Pantages Theatre

6233 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90028

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William
William on November 7, 2010 at 8:11 am

Louis, the post about Mr. Pantages’s problem happened at the Pantages Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles at 7th. and Hill Street (aka. Warren, Warner Downtown) in 1929. The Hollywood Pantages opened in June of 1930.

LouisRugani
LouisRugani on November 7, 2010 at 3:51 am

Associated Press, August 10, 1929)
Alexander Pantages Involved with 16 Year-Old Dancer at Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, Cal., Aug. 10. â€" (AP)â€"Alexander Pantages, millionaire theatre magnate, today was charged with two offenses against a 16-year-old dancer, Eunice Prince, in a complaint issued by District Attorney Buron Fitts. Pantages' attorneys immediately announced they would institute habeas corpus proceedings.

Los Angeles, Cal., Aug. 10. â€" (AP) â€" Alexander Pantages, millionaire vaudeville theatre operator, was in the city jail today, charged with suspicion of committing a statutory offense against Eunice Pringle, 16-year-old dancer and daughter of a
Los Angeles physician.
Miss Pringle, who graduated from high school last year, the youngest in her class, and entered the University of Southern California, was placed in the custody o£ juvenile authorities after she had told the police that Pantages had attacked her.
Pantages was taken into custody yesterday when the girl ran out of his office screaming, her clothes disarranged.
One witness to the occurrence said Miss Pringle fell fainting out of the theatre magnate’s office. Other witnesses declared the clothing of both Pantages and the girl
was torn and disarranged. Several persons reported hearing the girl’s screams emanating from Pantages' office.

Denies Girl’s Charges.

The theatre magnate denied the girl’s charges and hinted that it was a “frameup.” He told police he had booked Miss Pringle two weeks ago for a dancing act, but that she
had proved a failure. He said she had frequented his office for two days, begging for another chance.
Pantages declared Miss Pringle asked him for an interview yesterday afternoon. After a preliminary conversation he said, she leaned close to him and said, “I’ll make you
take my act.” Pantages asserted the girl then pushed him into another room and ran down the hall.
Fred Weise, who was in the hall, told officers he heard the girl screaming and saw Miss Pringle emerge from Pantages' office with the theatre magnate chasing her. Weise
said the clothing of both Pantages and Miss Pringle was in disarray.

Got $15,000,000 Recently.

Chief of Detectives A. E. Taylor said Pantages told him that Miss Pringle, realizing she was not to be re-employed, forcibly removed his coat and then tried to tear the remainder of his clothing into a state of disarray.
District Attorney Buron Fitts said a formal complaint would be issued today, pending which the wealthy theatre operator was to be held in jail. Pantages recently sold six of his theatres to the Radio-Keith-Orpheum circuit for a reputed price of $12,000,000. This week he sold two others to a Hollywood corporation for $3,000,000. Pantages' wife, Mrs. Lois Pantages, is scheduled to go on trial here Sept. 2, on charges of second degree murder, resulting from the death of Joe Rokumoto, a Japanese, following the collision of their automobiles.

pasadena
pasadena on October 18, 2010 at 9:25 pm

I remember seeing films at the Pantages in the 1950s. Due to union regulations, they still had a stage hand “on stage” to dim the lights and operate the curtains. One saturday morning, my father took me to see the place before it was open for the day’s showing. I saw the huge switchboard backstage and was shown the several house curtains that included a traveler, a contour curtain that could be “programmed', and my favorite the "oleo” curtain (as they referred to it). The orchestra pit was on an elevator and there was a bandstand that traveled on tracks from the back of the stage and onto the pit when it was raised to stage level. At the Pantages, the large chandelier at the center of the auditorium was not lowered for relamping, the technician actually climbed into it from ladders accessed above the ceiling. The original air condition system worked with water and during the summer the auditorium had a damp smell.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on October 6, 2010 at 8:04 pm

Thanks so much guys for putting these pictures on,what a lot of rich history.

NothingDiesWithBlueSkies
NothingDiesWithBlueSkies on September 12, 2010 at 2:23 pm

Here is a night time photo from 2009 as featured on my blog:
The Pantages at night

NothingDiesWithBlueSkies
NothingDiesWithBlueSkies on August 16, 2010 at 5:38 pm

Here’s a photo from Christmas Day 2007 that I recently featured on my blog:
Nothing Dies With Blue Skies.com- Pantages

nickmatonak
nickmatonak on August 15, 2010 at 10:49 am

Contact: Hillsman Wright 310 403-0865,

The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation (www.lahtf.org)
in association with Hollywood Heritage and the Nederlander Organization present

ALL ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES THEATRE (1930)
a free comprehensive insiderâ€\s tour of a beautifully restored Broadway road house,
operated by The Nederlander Organization.. One of L.A.â€\s finest theatres.

Saturday, August 28, 10:30 am; doors open at 10:00am
Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028-5310- (213) 468-1770
http://www.broadwayla.org/index.asp
The Public is Invited. Admission: $7 â€" free for LAHTF and HH Members

HEAR and SEE the story of the Hollywood Pantages, the third and grandest of Alexander Pantages Los Angeles theatres. Pantages/Arcade (1910) on Broadway and Pantages/Warner (1921) at 7th & Hill.

POWERPOINT HISTORY â€" theatre historian Ed Kelsey is preparing a comprehensive overview of the Pantages history and magnificent restoration.
Hereâ€\s a short video preview:

TOUR BEHIND-THE-SCENES â€" get a real insiderâ€\s look at the Pantages. Tour backstage, dressing rooms and see the performerâ€\s view from the stage â€" behind the footlights. Learn how the theatre accommodates complex Broadway shows and other events. From backstage to the original projection booth, youâ€\ll see it all.

