Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90014
842 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles,
CA
90014
66 people
favorited this theater
Showing 151 - 175 of 180 comments
br91975: The official website is very special and offers a wonderful enlarged photo of the theatre with its organ near the stage! Thanks!!!
For the Last Remaining Seats info, the site said to try back in April for the line up.
http://www.laconservancy.org/
Having trouble with the website, Los Angeles Conservancy — Last Remaining Seats.
William: You beat me to it…..as I was about to post the American Idol theatre news!! What a beautiful LA theatre and glad to see it get such fun exposure!!
For people that would like to see a little of the Orpheum Theatre. They are using it as a location for the American Idol show tonight (February 8th, 2005) on the Fox network.
The official web site of the Orpheum Theatre: http://www.laorpheum.com/
I remember so anxiously waiting to see the premier of Superman and the only thing that calmed me down was the great architecture. I saw other great movies lie Starwars :)
If you look at the Pacific 1-2-3 on this site, you will find that it in fact has been used for screenings and special events in the last few years. It is used as a field test theatre by USC for Digital Projection.
And going back to an earlier post the original Orpheum Theatre (aka: Palace Theatre) had two real balconies. The lower half of the balcony is called the Mezzanine level of the balcony.
The main auditorium is still used for private screenings , isnt it?
I seriously doubt it. The Pacific has been closed down for about ten years.
That “Collateral” premiere was supposed to have been at the Pacific 1-2-3 on Hollywood Boulevard, wasn’t it?
The Orpheum hosted the Hollywood premiere of Tom Cruise new film “Collateral”.It was the first quality premiere held downtown in decades.brucec
On another note, the Orpheum will be the site on the evening of August 2 for the world premiere of Collateral starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. Then a few weeks later the Orpheum will host the prequel to The Exorcist. Another premiere at the Orpheum is likely in December.
A previous message mentioned Broadway’s flashing neon lights in the 40s. Here’s a picture of Broadway (1959)
View link
It’s on this website
View link
In 1964 this theatre was hosting a stage production. I believe it was “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever”. I remember that that and “110 in the Dhade” were both “live” in Downtown L.A., one at the Orpheum, and one at the Philharmonic, which became a church, at Olive and 5th St. I may have mixed up which was at which theatre. After that I only remember Spanish language films at the Orpheum.
The Morosco, later named the Globe Theatre also has two balconies…trust me…I have been on them!!!! :-X
With regard to the one or two balcony controversy, the Boulevard Theater, at Washington and Vermont, was an Orpheum type theater, as my father who managed it from 1946-1957 often described it. As such, it was always referred to as having two balconies. One main staircase let you enter the balcony at mid-level. From there you went down aisle stairs to the lower balcony with its loge, leatherette seating. If you took the upper aisles from the mid-level entry point you reached the upper balcony with its regular folding type theater seats.Hence, two balconies.I worked there from 1953-57 as an usher and we always referred to the two balcony areas as separate and distinct balconies. The 2300 seat Boulevard had a bit larger seating capacity than the Orpheum.
Okay, I get the point, only one balcony. However, I thought the Pantages had at least 2 balconies. Wasn’t there a place in the Orpheum balcony where you stepped down maybe two or three steps to another level of the balcony? Maybe that’s why I thought two. Anyway, yes, truly a grand theatre, and a fond memory.
Sweet theatre, its gonna be awesome restored!
In 1949 Los Angeles' Broadway was ablaze with flashing neon and no Broadway theater had a flashier marquee than the Orpheum.
To see a night time view of the fantastic Orpheum Theater marquee click here:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics34/00036873.jpg
The Mason theatre was another theatre on Broadway with two balconies. The seating capacity was 1650. It was demolished in 1955 to make way for the State Building on Broadway and 1st St.
The theatre has been beautifully restored—including working air conditioning! This has greatly enhanced the annual “Last Remaining Seats” series every June. It used to be the balcony seats would become unbearably hot during the screenings. Now audiences can sit back and really enjoy the theatre and its films!
In 1995 I saw the inside of this theater as part of the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Broadway Theaters walking tour. It was the last theater on the tour and I would have liked to have stayed to see a movie as it was a very beautiful theater. Unfortunately the movie they were showing was “Tank Girl.”
The Orpheum has one balcony. The Palace and Globe have two balconies, the access was through the fire scape alleys. They where sealed at the end of the segregation era. At both theatres, the balconies where not equipped with theatre chairs.
The Orpheum has reopened after a four million dollar restoration. The marquee and huge Orpheum roof neon sign has been restored, the roof sign relit after 40 years.