Los Angeles Theatres: Pantages: street views 1929 to 1954

Pantages: street views 1929 to 1954

1929 - A May 1st Mott Studios photo from the California State Library showing the deco construction fence up and work beginning. It's the Library's item # 001433414.

1929 - The Pantages project is on the right in this California State Library photo of the initial tower of the Bank of Hollywood Building, on the northeast corner of Hollywood and Vine. Thanks to Scott Collette for locating this for a post about the building on his Forgotten Los Angeles Facebook page. He notes that this first tower was completed in 1929. The second tower, to the north, went up in 1930 and in 1931 the structure was renamed the Equitable Building. See Scott's post for additional photos.

1929 - A detail Scott extracted from the Equitable building shot. He notes that the signage on the construction fence says that the Wm. Simpson Construction Co. was building the theatre. The billboard farther in the distance advises us that the property is part of the Bartlett Tract. Thanks, Scott!

1929 - Here we get an October 1 Mott Studios look at the steel framing rising for the Pantages from the Tom B'hend and Preston Kaufmann Collection, part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library Digital Collection.

1929 - A California Historical Society photo from the collection of Jim Lewis that was taken in December. It appears on the USC Digital Library website.

1930 - A nice shot of the crowd gathering for the June 4 opening. It's a photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. They also have a boxoffice view taken opening week.

The inaugural film was Marion Davies in "The Florodora Girl." The stage portion of the program was the Fanchon & Marco "Rose Garden Idea" and Slim Martin leading the Pantages orchestra. This opening film ran all of 8 days. It was replaced on June 12 with Edward Everett Horton in "Once a Gentleman" along with Gene Morgan in the F & M "Romance Idea."

1930 - A look at the marquee with the theatre running "The Texan" with Gary Cooper and Fay Wray. The Mott Studios photo is in the California State Library's set # 001407754.

Note how different the changeable neon marquee letters look in the daytime with the appearance of dark letters against a lighter background. And, this is fun: note the I-beam sticking out from the facade above the marquee. Evidently the vertical sign had problems and it was taken off the building for repairs. Neon sign veteran Brian M. Currie notes that one of the sign contractors was QRS Sign Co. Also see an ad for the manufacturers of the vertical and the changeable neon letters, Metlox Corporation of Manhattan Beach.

1930 - A detail of the changeable neon letters from the previous Mott Studios photo. "The Texan" opened June 19 along with the Fanchon & Marco "Seeing Double Idea." The show beginning June 26 was Nancy Carroll in "The Devil's Holiday" and the F & M "Country Club Idea."

1930 - A corner view from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Note the view of the cooling tower on the stagehouse roof.

1930 - A fine Los Angeles Public Library photo of the Pantages signage during the run of "True To The Navy" with Clara Bow and Fredric March. It was a May release. Note the spidery neon design on the vertical between the letters. The letters are in a font called Hobo.

1930 - Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert in "The Big Pond," a May release. The Mott Studios photo is in the California State Library's set # 001407754. There's a cropped version in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their #T-041-15. Bob Foreman notes that the photo also makes an appearance in Volume 2 (1930) of "American Theatres of Today" by R.W. Seton and B.F. Betts. The two volume work was reissued in 2009 as a single volume by the Theatre Historical Society. It's available on Amazon.

1930 - A detail of the original treatment of the top of the vertical from the Mott Studios "The Big Pond" photo. Note that it's incandescent bulbs, not neon, inside the letters.

1930 - Looking at the east side of the marquee. Joan Crawford is in "Our Blushing Brides," a July release. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this one for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

1930 - A Mott Studios view from the California State Library collection nicely showing off the signage. It's in the Library's set # 001453758. Look at the changeable neon letters on the marquee: "The Exquisite Star -- The Smartest Picture - Norma Shearer 'Let Us Be Gay.'" It was an August release.

