Los Angeles Theatre

615 S. Broadway,
Los Angeles, CA 90014

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Ziggy
Ziggy on May 2, 2006 at 4:32 am

I was fortunate enough to be in Los Angeles last weekend (for a family wedding). I got to L.A. on the morning train and walked around Broadway before going to the hotel and I saw that the opera “Manon Lescaut” was going to be playing at the Los Angeles Theatre that night. While the rest of my friends and relatives went out to drink I walked over to the theatre to see if I could get in at the last minute.

The opera was a budget production, but the singing and music were beautiful. The theatre was slam-dunk gorgeous! As usual, photographs do not do it justice. The theatre was very dusty, and had the dank feel of a building that is not used often, but it is still in very good shape. The famous crystal fountain was lit up, and I noticed that the base of the fountain was actually plumbed for water (no water was flowing that night, of course).

I met one of the stagehands after the performance, and he gave me a tour of the theatre before I left.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 14, 2006 at 4:33 am

Jim’s mention of stock photos reminded me that for several decades in Los Angeles, the commercial photographer Dick Whittington documented a great many of the city’s businesses. The collection consists primarily of negatives, and is one of several collections currently held by the University of Southern California Archival Research Center. I’m not sure how large the collection is, or how it is indexed, but it’s one more option to consider.

JimRankin
JimRankin on April 14, 2006 at 3:57 am

It would also be good to let your search for photos be known among the city officials at the managerial level; they often have experience locating things in places the public might not know of. For example, here in Milwaukee a lot of exterior photos of theatres were found accidentally when we were told that the city’s bureau of roads and bridges had been photographing intersections and city repair projects and buildings appeared incidentally in the background. The snap shots were not of publishing quality, but any such might serve your purpose, especially if you make it known that you are not interested in publishing rights, and maybe that you will offer a small reward for finding anything (managers and clerks have other duties, so you want to create an incentive for them!) Maybe if you know some people in city and county governments, a little gift (box of chocolates?) might ‘grease’ the way. Another way is if you know a wealthy contractor or businessman who contributes large sums to campaigns who might pose your request to his contacts in government; he might get access to people of power that you might not beven know of.

Insuance companies are another possible source if they had a policy there, and your state insurance commissioner may have a listing of policies registered for that property (be sure to have the Legal Description of the land available as well as the city address!) The Register of Deeds will have your Legal Description and possibly deeds and other documents that might describe the changes made; it would give you some idea.

Also check with your local Stock Photos dealers in the Yellow Pages; they take and buy street scenes all the time, and act as location sources for film crews. With LA often being a background for the studio shoots, contact the companies which do the film location scouting for the filmmakers; they may very well have something, though they may charge to search their files if they do not smell a sale to come of it. Post card publishers also have dozens of street and building scenes — including many never published that you or your agent may have to wade through. Best Wishes.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 13, 2006 at 4:04 pm

Carey: I’ve never searched for anything in the L.A. Building and Safety Department’s records, so I don’t know how their filing system is set up. Did you search by the theatre’s name, or by address? Sometimes bureaucratic filing systems are inconsistent over the years. There might be records filed under the name of the retail tenants, or the name of the building owner (personal or corporate), or by the address of the retail store rather than the address of the theatre. Many times, an institution’s initial claim that they don’t have a particular bit of information turns out to be wrong, and digging deeper will unearth it.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 13, 2006 at 3:47 pm

ken mc: Are the directories in that room on open shelves? It’s possible that they keep the L.A. directories in a closed area, and available only on request, as they’d probably be the most popular, and thus the ones most likely to become damaged or lost if kept on open shelves. Also, a lot of the old reference materials in the library have been put in storage after being made available on microfilm or microfiche. The library’s web site contains a City Directories Index search page, but I haven’t figured out how to use it.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 13, 2006 at 11:45 am

For some reason, I have found directories for every city except Los Angeles in that area of the LA Library (the bottom floor). I think there was one LA directory from 1986 the last time I was there.

careyupton
careyupton on April 13, 2006 at 11:18 am

Building and Safety did not have a record of a permit pulled for the change in the North Retail facade. Many of the pre-1960 records are missing for both the Los Angeles and Palace Theatres.

