Pages about the Warner Hollywood: an overview | street views 1926 to 1954 | street views 1955 to present | main lobby | basement lounge | upper lobby areas | recent auditorium views | vintage auditorium views | stage | stage basement | other basement areas | booth and attic |
A look from the rear of the main floor. Thanks to Matt Lambros for this 2017 photo, one that appeared on his After the Final Curtain Facebook page. This photo and many more appear with his post about the Warner on his blog AftertheFinalCurtain.net.
A view from the rear of the auditorium during its time in use for church services. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A photo by William Kallay of the front of the draped main floor auditorium taken when the theatre was being used as a test venue for early digital projectors. Thanks to From Script To DVD, a site curated by Michael Coate and William Kallay, for the photo. It's on their Warner Hollywood page where you'll also find many more photos of the theatre.
Looking toward house right:
Thanks to John Hough and Mark Mulhall for this 2017 photo. Visit their ever-growing website OrnateTheatres.com for terrific collections of photos they've taken of many Los Angeles area theatres as well as others around the country.
Looking toward house right:
Thanks to John Hough and Mark Mulhall for this 2017 photo. Visit their ever-growing website OrnateTheatres.com for terrific collections of photos they've taken of many Los Angeles area theatres as well as others around the country.
Notice the missing sections of molding on the centerline of the balcony
soffit forward of the large art glass fixtures as well as back closer to
the current projection booth. These gaps mark the location of the
center booth for the second time Cinerama was installed in the theatre,
in 1962.
Across the front of the main floor. The ceiling area in front of the proscenium, as viewed from the main floor, is just a strange sloping pink area and then a black void. Photo: Matt Lambros - After the Final Curtain - 2017
Across the front of the main floor. The ceiling area in front of the proscenium, as viewed from the main floor, is just a strange sloping pink area and then a black void. Photo: Matt Lambros - After the Final Curtain - 2017
At
the front of the main floor looking up. At the right, the pink area is the underside of the balcony. The black is the area extended forward
from the balcony rail to provide a screen area for the two upstairs
theatres. At the upper left we see the track and valance for the main
floor theatre's curtain. photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The view across from the house left side aisle. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography
site for tech data and hundreds of terrific photos of the theatres he's
explored. And don't miss his page on the Warner Hollywood.
An imagined look up to the balcony. It's a June 2017 image by Wendell Benedetti appearing on the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Facebook page. The visit was part of a tour during the Theatre Historical Society of America Los Angeles Conclave.
Wendell notes: "For those of you wondering why we visited the Hollywood Warner Theatre, here is a composite image featuring what we saw (lower color section) with the original balcony and ceiling (black and white upper section. Credit: Mott Studio). This is what the theater could have looked like today had it not been triplexed." Thanks, Wendell!
The closed off house right organ grille area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
A proscenium plaster detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
The house right wall near the proscenium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
An earlier view when the drapes were still in place. Thanks to Ken Roe for this 2005 photo appearing in his Pacific Hollywood set on Flickr.
Along the house right wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
A plaster detail at the head of the side aisle. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
A plaster detail at the head of the side aisle. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The 1978 vintage booth and the rear of the auditorium house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Another view showing the location of the 1962 version of the center Cinerama booth as seen by the missing sections of molding on the balcony soffit. In addition to the trim in front of the large art glass fixtures and back near the front wall of the later booth, note a bit of a patched cutout at the front of the soffit in the upper center of the image.
House right at the rear in the days with more drapes in place. Thanks to Ken Roe for his 2005 photo, one from his Pacific Hollywood set on Flickr.
The balcony soffit art glass. Thanks to Ken Roe for the 2005 photo, one from his Pacific Hollywood set on Flickr.
Another view of the balcony soffit art glass. Thanks to Bob Meza for his 2003 photo, appearing on the Cinema Tour page for the Hollywood Pacific.
A house right wall detail. Thanks to the Friends of the Hollywood Pacific Theatre Facebook page for the photo.
Another view of the balcony soffit art glass. Thanks to Bob Meza for his 2003 photo, appearing on the Cinema Tour page for the Hollywood Pacific.