1930 - A detail of the animated top of the sign from the Mott Studios "Let Us Be Gay" photo. Note that cute star they've added on the top of the tower behind. The top would be replaced with a much simpler version around 1936 and an "RKO" after that circuit got the house in 1949. Later it would say "Pacific's" after their acquisition in 1968.

More 1930 Mott Studios photos: The California State Library has about 200, although organized randomly and with many duplicates. Scroll down to the bottom of the vintage auditorium views page for a list of their sets that have Pantages photos.

1930 - In this Los Angeles Public Library photo the theatre is playing "Tom Sawyer" with Jackie Coogan, a December release. It's also in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection.

1930 - Another shot taken during the run of "Tom Sawyer" from the Tom B'hend and Preston Kaufmann Collection, part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library Digital Collection. In addition to "Tom Sawyer" you got Slim Martin and the Greater Pantages Orchestra and the Fanchon & Marco idea "Topical Tunes."

1930 - Deco was the style for the Christmas trees that year. The second tower was up at the Bank of Hollywood Building. It's photo by Adelbert Bartlett appearing on Calisphere from the UCLA Adelbert Bartlett Papers Collection. You can also see a larger view on the UCLA Library website.

The building on the left, owned by Carl Laemmle, was advertising two November releases from Universal. "See America Thirst" was with Harry Langdon, Slim Summerville and Bessie Love. It opened at the RKO Hillstreet November 27. "The Cat Creeps" featured Helen Twelvetrees, Lilyan Tashman and Neil Hamilton. It was reviewed by the Times on December 7 and also played first-run at the Hillstreet.

1930 - A Christmas view toward the Pantages from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1930 - A busy traffic day during Christmas season. Henry's restaurant would later be remodeled into the Admiral Theatre, later known as the Vine. It's a Los Angeles Public Library photo.

1931 - The first known color image of the theatre, a frame from "Round About Hollywood." The seven minute short also offers views of the Warner and the Chinese. It's on Internet Archive from a print released by the UK firm Wardour Films done in the two-color Cinecolor process.

Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for spotting the footage online. He turned to Sophia Lorent, a curatorial assistant in the Moving Image Department at the George Eastman House, to determine the origin of the footage. The footage was shot in the last week of March of the first week of April. It appears that the street was blocked and bleachers set up for a premiere. Brian Michael McCray notes that there's a slightly longer version of this on YouTube from British Pathé.

1931 - A terrific view from the Los Angeles Public Library showing off the Pantages' changeable neon during the run of "Tarnished Lady," a May release with Tallulah Bankhead.

c.1931 - A lovely view down Vine toward the back of the theatre and, on the right, the newly renamed Equitable Building. It's a photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1931 - The east side of the building. The signage of the storefront on the corner said "General Electric Home Appliances." It's a photograph by Joseph E. Carter of the Dick Whittington Studio that's in the USC Digital Library collection.

1931 - "Theatre Auto Park." It's a detail from the previous photo. The doors go to the backstage freight elevator and a ramp down to the stage.

1931 - A closer look at the deco cooling tower. It's another detail from the Dick Whittington Studio image.

1931 - Another look toward the "Theatre Auto Park." This one, again from Dick Whittington Studio on the USC Digital Library website, is one in a portfolio of 11 images of properties around town owned by the Hugh Evans Co., some residential, some retail store buildings.

c.1931 - A lovely noirish look west toward the Pantages. The photo is included in the Angel City Press book "Spectacular Illumination: Neon Los Angeles 1925-1965" by Tom Zimmerman and Eric Lynxwiler. Thanks to Eric for also sharing the photo on Flickr.

Chris Nichols discussed the book and included this photo and other Hollywood views with his August 2016 Los Angeles magazine article "These Photos Will Transport You to a Neon-Soaked 1930s Hollywood." Also see Eric's 2016 book "Signs of Life: Los Angeles is the City of Neon."

1930s - A classy undated Los Angeles Public Library shot looking east along Hollywood Blvd. That Henry's restaurant building near us would be turned into the Admiral Theatre in 1940. Later it would be renamed the Vine.