JimRankin
JimRankin on April 13, 2006 at 3:49 am

Any remodeling should have come under the authority of a building permit, and an archive of them should be maintained by the city, so one could look there for dates and names of contractors, if any. Some cities also retain the blueprints submitted for the permits, at least on microfilm. Your state historic preservation officer may also know of local sources.

If there is no official record, then you would do best to contact the Ex. Director of the Theatre Historical Society of America through his E-mail address given at the bottom of their front page of their web site at: www.historictheatres.org They have a vast archive of photos and data of theatres across the nation. Best Wishes.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 12, 2006 at 1:46 pm

Carey: Though I undoubtedly saw the facade before 1952, I don’t remember what it looked like. My mom tells me that we went to the Los Angeles a couple of times in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, but my only early memories of any downtown theatres are of the Warner Brother’s and the RKO Hillstreet. My first memory of the facade of the Los Angeles is from about 1960.

I don’t remember what retailers were in the north wing storefronts in 1960, but by 1963 I know there was one of those cheap electronics dealers in one of them, because I bought a radio from them. Whatever company had caused the remodeling to be done was probably gone by then. I’ve always suspected that the owners of the building had allowed the remodeling to be done by a tenant- probably some time in the 1940’s, as that plain style of facade was popular with retailers during that decade. An old city directory (many are available at the downtown library) would give the name of the store’s occupant(s) during that time.

I’m glad to hear that you intend to restore the facade. It’s always bothered me that the north and south wings don’t match.

careyupton
careyupton on April 12, 2006 at 12:49 pm

Does anyone know exactly when the Facade was removed from over the right hand storefronts? And Why? I have a 1937 photo with the Facade intact. By 1952, it was definitely gone. We are in the process of restoring that facade.
Carey Upton, Theatre Manager

BhillH20
BhillH20 on April 12, 2006 at 12:00 pm

The storefront section of the Los Angeles would look much more appealing if the ornament was restored to its former appearance!

William
William on April 12, 2006 at 8:33 am

There are two commercials running in the New York Tri-State area that uses parts of the Los Angeles theatre’s lobby. The current Burger King “French Toast sandwich” spot. They use it as the King’s bedroom. The other is for a diet pill Fahrenheit.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 1, 2006 at 12:05 pm

I’ve heard excerpts from the 1884 Manon by Massenet, and the entire 1893 Manon by Puccini, but Auber’s earlier version is so rarely recorded (and almost as rarely performed) that I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much as a single aria from it.

The Lyric Opera company’s ticket prices seem quite reasonable, though. The ten dollar tickets are probably for the second balcony. I’ve only ever been up there once, but I recall the view being fairly decent— in fact, better than the comparable seats in the Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre (though the best seats in the Los Angeles are definitely those in the side sections that extend from the first balcony.) I wish I could get to L.A. for this event. Even if Auber was no Puccini, it would be worth sitting through an archaic, Victorian opera just to see the Los Angeles Theatre in operation again.

JimRankin
JimRankin on March 1, 2006 at 11:50 am

Howard Haas is very right that most cities did indeed have movie palaces suitable to being converted to opera houses, but most of them were as egocentric as they were flush with the “Great Society” dollars of pres. Johnson’s revenue sharing of the 1960s, so their priorities were upon the potential campaign slogan of such as ‘Look what I built for our city during my last term!!’ (as mayor, county Exec., or the like.) Since then, the ethos has changed from Urban Renewal to Historic Preservation, but now the money is not there; all governments are deeply in debt and spending on the arts has all but vanished. Now the retired politicos of the ‘60s and later saunter by the PACs with the plaques with their names on them and smugly say “See what I left for everyone!” Yes, they often left jerry-built eyesores that are sometimes still being paid for, but they couldn’t have left as large a plaque if it had been merely a converted movie palace built by someone else. And how else would they have been able to pay back all their campaign contributors with construction jobs unless they built from scratch? Look at the sad story of the FOX in San Francisco as the case study it is of political machanitions that brought down possibly the best candidate for an opera house that ever existed.

