Hollywood Pacific Theatre facts for kids
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Hollywood Pacific Theatre
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Hollywood Pacific Theatre in 2010
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
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| Location | 6433 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, California |
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| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | G. Albert Lansburgh |
| Architectural style | Spanish renaissance, Beaux-Arts |
| Part of | Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District (ID85000704) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Designated CP | April 4, 1985 |
The Hollywood Pacific Theatre is a famous building in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It has been known by many names, including Warner Theatre and Warner Cinerama. This historic spot at 6433 Hollywood Boulevard has been an office, a shop, and a place for fun. It is most famous for its movie theater. Different companies owned the theater over the years, like Warner Bros., Stanley Warner Theatres, and Pacific Theatres.
Contents
History of the Theatre
How it Started
The building was first called the Warner Bros. Theatre. It was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh, a famous architect. He had designed many other theaters before this one. The building cost about $2 million to build in 1928.
The movie theater inside was very special. It was the first movie theater in Hollywood made especially for sound films. It opened on April 26, 1928. More than 2,700 people could sit inside. The first movie shown was Glorious Betsy. This opening was a big step for Warner Brothers. They wanted to compete with other big theaters nearby. The entrance and lobby of the theater had beautiful Spanish-style decorations.
Besides the theater, the building had other cool features. There was a nursery for babies, a small hospital, and a lounge. It also had shops, offices, and a large radio studio. Radio station KFWB used this studio. Soon after opening, two tall radio masts were added to the building. The station's letters were shown on these masts.
New Owners and Changes
In 1949, a court decision changed how movie studios worked. It stopped big film studios from owning movie theaters. So, in 1953, Warner Brothers had to sell its theaters. The Hollywood Pacific Theatre then went to a company called Stanley Warner Theatres. This company later joined with another to become RKO Stanley Warner.
In the 1950s, theaters faced competition from television. To attract people, they started using widescreen technology. This theater was one of the few in Hollywood big enough for Cinerama. After some updates, it reopened as Warner Cinerama on April 29, 1953. The new screen was huge, about 28 feet tall and 76 feet wide. To fit the bigger screen, the number of seats was reduced to about 1,500.
The first film shown at Warner Cinerama was This is Cinerama. It was very popular and made a lot of money. Other Cinerama films like Cinerama Holiday and Seven Wonders of the World also played there for many weeks.
In 1961, the theater was updated again to show 70 mm film. In 1968, Pacific Theatres bought the building. They renamed it the Hollywood Pacific Theatre. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, two famous films by Stanley Kubrick played for a long time here. These were 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange.
In January 1978, the theater closed for more changes. The balcony area was turned into two smaller screens, each with 550 seats. The theater reopened in April 1978. It was then called Pacific 1-2-3.
Carol Burnett's Star
In the 1950s, a young Carol Burnett worked as an usherette at this theater. One time, she told two people arriving late for a movie to wait for the next showing. She did not want them to spoil the ending for others. The manager saw this and fired her. Years later, when Carol Burnett got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she asked for it to be placed right in front of this theater. Her star is at 6439 Hollywood Blvd., near the entrance.
Becoming a Historical Landmark
In 1984, the Hollywood Pacific Theatre became part of a special district. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means the building is important to history. In 1993, the building was also named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
Closing as a Cinema
On August 15, 1994, the theater stopped showing movies full-time. This happened because of damage from an earthquake in 1994. There was also water damage during the building of the B Line subway. The balcony sections of the theater are still closed today because of safety concerns.
From 2000 to 2006, the building was used for new technology. The University of Southern California used it to test digital movie projectors. This work helped make digital cinema possible.
From 2008 to 2013, a church called Ecclesia Hollywood Church used the building. Since then, the building has been empty. The owners say it would cost too much money to fix it up.
Architecture and Design
The Hollywood Pacific Theatre is made of strong concrete. It has beautiful decorations made of cast concrete. The building shows off a fancy Spanish Renaissance style. This includes detailed metalwork, special Spanish designs, and windows placed between decorative columns.
See also
- List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Hollywood
- List of contributing properties in the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
Images for kids
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The Warner Theatre in 1928.