1935 - A detail from a December 27 photo from Dick Whittington Studio that's in the USC Digital Library collection. The theatre was running "Sylvia Scarlet" with Katherine Hepburn. That's a "For Rent" sign in the window of the corner storefront. The photo was taken to document some sort of an accident that happened in that "safety zone" we see at the bottom of the image.

1936 - The banner was out for "These Three," a March release starring Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon and Joel McCrea. It's a California Historical Society photo appearing on the USC Digital Library website. Note the "Health Cafeteria" vertical on the corner space.

1936 - The May opening of James Whale's film of "Show Boat" before the marquee has been turned on. It's a Life Magazine photo on Google/Life Images where you can browse the Life Photo Archive. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor BifRayRock for finding this image and the two below for his Noirish post #40314.

1936 - The marquee lit for the "Show Boat" opening. It's a Life Magazine photo on Google Images.

1936 - A Life Magazine view from the sidelines at the "Show Boat" premiere. It's on Google/Life Images where you can browse the Life Photo Archive. Thanks to BifRayRock!

1936 - A Los Angeles Public Library view looking west. It looks like neon tubing may have been added along the sides of the vertical and note the work in progress at the top. The end panel of the marquee gives us no titles -- just advice that they're running two features with matinee and evening screenings. The photo also appears in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their #HB-181.

1937 - Another view west toward the Taft and Equitable buildings at Hollywood and Vine. More work was being done on revamping the top of the vertical. They were running "White Hunter," a November 1936 release, along with "We're On The Jury," out in February 1937. It's a photo from the American Automobile Association that's in the USC Digital Library collection. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

1937 - A postcard view of the Pantages. Note the revised version of the top of the vertical. The banner is advertising "23 1/2 Hours Leave," a March release starring Arthur Lake and James Ellison. Thanks to Brian Michael McCray for sharing the image of this particularly nice version of the card from his collection.

1937 - "New Faces of 1937" was a July release with Joe Penner, Milton Berle, Parkyakarkus and Harriet Hillyard. This shot appears on "The Red Cars and L.A.'s Transportation Past," a page from the USC Library. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting this for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

1937 - Looking west along Hollywood Blvd. in a photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. That's Argyle Ave. this side of the theatre. Noted theatre historian Kurt Wahlner comments that the banner, unreadable in the version of the photo that's online, says "Jack OAKIE - Ann SOTHERN - 'SUPER-SLEUTH.'" The co-feature was "Sweetheart of the Navy" with Eric Linden and Cecelia Parker. This bill opened July 13.

1937 - A street level "Super-Sleuth" view. This one is a photo from the Works Progress Administration collection at the Los Angeles Public Library.

1937 - A Herman Schultheis photo of the end of the marquee showing off the changeable neon letters in the font called Hobo. The movie is "100 Men and a Girl," a September release. The photo is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1937 - A Los Angeles Public Library collection photo by Herman Schultheis. The premiere at the Pantages was for "100 Men and a Girl." The Library has another similar view by Mr. Schultheis. Also see a 1937 boxoffice view by Mr. Schultheis.

c.1937 - Looking east from Ivar. It's a Herman Schultheis photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Thanks to Scott Collette for locating it for a Forgotten Los Angeles Facebook post that included several other Hollywood Christmas shots by Mr. Schultheis.

1938 - The Pantages was running "Vivacious Lady" with Ginger Rogers and Jimmy Stewart. The film's premiere was May 10. Thanks to the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for the photo, their #HB-206. It's one of 219 in their album "Hollywood Boulevard 1899-1940."

1938 - A "Vivacious Lady" shot by the Dick Whittington Studio that's in the USC Digital Library collection.

1938 - "Swell!" It's a detail from the Dick Whittington photo. The "Pantages" letters on the vertical were still incandescent at the time of the photo.