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on March 1, 2006 at 8:04 am

The “perfect setting for French opera” is NOT hype! I’ve been twice inside, both for Los Angeles Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats, Thief of Bagdad with orchestra, and From Here to Eternity. This restored theater is one of the most beautiful neoclassic movie palaces ever built. Its opulent design is indeed perfect for opera. If I was living in LA, I’d love to attend. The auditorium looks like it was indeed designed for opera, the Grand Lobby is unforgettable, and the lower lounge neat, too.

This should have become LA’s main venue for opera, and other neoclassic movie palaces in other cities should have been saved for opera, too, rather than building new performing arts centers, such as in Manhattan, Washington, D.C. etc.

spikewriter
spikewriter on March 1, 2006 at 6:48 am

I stopped by the LA Conservancy Page and noticed the following under Events:

http://laconservancy.org/events/events_main.php4

Rare Opera in a Rare Venue

Lyric Opera of Los Angeles (LOLA), a cultural partner of the Broadway Initiative, will present the nineteenth-century French operatic masterpiece “Manon Lescaut” by Daniel François-Esprit Auber from April 21-30 at the majestic Los Angeles Theatre.

With its opulent, French Baroque-inspired design, the 1931 Los Angeles Theatre is the perfect setting for French opera. In bringing this production to the Los Angeles, LOLA seeks to provide theatergoers with an unforgettable experience, while fostering the use of Broadway’s historic theaters in bringing new life and entertainment to historic downtown.

First performed in 1856, “Manon Lescaut” is the poignant tale of a young woman at the turn of nineteenth-century France who, on the way to a convent, meets a young man and runs away with him to Paris. She discovers the vagaries of power, love, lust, and debauchery in Parisian society, and through a tangle of events is arrested and shipped off to Louisiana, where she meets her destiny.

This production has not been performed in the U.S. since 1979, so this is a rare opportunity. With ticket prices so affordable, you can bring friends and family to support this unique event in this spectacular theater.

“Manon Lescaut” by Daniel François-Esprit Auber
Los Angeles Theatre
615 South Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles

Friday, April 21 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 22 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 23 2:00 p.m.
Friday, April 28 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 29 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 30 2:00 p.m.

Tickets: $10-30

For tickets or more information, visit www.LyricOperaLA.org or call (800) 471-9515.

If you love opera and are in the LA area, it’s a great price. My only hesitation is that I’ve see “Manon Lescaut” and it’s not one of my favorites.

William
William on February 16, 2006 at 1:30 pm

In the New York area, there is a commercial currently airing for a product called “Fahrenheit” Diet supplement pill. You can see some of the lobby area (mainly the ceiling) as a women walks back and forth like in a fashion show.

Hibi
Hibi on February 10, 2006 at 2:10 am

Happy to hear the theater will be in use again (for more than film shoots!)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 9, 2006 at 3:32 pm

I have gone to the Last Remaining Seats shows for several years. My question for some time has been why the programs are never held at the Million Dollar theater. The former owner was showing first run films in the late 1990s, so the theater must be operational. It would be interesting to see some films in theaters other than the Los Angeles and the Orpheum. Otherwise, kudos to the Conservancy for a well-run program each June.

careyupton
careyupton on February 9, 2006 at 1:34 pm

On behalf of the staff of the Los Angeles Theatre, thank you for the 75th anniversary well wishes. After years of concentrating on filming, the Los Angeles Theatre is returning to public performances. This April you can see the Lyric opera of Los Angeles perform MANON LESCAUT. (www.lyricoperala.org) We will once again participate in the Last Remaining Seats program of the LA Conservancy on May 31. For more information, please visit our website: www.losangelestheatre.com Carey Upton, Theatre Manager

Hibi
Hibi on January 31, 2006 at 2:31 am

I second that. What a gorgeous place. And still standing!

BhillH20
BhillH20 on January 30, 2006 at 11:30 am

A most happy anniversary today for this most wonderful movie palace on the 75th year of its opening day!!

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 12, 2005 at 10:16 am

Another view of the interior:

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