The venue has been associated with film premieres, vaudeville circuits, and preservation efforts involving agencies like the Los Angeles Conservancy and municipal programs in Los Angeles County, California.
The theatre was commissioned during the era of studio-driven premieres dominated by entities including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, and 20th Century Fox, with construction completed under developers tied to RKO Pictures and downtown investors. Its inaugural events coincided with premieres featuring stars managed by agencies such as the William Morris Agency and hosted productions promoted by distributors including United Artists and Columbia Pictures. During the Great Depression the venue competed with houses on Olvera Street and venues patronized by communities near Chinatown, Los Angeles and Bunker Hill. Postwar shifts in audience behavior influenced by transit developments like Pacific Electric Railway and suburban migration affected programming, while civic groups including the National Trust for Historic Preservation later advocated for its conservation.
Designed by S. Charles Lee, the interior reflects motifs similar to European palaces referenced in works by architects influenced by Beaux-Arts precedents and designers who worked for studios such as United Artists exhibition architects. Ornamentation recalls the French Baroque seen in restorations of sites associated with houses like Hôtel de Ville (Paris) and echoes of decorative programs found in Radio City Music Hall. Decorative artisans included sculptors and muralists who also worked on projects for Fox Theatre (Detroit) and Stanford Theatre (Palo Alto). The auditorium's proscenium, grand staircase, and atmospheric ceiling incorporate materials and techniques used in projects connected to firms such as William L. Pereira & Associates and contractors who built landmarks on Broadway (Los Angeles).
Originally programmed for film premieres by studios including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and live presentations tied to touring circuits like Orpheum Circuit, the theatre hosted appearances by stars under contracts with Warner Bros. and live acts booked through the Keith-Albee-Orpheum organization. Over the decades the venue screened features from distributors such as United Artists and RKO Pictures, and presented revival seasons curated by organizations like the American Cinematheque and festivals affiliated with Sundance Institute satellite programs. Non-film programming included productions mounted by companies from Los Angeles Opera and touring Broadway shows promoted through brokers associated with Nederlander Organization and Shubert Organization.
The house has presented appearances by performers managed by firms such as the William Morris Agency and featured stars who worked under studio contracts with MGM and Paramount Pictures, including on premiere nights that showcased talents from Clark Gable-era productions and ensembles associated with directors like Busby Berkeley and Cecil B. DeMille. Touring companies from the Royal Shakespeare Company and revivals staged by ensembles linked to Los Angeles Theatre Center have used the stage. Variety acts appearing via the Orpheum Circuit and concerts promoted by presenters related to AEG Presents and Live Nation Entertainment also occurred in different eras.
Efforts to preserve the theatre involved advocacy by the Los Angeles Conservancy and designation processes administered by agencies in Los Angeles County, California. Restoration campaigns drew support from foundations patterned on funding models used by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and municipal incentives similar to programs run by the California Office of Historic Preservation. Conservation work referenced methodologies used in projects at the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Ace Hotel (Los Angeles) conversion, engaging preservation architects who previously worked on landmarks funded by entities such as the Getty Foundation.
The theatre played a role in downtown cultural circuits alongside venues on Broadway (Los Angeles) and contributed to the cinematic mythology promoted by studios like MGM and Warner Bros., influencing filmmakers from movements connected to the Los Angeles School of directors and cinematographers who trained at institutions such as University of Southern California and California Institute of the Arts. Its preservation inspired adaptive reuse projects similar to those at the Bradbury Building and fueled scholarship by authors publishing through presses focused on American Film Institute studies. The theatre remains a touchstone in discussions about urban revitalization efforts coordinated with programs from Los Angeles World Airports planning and municipal cultural strategies administered by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Category:Theatres in Los Angeles Category:Movie palaces Category:Historic landmarks in Los Angeles