1939 - A look toward Vine from the Dick Whittington Studio. The Pantages has a banner out for the February release "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man" with W.C. Fields, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. The photo is in the USC Digital Library collection.

1939 - A sweet view of the August world premiere for John M. Stahl's "When Tomorrow Comes" starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. Note those great Hobo font changeable neon letters. Thanks to the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation for sharing the photo, one acquired from Marc Wanamaker's Bison Archives. A version of it has also been seen on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page as a post by Ken McIntyre. It's also in the AMPAS Tom B'hend - Preston Kaufmann Collection.

1939 - The "When Tomorrow Comes" premiere from across the street. The photo was discovered by Ken McIntyre for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. See a wider view from this angle on the Historic Hollywood Photographs website, their PRM-005-3.

1941 - A Bettman Archives shot of the Friday, November 21 Christmas parade. The Pantages was running "You'll Never Get Rich" with Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth along with "Texas," an October release with William Holden and Glenn Ford. Thanks to Martin Pal for locating this in the Getty Images collection. The illuminated Christmas trees were removed shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

1941 - A detail from the parade photo. A bit difficult to see here but note the new custom font of milk glass letters. Until 1939 the theatre was using changeable neon letters on their readerboards. The new ones were in the same Hobo font that had been used for the neon letters and is also the style used on the vertical. Also of interest is the nice view of the "Spaghetti" vertical for the Italian Kitchen on the far end of the theatre building.

1942 - A photo by Waldemar Sievers. Thanks to Phillip Cutler for locating it for a post on his Classic Hollywood/Los Angeles/SFV Facebook page. It can also be seen on the art poster sites Pixels and FineArtAmerica where they'll sell you a print or the image on a coffee mug. Glen Norman comments: "'Nightmare' is playing at the Pantages--a November, 1942 release. It began its run on December 2. Non-illuminated Santas replaced the metal Christmas Trees for the war years 1942, 1943, and 1944. The street lights are also wearing their wartime Blackout/Dimout caps."

1943 - A Maynard Parker view from the Huntington Library. The program was Deanna Durbin in "The Amazing Mrs. Holliday" from Universal along with RKO's "The Great Gildersleeve" starring Harold Peary and Jane Darwell. Head to the larger view on the Huntington site and then you can zoom in for details. Bruce Kimmel notes that this bill opened March 18.

1943 - This detail from the Maynard Parker photo gives us a look at the west storefronts as well as the new milk glass readerboard letters. In retail space #4, closest to the theatre entrance, it was Louque Gowns. Earlier that location had been Fink's Apparel, a ladies dress and millinery shop.

Of course, we're looking for the Frolic Room. The awning on space #3 that they would later occupy here says "Cafe." In 1932 the cafe, then called Halgren's Fountain-Cafe, "specializing in home cooked foods," was one of many merchants who bought a Citizen-News ad the day of the theatre's October 20 reopening. In the 1939 city directory it was listed as a confectionery and in a photo that year there's a Coca-Cola sign above the awning. The earliest photo of the space as the Frolic Room is a seriously angled McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs shot taken on VJ Day in 1945. While the neon is recognizable, the facade around it, as seen in a 1946 LAPL photo, was very light in color. The present darker look with added neon as a background to the lettering didn't appear until later in the 40s, as seen in a 1949 LAPL photo.

Brian Michael McCray has a comment about the awnings: "My friend George, who worked at Mitchell's, next to Stromberg's in the Warner Pacific told me some really interesting Blvd. info that never would have occurred to me. The south side of the street has higher rent than the north side, because until recently, all the parking lots were on the south side, and the sun shined into the north side all year and faded window displays, so you either had damaged merch, or you had to have an awning to block the sun on the north side. So you got a rent discount."

1943 - A detail of the signage from the Maynard Parker photo.

1943 - A closer look at the interesting pattern on the metal background between the letters.