The house right wall at the rear of the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
A house right wall detail. Thanks to the Friends of the Hollywood Pacific Theatre Facebook page for the photo.
Back in the corner house right. That's part of the booth seen on the right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
A balcony soffit plaster detail at the rear of the main floor house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A house right side aisle plaster detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The house right side aisle:
The
lobby wraps around the oval auditorium and turns into the the side
aisles. Here we're house right looking up toward the main part of the
lobby. The exits at the left go out into an open exit passageway along
the east side of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A house right side aisle plaster detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A side aisle light fixture. Thanks to the Friends of the Hollywood Pacific Theatre Facebook page for the photo.
Looking at house left:
A look across to the left wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
A view with the drapes still in place. It's a 2010 photo by Cinema Treasures contributor Hollywood 90038. It was once on the site's page for what they call the Pacific 1-2-3 but seems to have vanished from that photo collection.
Plasterwork near the screen. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
A look up into the void. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The view across from the house right side aisle. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
A look up into the void. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The view across from the house right side aisle. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The organ grille area house left. The pink thing at the left is the now simplified look of the balcony soffit. At the top right of the photo we get the black ceiling that's the underside of the screen area for the two upstairs theatres. Hanging in front of the organ grille area is an orange valance that gives you an idea of how far the traveler once extended -- around to the front of the balcony. On the right here's a tiny bit showing of the (smaller) screen that's currently installed. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Plasterwork just downstage of the proscenium arch. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A closer look at plasterwork near the proscenium house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The sidewall just to the left of the proscenium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Along the sidewall house left toward the rear of the main floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The back of the main floor house left. That's the booth entrance door on the left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A detail of one of the chandeliers at the rear of the main floor. Thanks to Irwin Fletcher. It's one of six photos in his 2007 Hollywood Pacific set on Flickr.
In the main floor booth:
This booth dates from the 1978 triplexing project. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2013
Another front wall view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
Looking toward the back wall of the main floor booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
Another backwall view. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2013. Thanks, Michelle!
Plasterwork at the back of the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
Another detail of the ornament. See the booth and attic page for views of the original projection booth upstairs.Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
Up in the balcony:
The rear of the balcony from the house left vomitory on the mid-balcony crossaisle. The draped wall at the left of the photo is one installed in 1978 when the balcony was walled off from the main floor and turned into two separate theatres. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Looking up at the rear of the balcony from from the lower crossaisle house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The balcony can be accessed from three different levels. The two lower exits (such as the one just out of the frame to the right) go to small vestibules and then down to the house right and left ends of the main lobby. The mid-balcony lobby serves as access for both the exits at the ends of the crossaisles (here seen halfway up the right edge of the photo) as well as the three vomitories in the middle of the balcony. The exits at the top of the aisles go out to an upper balcony lobby.
The balcony can be accessed from three different levels. The two lower exits (such as the one just out of the frame to the right) go to small vestibules and then down to the house right and left ends of the main lobby. The mid-balcony lobby serves as access for both the exits at the ends of the crossaisles (here seen halfway up the right edge of the photo) as well as the three vomitories in the middle of the balcony. The exits at the top of the aisles go out to an upper balcony lobby.
The mid-balcony vomitory house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The end of the crossaisle house left. This exit and the three mid-balcony crossaisle vomitories all lead out to the mid-balcony level lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A look in from the lower entrance house right. That's the original balcony rail in front of the seats. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The center wall. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The rear of the house right auditorium. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The house right rear section. The draped wall at the right divides the two balcony theatres. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The house right side. The lower exit gets you to the mid balcony lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Another look toward the rear of the balcony house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The house right rear chandelier. We're looking forward from the rear of the house toward the beginning of the skydome just beyond the pink drop-down hiding the original decorative arch. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The decorative arch at the rear house right. That's the auditorium sidewall at the right. The greenish plaster area is the once cove-lit skydome. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A bit of hollow tile wall damage at the rear of the auditorium house right. Beyond, we're looking into the attic space east of the projection booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Looking forward at the beginning of the main ceiling cove house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A ceiling moulding detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
An exit sign at the top of an aisle house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Looking along the house left colonnade toward the rear of the house. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Looking along the house left colonnade toward the screen. The red T-bar ceiling below the original sky dome was installed during the triplexing by Pacific Theatres. Previous operator Stanley-Warner had done an earlier suspended ceiling configuration down at a lower level when the house was still a single screen Cinerama venue.
