Broadway Theater District (Los Angeles) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Broadway Theater District
|
|
Broadway Theater District streetscape
|
|
 Location in Los Angeles
|
|
| Location | 300—933 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, California |
|---|---|
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Early Commercial, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000484 |
| Added to NRHP | May 9, 1979 |
The Broadway Theater District in Downtown Los Angeles is a famous area with many old movie theaters. It's the first and largest historic theater district listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This district has twelve amazing movie palaces along six blocks of Broadway. A movie palace is a very large, fancy movie theater, often built to look like a grand opera house or palace. This district is the only place in the United States with so many old movie palaces still together. For a long time, this part of Broadway was also a major shopping area.
Contents
A World of Movie Palaces
This special district stretches for six blocks in Downtown Los Angeles. It includes 12 movie theaters built between 1910 and 1931. By 1931, this area had the most cinemas in the world! More than 15,000 people could watch movies here at the same time. Broadway was the center of entertainment in Los Angeles. It was a place where movie stars and everyday people met.
The Los Angeles Times newspaper once wrote about how downtown Los Angeles was "awash in neon" lights from all the theaters. Dozens of theaters showed the newest Hollywood films. They also hosted big movie premieres with famous stars. Before World War II, downtown L.A. was truly the movie capital of the world.
A famous writer named Jack Smith called it "the only large concentration of vintage movie theaters left in America." He remembered growing up nearby and spending his Saturdays in these theaters. He described walking into the "opulent interiors" that looked like grand palaces. He would spend hours in the "dream world of the movies."
These theaters have been used for filming for many years. You can see their famous signs in classic Hollywood movies. Some of these films include Safety Last! (1923), Blade Runner (1982), and The Artist (2011).
A New Audience for Old Theaters
After World War II, the district started to become less popular. People began going to newer movie theaters in other parts of Los Angeles. Many of the Broadway movie palaces then started showing Spanish-language movies and live shows. This helped keep them open. In 1988, the Los Angeles Times said that without the Hispanic community, "Broadway would be dead." Jack Smith wrote that Broadway was "rescued and revitalized" by this new audience.
Saving and Renewing These Gems
Since the 1980s, people have worked hard to save and restore these old theaters. In 1987, the Los Angeles Conservancy started a program called "Last Remaining Seats." Each summer, they open the old movie palaces to show classic Hollywood movies. People love seeing films in these grand old theaters. Some go for the memories, while younger people enjoy seeing a movie in a theater with a balcony for the first time.
Even with these efforts, many theaters have changed. Some became flea markets or churches. The movie palaces faced challenges like changing tastes and high costs to keep them running. By 1998, only the Orpheum and the Palace theaters were still showing movies.
In 2006, the Los Angeles Times called the Broadway theater district one of L.A.'s "hidden gems." They said it would be "tragic" to lose these amazing places where movies grew up.
In 2008, the City of Los Angeles started a big project called "Bringing Back Broadway." This $40-million plan aimed to bring new life to the district. Some local shop owners worried that the plan might change the area too much. They feared it would push out the Latino businesses that had made the district their main shopping area.
Famous Theaters on Broadway
Here are some of the twelve theaters in the Broadway District, from north to south:
- Million Dollar Theater – This movie palace opened in 1918. It was built by Sid Grauman, a famous theater owner. The theater has a very fancy design. For over 30 years, it was one of the city's top movie palaces. Later, it showed Spanish-language films and live shows. It could seat 2,345 people when it opened.
- Roxie Theatre – The Roxie opened in 1932. It was the last movie palace built on Broadway. It had 1,600 seats and was known for its Art Deco style. This style includes sharp angles and zigzag patterns. The theater's sleek ticket booth was removed when it became a retail store.
- Cameo Theatre – The Cameo opened in 1910. It was originally called Clune's Broadway. With 775 seats, it was the oldest movie theater in California that stayed open continuously until 1991. Today, it's a market with many small shops.
- Arcade Theater – This theater opened in 1910 for live shows called vaudeville. It has a beautiful Beaux Arts style. The theater has been closed since 1992 and is now used for shops.