1943 - The Pantages running "White Savage," a film with Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Sabu that had an April 8 premiere. It's a photo from the collection of Hollywood Heritage, one of many items on display at the organization's DeLongpre Annex, 6411 Hollywood Blvd.

It's the Italian Kitchen in the corner space with "Spaghetti" on a repurposed vertical sign. The earliest glimpse we have of it as the Italian Kitchen is a shot taken during the November 1941 Christmas parade showing the revamped vertical. See a nice drawing on a menu cover located by Kurt Wahlner and June 1943 and April 1944 Citizen-News ads located by Lisa Kouza Braddock.

In a 1930 LAPL photo there was paper in the windows indicating it would be a cafe -- evidently never opened. Later it's seen as a GE appliance store in a photo from "Spectacular Illumination" by Zimmerman and Lynxwiler. It has for rent signage in the window in a 1935 USC Digital Library photo. Later it was the Hollywood Health Cafeteria. The "Health Cafeteria" vertical sign can be seen in a 1936 USC collection photo and on a 1937 postcard. In 1938 it became the Vegeteria. See an April 1938 Citizen-News ad located by Lisa Kouza Braddock.

1944 - A view with the theatre running Abbott & Costello film "In Society," an August release. It's a photo in the collection of Hollywood Heritage. Richard Adkins, president of the organization, notes that the photo was previously in the collection of ABC, once headquartered on Vine St. It was one of a number of items they were going to put in the trash that he rescued when he worked there.

On the left note the Hitching Post with the banner proclaiming it an "All Western Theatre." This one also appears in the McAvoy family's Historic Hollywood Photographs collection as their #HB-245, included as one of 226 photos in their gallery Hollywood Boulevard 1941-1990.

1944 - A closer look at the Italian Kitchen on the corner. The photo is from the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their #RN-079-2. The theatre was running "The Princess and the Pirate," a November release with Bob Hope. The link will also take you to another 1944 corner shot, #RN-079-1. Thanks to Martin Pal for including the photos on his Noirish Los Angeles post #21142.

1945 - Looking east from Hollywood & Vine in an August 14 VJ day photo shared on a Martin Turnbull blog post. It also appears in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection as #VJ-007. It's one of nineteen taken of the celebrations that day from the collection.

1945 - The McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection includes this August 14 look east toward the Pantages as celebrations are underway for VJ Day. It's their item VJ-001. The photo has also made an appearance on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. Hard to tell but it looks like the Frolic Room has arrived in retail space 3.

1946 - The California State Library collection includes this postcard looking east from Vine St. It's their item # 001438684. The Pantages was running "The Kid From Brooklyn" with Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. The film opened July 4.

1946 - A detail from the California State Library's "The Kid From Brooklyn" card. Yes, the Frolic Room signage can be seen in the third storefront space.

1946 - A nice postcard view added to the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page by Jon Haimowitz. Note the Hitching Post Theatre on the south side of the street. The "Twin Hits" playing at the Pantages were the noir film "Deadline at Dawn" with Susan Hayward and Paul Lukas along with "Tarzan and the Leopard Woman." In an August 16 review of the program the L.A. Times described this as "a strange pairing."

1946 - A view east toward the theatre from the Los Angeles Public Library Blackstock Negative Collection.

1946 - "Notorious" on the marquee. Thanks to Christina Rice, Senior Librarian at the LAPL Photo Collection, for extracting this detail from the photo above. The film opened August 22.

1946 - A wonderful uncredited Los Angeles Public Library view looking west with the Pantages playing "The Jolson Story." The film played from November 7 until December 24. Note the Hitching Post Theatre on the left.

1946 - The crew putting the panels up on the marquee for "It's a Wonderful Life." The California Historical Society photo was acquired from the Jim Lewis collection. It appears on the USC Digital Library website. The film opened Christmas Day at the Pantages and RKO Hillstreet.