Above the top of the decorative plaster are strip lights and floods in a cove to illuminate the "sky" ceiling. Evidently no stars -- but there were cloud machines. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Above the top of the decorative plaster are strip lights and floods in a cove to illuminate the "sky" ceiling. Evidently no stars -- but there were cloud machines. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The rear end of the main ceiling cove on the house left wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A conquistador on the house left wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A house left wall detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The house right wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The house right wall. Thanks to Irwin Fletcher for his 2007 photo. His Hollywood Pacific set on
Flickr includes also includes some lobby ceiling details.
A view down from the top of the house right balcony theatre. Again thanks to Irwin Fletcher. It's one of six photos in his 2007 Hollywood Pacific set on
Flickr.
Another look at an arch along the house left wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A house right wall detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A house left wall exit sign. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Decorative plaster above the dropped ceiling along the house right wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A Spanish maiden on the wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The screen area in the house left theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The west wall in the house right theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Seating in the house right theatre. The house left theatre has older Heywood Wakefield seats from the 40s or 50s. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A sidewall detail near the screen house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Behind the curtains in the
house left theatre, looking up at the west end of the curtain track. And
to the right of the arch notice there's a set of cove lights. Photo:
Bill Counter - 2012
The sidewall down front in the house left theatre. The original balcony rail is visible in front of the front row of seats. An area has been built out beyond that to allow space for the draperies, screen and speakers. The exit we see goes out into a small vestibule and then to stairs down to the house left side of the main lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
In front of the balcony rail in the house right theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The sidewall near the screen in the house left theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A detail of the house right wall just behind the balcony rail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Around the east end of the screen in the house right theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Behind the screen in the house right theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Behind the east end of the screen in the house right theatre. The seating area is behind us. All that pink is left over from the Cinerama paint job the theatre got (when it was still a single screen). In the upper left is the edge of the screen frame. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Backstage in the house right balcony theatre looking up along the side wall toward the house right end of the curtain track. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Almost a real atmospheric:
Hillsman Wright, of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation, notes that the Warner Hollywood is as close as Los Angeles got to having an atmospheric theatre -- even if there were no stars in the ceiling. Yes, there were cloud machines -- 4 of them.
The house in the early 70s:
On Cinema Treasures Stephen Adams, assistant manager under Managing Director Jack Tate between 1971 and 1973, notes: "At that time, the Cinerama installed drapes and suspended ceiling were still in place, along with three projection booths on the main floor. Behind the drapes and lowered ceiling, the theatre’s 4/28 Marr and Colton theatre organ was still installed, although it barely operated.
Originally, the house was equipped with a seating monitor. Cinerama replaced all seats in the newly-draped house, and removed the ornate display board located in the former entry vestibule to a basement storage room.
In the 1970s the Hollywood Pacific was a first run house, and often a hard ticket 'road show' showcase. The theatre was maintained beautifully, and watched carefully by a stagehand, engineer, and full theatre staff.
Pacific Theatres' home office was then located on the third floor where Warner Brothers Theatres offices were located. A viewing box at the rear of the balcony could be accessed from these offices, though in 1972 it was well above the suspended ceiling installed in the latter-day Cinerama era."
Current draping:
The orange drapes in the main floor and balcony auditoria date from the Pacific Theatres 1978 remodeling.
About the Warner Hollywood:
| an overview | street views 1926 to 1954 | street views 1955 to present | main lobby | basement lounge | upper lobby areas | back to top - recent auditorium views | vintage auditorium views | stage | stage basement | other basement areas | booth and attic | all warner hollywood posts |
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How much would I like for this theater to be restored to a single screen house! I loved working as a projectionist here. I’ve been throughout this theater. Someone please restore this to its atmospheric best. It would make an extraordinary place for TCM or some film society to celebrate filmmaking.
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