RESTORATION! SEE & LEARN â€" about the $10 million restoration/renovation. How the magnificent interior has been brought back to its silvery Art Deco glory â€" about finding the right carpeting and new seats – about restoring the marquee and restoration of the ticket foyer.

ADVOCATE â€" find out how you can become involved in the LAHTFâ€\s ongoing theatre preservation work around Southern California. Brief updates on the United Artists, Inglewood Fox, Golden Gate, Belasco and others.

Many people are fascinated by the architecture of fantasy so beautifully on display in Southern Californiaâ€\s great historic theatres. People are also curious about how the theatres work. What does it look like backstage? What do the performers see when they look out across the footlights? Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation’s “All About” series gives the public an insider’s look at these wonderful theatres and share parts of their histories – good and bad – as a way to encourage people to become actively involved in protecting and ensuring their futures.

The LAHTF is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, restoring and supporting the operation of Southern Californiaâ€\s historic theatres. For more information visit www.lahtf.org

COMING SOON: All About the Hollywood Warner, Ricardo Montalban, Music Box and more!

DonSolosan
DonSolosan on August 14, 2010 at 9:01 pm

Re: the All About on August 28th. The doors open at 10, the event starts at 10:30 a.m. As well as the history presentation, there will be an extensive tour of the theater.

DonSolosan
DonSolosan on August 14, 2010 at 4:08 pm

No, it’s primarily a live theater venue. That’s the musical stage version of Phantom on the marquee (as well as Legally Blonde and Chicago). There’s a large number of movies-turned-into-musicals on their schedule…

buymovieposters
buymovieposters on August 14, 2010 at 2:55 pm

nice. so does the theater now just show old movies? is that the ‘43 phantom with claude rains they are showing?

nickmatonak
nickmatonak on August 14, 2010 at 2:03 pm

The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation will be hosting a “all About” tour at this theatre on Saturday, August 28th starting at 10 am

Below is a link to a Youtube video of what are can see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9opWcP-MPRI

hollywoodtheatres
hollywoodtheatres on April 6, 2010 at 11:32 am

DOCUMENTARY ON CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD CINEMAS – Lookn for interviewees, photos, videos of old hollywood

Hello,

I’m and independent filmmaker working on a documentary about old movie theatres in hollywood (Iris, Warner, Pacific, Hollywood, Vogue, Grauman’s Chinese, Egyptian etc..) that have had an impact on the hollywood community, both as a symbol of Hollywood as well as the historical and heritage effects it has had on “hollywood” as an industry. We are profiling theatres that are currently functioning as well as the obsolete. If you worked in these theatres back in the day (during their highlights) and have interesting stories to tell, photos to show, video to talk about I would like to hear from you. Many older movie houses are being demolished due to new developments and it is important to help future generation know and understand how these movie palaces have helped shaped the Hollywood we know today. If you have any photos or videos with personal stories you’d like to share, please contact me (323) 876-0975 – – You must owns the materials you are willing to share (taken the picture- recorded the videos, written the letters, etc…)

If you do have materials you’d like to send that may help in accurate information, you are welcome to send it to me.

Jorge Ameer
Classic Hollywood Cinemas
Box 3204
Hollywood, California 90028

View link

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on March 21, 2010 at 12:12 pm

Nice photos. I couldn’t sit through Cats again, though. I saw it in New York in 1982, I think.

William
William on March 9, 2010 at 3:34 pm

ken mc: The undated photo from your post of Mar 21, 2009. Looks like it’s from 1930 the film was Clara Bow in “True to the Navy” (1930) from Paramount. With Slim Martin as the Orchestra leader on the bill. On Imdb and Film Daily shows a release date of May 25th. 1930. Which predates the theatres opening date. They had to have played the film after the opening attraction engagement.

Your post from May 14th. 2009 has “The Big Pond” (1930-Paramount) as the featured film. That film too has a predate issue for this theatre, it was released May 3rd, 1930.
These films may have released alittle later or were move-overs at the time.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on March 2, 2010 at 5:02 pm

Very cool pictures.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 25, 2009 at 8:08 pm

Here is a February 1959 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/lbmoq3

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 28, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Here is a color photo from Life, dated 1954:
http://tinyurl.com/lqyulz

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 24, 2009 at 10:51 am

Nice shots. I am going to show there tomorrow night, so maybe I can take some interior photos.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 23, 2009 at 9:35 pm

Here is a 1943 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/kuk3j9

Emeraldlorraine
Emeraldlorraine on July 11, 2009 at 3:31 pm

I had the great fortune as a writer to get press passes for the initial run of the original Riverdance when it premiered at the Pantages back in the mid-90’s. The tickets were worth $65 each and I had my nine years old daughter with me. We didn’t have much money as I was enrolled back in college so the temptation to sell the tickets was great, yet the integrity of the trade as a writer, meant the pen was mighter than the dollar, so we went to see Riverdance and it was incredible. Everytime I saw Riverdance over the years, I always remember how special it was being at the Pantages.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on June 21, 2009 at 5:09 pm

Bway: The Pantages is operated by Nederlander Theatres, but I believe the building is still owned by the Forman family, owners of Pacific Theatres. This is Nederlander’s web page for the Pantages.

The Pantages received a thorough renovation in 2000, after which it reopened with Disney’s “The Lion King”, but as far as I know that’s the only Disney production the house has hosted.

Disney operates the El Capitan Theatre at the other end of Hollywood. I think that building is also owned by the Formans.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on June 21, 2009 at 3:21 pm

I bought tickets today to see Fiddler on the Roof with Topol next month. Topol was the star of the film version in the late sixties. Should be a great show.

Bway
Bway on May 26, 2009 at 8:34 am

Does Disney own this theater, or do they just rent it for their shows?
I remember in the early 90’s the theater looked pretty run down.