1946 - A detail from the "Wonderful Life" photo. Don't you love that scaffolding method with the plank suspended from two ladders?

c.1947 - A postcard view looking east toward the the Pantages from Hollywood & Vine. It's from Brian Michael McCray's amazing Hollywood Postcards collection. Thanks, Brian! Note the KFWB "Flashcast" news ticker on the Taft Building that debuted on August 6, 1946. Detective fiction author J.H. Graham has a post about it.

c.1947 - A different printing of the card above. Thanks to the Classic Hollywood / Los Angeles / SF Valley Facebook page for sharing this one. Glen Norman comments:

"The street lights we see on Hollywood Boulevard were particularly short-lived. Those at the major intersections between Argyle and Sycamore were converted from the 1924 twins in 1946 and replaced by another model in 1948. So, we will see both the old twins and the 1946 modifications with the taller shafts and teardrop luminaires coexisting on the Boulevard until 1948. On the other hand, the Vine Street teardrops between Yucca and Sunset survived to about 1961. We still see some examples of 1924 and 1946 living in peace, side by side on Hollywood Boulevard west of Sycamore and east of Gower in 2022."

1947 - A view east toward the Pantages from the Blackstock Negative Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library. The theatre was running Disney's "Song of the South," a film that opened January 30.

c.1948 - Looking west toward Vine. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this one for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

1948 - A view east by an unknown photographer from the Vintage Kodachrome Slides Facebook page. "Return of the Bad Men" is on the marquee. The film opened August 19 at the Pantages and the RKO Hillstreet. Thanks to Richard Wojcik for spotting the post for a share on the Mid Century Modern private Facebook group. Glen Norman comments:

"We can see that the 1924 twin streetlight west of the Pantages marquee was removed in the summer of 1948. The yellow construction barrier marks the spot where the old light has recently been removed. The new 'CD 920' street light is located just to the right. The street lights on the south side of the Boulevard had not yet been replaced. The post to the right of the shot is on the southeast corner of Hollywood and Vine. The base is from 1924, and tall shaft is from the 1946 modification."

When Craig Owens shared this photo on his Bizarre Los Angeles Facebook page he added his Frolic Room research:

"Know what I love most about this photo? You can barely make out the Frolic Room sign in the Pantages Theatre building. Love seeing that. Today, Frolic Room employees love to repeat urban legends about their famous bar once being a speakeasy built by Howard Hughes. They like to create the impression that it has always been a bar going back to Prohibition and that the Black Dahlia was last seen alive there in 1947. The speakeasy story is disputable, given that a theatrical agency rented that space in 1931.

"But it didn't have that many occupants taking over that space during Prohibition so it is not impossible for some kind of drinking room to exist there or close by, but I have my doubts. For instance, a speakeasy would not have been built by Howard Hughes, who didn't buy the Pantages building until the late 1940s. So...aside from a 'door' that people love to point out as evidence of a speakeasy...there is no supporting evidence to bolster that claim. Therefore, it remains more of an urban legend than a historical fact.

"In 1936, the Frolic Room space was a cafe, serving wine and beer with meals. It had a fountain bar by this time... But the 1930s-era cafe wasn't called the Frolic Room, nor was it owned by the original Frolic Room owner (whose name was NOT Freddie Frolic, as some people like to believe. I have yet to find a 'Freddie Frolic' associated with the Frolic Room so I continue to doubt that he ever existed).

"My best guess is that the Frolic Room opened around 1945-46, which means that it was a fairly new bar when this photo was taken. As for the Black Dahlia last being seen alive there? Sorry. Another urban legend. She was last seen alive at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. While the bar still needs historical research, it is definitely a L.A. noir icon. One of the best."

1949 - L.A. Mayor Fletcher Bowron and his wife are cruising Hollywood Blvd. during the Hollywood Christmas Parade in this Los Angeles Public Library photo. "All The King's Men" had its Los Angeles premiere at the Pantages on November 16.