- Los Angeles Theatre – The Los Angeles Theatre opened in 1931. It hosted the premiere of Charlie Chaplin's movie City Lights. It has nearly 2,000 seats. The theater was designed in a French Baroque style, like a French palace. It had many new features for its time, like a restaurant and soundproof "crying rooms" for babies. The ladies' powder room was very luxurious. A writer once called it "a movie house for the gods." The band Aerosmith filmed their "Jaded" video here. It is still used for performances.
- Palace Theatre – The Palace opened in 1911 with 2,200 seats. It was a vaudeville theater from 1911 to 1926. It is the oldest remaining Orpheum theater in the United States. Its design was based on an Italian palace. The outside has beautiful terra-cotta decorations. It is also still used for performances.
.jpg)
- State Theatre – The State opened in 1921 with 2,450 seats. It showed both movies and live vaudeville shows. Judy Garland performed here in 1929. The building is very large and made of brick. It has a good luck charm, a seated Buddha figure, above the stage. Since 1998, it has been used as a church.
.jpg)
- Globe Theatre – The Globe opened in 1913 as the Morosco Theatre. It was used for live plays. Later, it became a movie theater, then a Spanish-language movie theater. In 1987, it became a market. It has been restored and is now used for music, plays, and films. It can hold 2,000 people.
- Tower Theatre – The Tower opened in 1927 with 1,000 seats. It was the first movie theater in Downtown Los Angeles to show "talking pictures" (movies with sound). It was designed in a "modified French Renaissance" style. In 2021, it was renovated and became an Apple Store.
- Rialto Theater – The Rialto opened in 1917. Sid Grauman bought it in 1919. Today, the theater building is home to an Urban Outfitters store.
.JPG)
- Orpheum Theatre – The Orpheum opened in 1926. It was the fourth Orpheum vaudeville theater in Los Angeles. Many famous performers have been on its stage, including Jack Benny, Duke Ellington, and the Marx Brothers. It has also been used for filming movies and TV shows. For example, Dreamgirls was shot here. TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol use it for auditions.
- United Artists Theater (now The Theatre at Ace Hotel) – This movie palace opened in 1927 with 2,214 seats. It was built to show movies from the United Artists group, started by Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and others. The theater's design was inspired by a church in Spain. Its columns have unique carvings related to film and theater. The inside has beautiful paintings. In 2013, the building was turned into a hotel, and the theater is now used for concerts and shows.
Other Theaters Nearby
Some other important theaters are close to the main Broadway district:
- Warner Bros. Downtown Theatre – This theater opened in 1920. It was first called the Pantages Theatre. It has a large domed tower on its corner. It later became the Warrens Theatre and now houses a jewelry market.
- Olympic Theatre – This movie palace opened in 1927. It was once a restaurant. For a time, it had a second entrance on Broadway. After being a chandelier store, it is now a clothing store.
- Mayan Theater – The Mayan opened in 1927. It is now a nightclub and is a Historic Cultural Monument. It can hold 1,491 people.
- Belasco Theatre – This theater opened in 1926 for live plays. It was used as a church for many years. It was renovated in 2011 and is now a modern performance venue. It can hold 1,601 people.
Theaters That Are Gone
Some theaters in the area were torn down over the years:
- Majestic Theatre, opened in 1908 with 1,600 seats. It was torn down in 1933. Today, high-end fashion stores stand on its site.
- Mason Theatre, opened in 1903 as the Mason Opera House. It had 1,600 seats. It was torn down in 1955.
- Paramount Theatre, opened in 1923 as Grauman’s Metropolitan Theatre. It closed in 1960 and was torn down in 1962. An office building now stands there.
- RKO Hillstreet Theatre, opened in 1922. It closed in 1963 and was torn down in 1965. Now, a residential and retail complex is on the site.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles
- Broadway (Los Angeles) - more about the buildings in the historic districts
- Central Business District, Los Angeles (1880-1899) - the business district of Los Angeles before it moved south along Broadway
