Tiffany Theater facts for kids
Tiffany Theater in 1980 and 2011
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| Location | 8532 West Sunset Boulevard West Hollywood, California United States |
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| Coordinates | 34°05′38″N 118°22′38″W / 34.093827°N 118.3772356°W |
| Type | Theater |
| Genre(s) | Movie theater, playhouse |
| Construction | |
| Opened | November 2, 1966 |
| Closed | 2004 |
| Demolished | August 8, 2013 |
| Construction cost | $250,000 |
| Architect | Jack Edwards |
The Tiffany Theater was a famous movie and live performance theater in West Hollywood, California. It was the very first theater built on the exciting Sunset Strip. Before it became a theater, the building was even seen on a TV show called 77 Sunset Strip as a detective's office!
Contents
The Tiffany Theater's History
The Tiffany Theater first opened its doors on November 2, 1966. It was owned by a producer named Robert L. Lippert and a theater expert named Harold Goldman. The theater had 400 seats, designed for "maximum audience viewing and comfort."
Early Days and Unique Design
The building was originally built in 1935. Architect Jack Edwards designed the theater's new look. The entrance was unique, located to the right of the screen in the middle of the room. This split the audience area into two long sections. Building the Tiffany cost $250,000, which was a lot of money for a theater back then!
The Tiffany Theater appeared in some films shortly after it opened. You can see it in the documentary The Forbidden. It also shows up in the 1967 movie Point Blank.
By 1968, the Tiffany started hosting live shows. An improv comedy group called The Committee performed there. Some future stars like Howard Hessman and Rob Reiner were part of this group. Later, plays like As You Like It and "Man and Wife" were shown.
New Owners and Movie Revivals
In the summer of 1971, the Tiffany tried a special deal: two movies for only 49 cents! The theater closed for a while in the mid-1970s. But it reopened on March 16, 1977, as a place to show classic and art-house films. A film fan named Tommy Cooper leased it.
The first films shown at the reopened Tiffany were old Sherlock Holmes movies. It also showed the 1953 3D film Kiss Me Kate, which hadn't been seen in over 20 years. Tommy Cooper ran other classic movie theaters in Los Angeles too.
The Golden Age of Rocky Horror
On June 10, 1977, something special began: The Rocky Horror Picture Show started playing at midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. The Tiffany quickly became a very popular spot for Rocky Horror fans. It also showed many other great movies, both old and new.
Before people could rent movies at home, the Tiffany was known for showing excellent copies of classic films. These included old musicals and rock films. You might see a big movie like Lawrence of Arabia one week, then a rock concert film like The Song Remains the Same the next.
Amazing 3D Movies
One cool thing about the Tiffany was its perfect setup for showing 3D movies. The theater's angle made the 3D effects look amazing. The Tiffany often showed rare 3D films, including:
- Kiss Me Kate
- It Came From Outer Space
- Gorilla at Large
- The Mad Magician
- Inferno
- House of Wax
- Dial M for Murder
The theater's layout also made the Rocky Horror experience even better. The screen was low, and there was a perfect aisle in the middle. This allowed audience members to create fun shadow images on the screen with their hands and props.
A Special Place for Fans
As Rocky Horror grew more popular, more shows were added, sometimes even at 2 AM. The Tiffany was famous for its energetic audience participation. People would dress up and act out scenes from the movie. Sometimes, a real motorcycle would even ride around the theater during a song!
Because of all the excitement, many news outlets started reporting on the wild activities at the Tiffany. Many fans said that waiting in line outside the theater was just as much fun as watching the movie itself!
The Tiffany's staff and management created a very friendly atmosphere. Many staff members were actually fans who regularly attended the shows. This helped create a "party" vibe, especially with so many repeat visitors. For many years, the midnight shows were completely sold out every week.
Some famous people even visited the Tiffany's Rocky Horror screenings. Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon, who starred in the movie, came and signed a poster in the lobby. Barry Bostwick, another star, visited in 1981. He even gave the theater a pair of original underwear he wore in the film! Other celebrities like Jane Fonda and David Carradine were also seen there.
The End of an Era
By 1983, home video rentals were becoming very popular. This meant fewer people were going to revival theaters like the Tiffany. Also, Rocky Horror was playing in more theaters, which reduced the Tiffany's main income.
Tommy Cooper's lease ended in 1983. The Tiffany Theater closed its doors after its last midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on March 13, 1983. Many items from the theater's lobby, including the signed poster and the framed underwear, were auctioned off that night.
Live Performances
The Tiffany Theater was then changed to become a place for live plays. It reopened in June 1985 as two separate, smaller theaters. These theaters became a home for many respected performances. Some well-known actors, or actors who would soon become famous, performed there.
Famous Shows and Stars
One of the most notable shows was an updated version of The Rocky Horror Show (the stage play). It opened on January 29, 1999, and starred David Arquette. This was interesting because the original Rocky Horror Show first opened in the US at the Roxy Theater, which was just a few blocks away on the Sunset Strip.
Many other plays and musicals were performed at the Tiffany. Here are some of the famous people who appeared in shows there:
- 1989: Courteney Cox in King of Hearts
- 1992: Helen Mirren in Woman in Mind
- 1992: Lisa Kudrow and Norman Reedus in Maps for Drowner's
- 1992: Jason Alexander in Give 'Em Hell, Harry
- 1994: Kyra Sedgwick in Oleanna
- 1994: Mary Steenburgen in Marvin's Room
- 1996: Leonard Nimoy directed The Apple Doesn't Fall Far Drom The Tree
- 1996: Jane Kaczmarek in Kindertransport
- 1997: Joan Van Ark in Star Dust
- 1999: David Arquette in The Rocky Horror Show
- 2000: Glenne Headly in Detachments
- 2001: David Proval in Seltzer-Man
The Theater's Final Chapter
The outside of the Tiffany Theater stayed mostly the same until May 1997. Then, it closed for improvements inside and a new look outside. It reopened in September of that year.
In 1999, there was talk of moving the theater as part of a big new building project. This project was delayed for many years. The Tiffany continued to be a live theater until 2002. In 2004, it briefly became home to the Actors Studio, but it closed permanently at the end of that year. It remained empty until 2013.
On August 8, 2013, work began to tear down the Tiffany and nearby buildings. This was to make way for a new hotel and apartment complex. On August 26, the historic sign letters from the Tiffany were saved by the Valley Relics Museum and a preservation group. Volunteers carefully removed the letters while former fans watched. These letters are now on display at the Valley Relics Museum.
The demolition of the Tiffany Theater was finished on August 30, 2013. Today, all that remains of the historic block is a marker on the sidewalk. It shows where the TV show 77 Sunset Strip was filmed.