1949 - At the Pantages it's "Bride For Sale," a film that opened December 22 starring Claudette Colbert, George Brent and Robert Young. The Hitching Post, over on the left, has given up on westerns and is running "The Facts of Love." Thanks to Martin Pal for including the photo with many other interesting Hollywood views in his Noirish Los Angeles post #50025. It's a photo from the collection of Eric Lynxwiler that he's shared on Flickr. Thanks, Eric!

1950 - The amazing McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection includes this shot of the the 22nd Academy Awards at the Pantages. It's their #PRM-005-6, one of 33 views they have of the Pantages. The ceremony was held March 23.

1950 - A Bettmann Archives photo of the event. Thanks to Torbjörn Eriksson for locating this one.

1950 - The crowd on the east side of the entrance for the Academy Awards event. It's a photo taken by Edward Clark for Life. Thanks to Scott Collette for assembling 20 of Clark's images taken that evening for a post on his Forgotten Los Angeles Facebook page. He also has them on Instagram.

1950 - Thanks to Bill Gabel for locating this view of the 22nd Academy Awards event to share on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.

1950 - It's a photo by Ed Phillips in the Herald Examiner collection at the Los Angeles Public Library. They note: "An abandoned Oscar sits on the window sill in the foreground."

1950 - A June 27 Life Magazine shot by Loomis Dean looking east toward the Pantages with Korean War news in the headlines. It appears in Google's Life photo collection. Ten of the Hollywood & Vine shots taken that day by Mr. Dean can also be seen on a Forgotten Los Angeles Facebook post by Scott Collette.

1950 - Another June 27 shot by Loomis Dean. In this one we get a view of the Paris Theatre, the former Hitching Post, across the street. It's on Google's Life Photo collection. The Pantages was running "China Sky," a 1945 release with Randolph Scott, Ellen Drew and Anthony Quinn. The co-feature was "Valley of the Sun," a 1942 picture with Lucille Ball and James Craig. The reissue program had opened June 22 at both the Pantages and the Hillstreet.

1950s - A postcard view looking east. It's a card that was in the collection of the now vanished website Yesterday LA.

1951 - The 23rd Academy Awards in March. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting the shot in the Herald Examiner collection at the Los Angeles Public Library.

1952 - The Academy Awards, a Herald Examiner photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. The caption: "This was the scene of excitement outside Hollywood's Pantages Theater for the 24th annual Academy Awards presentation on March 22, 1952, as cars brought the film stars to the entrance. The sidewalks, special bleachers and entry were bulging with fans, including the usual battalion of autograph hunters." Thanks to Eitan Alexander for spotting the photo in the LAPL collection.

1952 - A streetcar shot looking east discovered by Ken McIntyre. It's on Photos of Los Angeles.

1952 - An October 21 photo with the end panel saying "Willie and Joe," the two main characters in "Back To the Front," a film starring Tom Ewell, Harvey Lembeck and Mari Blanchard. It opened at the Pantages, Hillstreet and El Rey on October 15. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the shot for a post for the the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. When Wide World Photos sent it out it was with this copy:

"Caution! Watch Release Date! Wide World B12173 Please Credit - For use Sunday, Nov. 2, with Gene Handsacker's Hollywood AP-N story on Hollywood Boulevard -- A FAMOUS STREET INTERSECTION -- Here is one of the world's most famous intersections -- Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif., loking east. Though so well known, it is strictly average in make-up. A department store, a drugstore, a luggage shop, and a restaurant occupy its four corners. Further along the street, on the left, is the Pantages Theater, where many movie premieres are held."

1952/1953 - At the Pantages it's "Blackbeard the Pirate" with Robert Newton, Linda Darnell and William Bendix. It had its premiere at the Pantages December 24, 1952 and opened in New York the following day. On the left the Paris is advertising the "First L.A. Showing" of something called "Venus of Paris" along with "Indiscretion." Many thanks to Sean Ault for sharing the photo from his collection.

