Tower Theatre (Los Angeles) facts for kids
Exterior of Los Angeles' Tower Theatre, 2017
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| Former names | Newsreel Theater Music Hall Downtown |
|---|---|
| Address | 800 S. Broadway |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 34°02′36″N 118°15′16″W / 34.043375°N 118.254444°W |
| Owner | Broadway Theater Group |
| Type | Movie theatre |
| Capacity | 906 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 12, 1927 |
| Renovated | 1965 |
| Architect | S. Charles Lee |
| Architectural style(s) | Baroque Revival |
| Reference no. | 450 |
The Tower Theatre is a really old movie theater in Downtown Los Angeles. It first opened its doors way back in 1927. It's a special part of the Broadway Theater District, which has many historic theaters.
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History of the Tower Theatre
The Tower Theatre is located on South Broadway and West Eighth Street. A person named H.L. Gumbiner asked for it to be built. He also helped build the Los Angeles Theatre a few years later in 1931.
First Design by S. Charles Lee
The Tower Theatre was the very first theater designed by a famous architect named S. Charles Lee. It could seat about 900 people, even though it was built on a small piece of land. The theater replaced an older one called the Garrick Theatre.
Unique Architecture and Features
The Tower Theatre was built in a fancy style called Baroque Revival. It mixed ideas from French, Spanish, Moorish, and Italian designs. All these cool details were made from a material called terra-cotta. The inside of the theater looked a lot like the famous Paris Opera House. Outside, you can see a tall clock tower. The very top part of this tower was removed after an earthquake.
Innovations in Film
The Tower Theatre was very modern for its time. It was the first movie theater in Los Angeles to be set up for talking pictures. This means it was one of the first places where people could watch movies with sound! It even showed a special early screening of The Jazz Singer in 1927, which was a revolutionary movie with sound. The Tower Theatre was also the first theater in Los Angeles to have air conditioning, keeping moviegoers cool.
Opening and Later Years
When the theater first opened in 1927, it showed a silent film called The Gingham Girl. In the early 1950s, its name was changed for a while to the Newsreel Theater. The Tower Theatre stopped showing movies in 1988.
Filming Location for Movies and TV
The Tower Theatre has been a popular spot for filming! You can see its outside or inside in many movies and TV shows, including:
- The Omega Man (1971)
- The Mambo Kings (1992)
- Last Action Hero (1993)
- Fight Club (1999)
- Coyote Ugly (2000)
- Mulholland Drive (2001)
- The Prestige (2006)
- Transformers (2007)
- Twin Peaks (3rd season, 2017)
- Nike, Inc. Dream Crazy (2018 ad)
Special Landmark Status
The Tower Theatre is considered a very important building in Los Angeles. It has been named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, known as HCM #450. This means it's protected because of its history and unique design.
What is the Tower Theatre Now?
Like many old theaters in Downtown Los Angeles, the Tower Theatre was empty for many years. This happened because people started going to movies in other parts of Los Angeles, like Hollywood Boulevard. For a while, the front lobby was rented out to different shops. The main theater area was even used by a church.
Apple Store Renovation
In 2015, news came out that Apple was interested in using the Tower Theatre for a new store. A few years later, in 2018, The Los Angeles Times reported that Apple was planning to fix up the building. They even showed a picture of what the new store would look like. The newly fixed-up building opened on June 24, 2021, as a special Apple Store. It's now one of the main Apple Stores in Los Angeles.
See Also
