Los Angeles Theatres: Warner Hollywood: basement lounge

A 1928 view of the theatre's downstairs lounge from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. The photo appeared in the December 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer, part of a seven page article on "Warner Bros. New Theatre." It had also been used in the July 14, 1928 issue of Motion Picture News as part of an article titled "Spanish Atmospheric Style Featured in Design...."

A plan view of the lounge area. It's a detail from a full basement plan dated November 1926. Many thanks to April Clemmer for sharing it from her collection. Visit the April's Old Hollywood website for information about her historic Hollywood walking tours, presentations about Hollywood history, and other events. She also has a blog, an Instagram and a Facebook page.

The elevator is in the lower left. That's the nursery, here called the "Children's Room," in the upper left. The screening room is off to the right. The basement corridor seen on the left edge of the image parallels Wilcox Ave. The one along the bottom parallels Hollywood Blvd. Below the bottom edge of the image are basement areas assigned to the retail tenants along Hollywood Blvd.

The theatre got a remodel in 1961 after a long run as a Cinerama house. Work included new seating, draping the proscenium and a new, more modern look for the lobby areas. Here's how the lounge appeared after the re-do. Cinerama historian Roland Lataille located the photo as part of a March 14, 1962 Motion Picture Herald article about the Warner's makeover. See his In Cinerama site's Warner Theatre page for the full article.

One set of stairs down to the lounge in the main lobby. We see the east set of stairs through the arch at the center of the photo. There's another set down off to the right through the right arch. On the far left is the west set of stairs (one set of four) up to the balcony. That light coming in through the arches on the left is from the entrance on Hollywood Blvd. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Looking down down the east stairs toward the men's room side of the lounge. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

A downstairs lounge view. Here some of it was partitioned off as a play area for kids when the building was being used for church services. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

A more open view. We're looking west. The ladies room and nursery are at the far end, the men's room behind us. Off to the left is the elevator. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

A look to the left if you're facing the ladies room, toward the south wall. Thanks to Gary Simon for his 2010 photo. His lounge photo set originally appeared on the LAHTF Facebook page.

A view to the right, toward the north wall of the lounge. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for sharing her 2013 photo.

The lounge ceiling. Photo: Gary Simon - 2010

Another ceiling shot. This time they had the center fixture turned on. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2013

The north wall fireplace. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2013

A closer look at the fireplace. Photo: Gary Simon - 2010

The ceiling again -- and a bit of the north wall fireplace. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - Los Angeles - 2013

A detail of the ceiling out in front of the elevator nook. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2013

A lounge ceiling fixture. Thanks to Irwin Fletcher for his 2006 photo, part of his Warner Theatre set on Flickr.

Another ceiling fixture view. Photo: Irwin Fletcher - 2006. Thanks again, Irwin!

The nook for the elevator on the lounge's south wall. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2013

From a vestibule near the east stairs, a peek into the men's room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

The men's toilet area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

From the men's toilet area looking toward the doorway back out to the lounge. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Warner Bros. cartoon characters, perhaps from the 40s, on the walls of the nursery at the west end of the lounge. Thanks to Gary Simon for his 2010 photo. It originally appeared on the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Facebook page. Head to this one and you can page through three more nursery views.

The ladies cosmetics room. Thanks to April Clemmer for sharing her c.2012 photo. Visit the April's Old Hollywood website for information about her historic Hollywood walking tours, presentations about Hollywood history, and other events. She also has a blog, an Instagram and a Facebook page.

Intrepid theatre adventurer Michelle Gerdes in one of the mirrors in the ladies cosmetics room. She was exploring on the last day the church group using the theatre was having services, June 30, 2013. The doorway we see in the mirror looks out toward the main lounge area.