1953 - The Academy Awards plus a plug for their regular attraction, Disney's "Peter Pan" on the end panel of the marquee. Note a bit of the Paris Theatre, the former Hitching Post, across the street. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

1953 - A shot of model Vikki Dougan at Hollywood and Vine. It was part of a shoot by Ralph Crane for Life magazine. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Martin Pal for the find. He has this and others from the shoot on his Noirish post #39847. Martin calls our attention to the star motif they were using on the crosswalks at the time.

1953 - Another photo from the Ralph Crane / Life shoot. Ms. Dougan was big on backless dresses. Martin Pal comments that many suggest she was perhaps the inspiration for Jessica Rabbit in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."

1953 - A great view of the RKO Pantages running "It Came From Outer Space" in 3-D on the new "wide vision" screen. Also on the bill is a Nat King Cole short in 3-D. The photo has popped up on several different blogs as well as on the now defunct 3D Expo Facebook page. Jack Theakson notes that the photo was taken opening day, May 27.

1954 - The 26th Academy Awards at the Pantages. It's an L.A. Times photo in the UCLA Los Angeles Times Photograph Collection. It also makes an appearance with a Wikipedia article.

1954 - "Hollywood History, On Hollywood's Biggest Night," a February 2016 Pantages Blog post by Alyssa Appleton includes this 26th Academy Awards view by George Silk /Getty Images shot for Life magazine. That phalanyx of security guys looks ready for action. The show was March 24.

1954 - Up in the air covering the Academy Awards. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this shot to add as a comment to a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

1954 - Ted Hering posted this shot on Vintage Los Angeles. It's Spike Jones in front of the Pantages. The woman at his right is presumably his wife. Ted notes: "Probably the world premiere.... Spike's nieces and nephews?" Also see a view of Spike at the boxoffice. Thanks, Ted! "Playgirl" was an April release.

1954 - A fine shot of Red Car #5145. The Pantages was running "Human Desire" with Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame and Broderick Crawford. The co-feature was "The Black Dakotas," a western with Gary Merrill and Wanda Hendrix. Bruce Kimmel notes that this bill opened September 16. Many thanks to transit historian Sean Ault for locating the photo.

Glen Norman comments: "Pacific Electric ended its Hollywood Blvd. service September 26, 1954. This photo may very well be a railfan's farewell shot." See the PE Hollywood Line article from the Electric Railway Historical Association.

1954 - Lining up at 8am on September 29, the day of the premiere of "A Star is Born." Thanks to Lisa Kouza Braddock for locating the post of the photo on the Judy Garland Experience Facebook page. Kurt Wahlner notes that the photo is from Ronald Haver's 1980 book "David O. Selznick's Hollywood."

1954 - Adding final touches to the signage for the "A Star is Born" premiere. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for the photo added as a comment on the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles.

1954 - The September 29 premiere of "A Star is Born" with Judy Garland and James Mason. The photo on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles is from Eitan Alexander.

1954 - The "A Star is Born" premiere. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for posting the photo on the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles.

1954 - A photo by Loomis Dean of Life at the premiere of "A Star is Born." It's on the site of Getty Images. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this version of the photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

1954 - Another Loomis Dean/Getty Images view of the "A Star is Born" premiere. Note the added yellow neon on the vertical. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.

See the Historic L.A. Theatres In Movies post about "A Star Is Born" for shots of the Chinese and Shrine Auditorium from the film. Also see the post for the 2015 film "Life," about a Life magazine photographer. The 1954 "A Star Is Born" premiere at the Pantages was re-created for the film.

1 comment:

AnonymousAugust 1, 2023 at 7:14 PM
The speakeasy did exist at some point. I saw it. It was in the basement, and was later used as the storeroom for Bernard Luggage on Vine Street. I worked, briefly, as a stock boy for them in the early sixties. At the time, the murals could still be seen behind the stacks of American Tourister luggage. Yes, there was even a door with a peephole. Sadly, a lot of Hollywood history was destroyed in those days.
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