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 | all warner hollywood posts |
A 1928 look west toward the main stairs in the lobby of the Warner Hollywood. The doors out to Hollywood Blvd. are at the left. The stairs down to the basement lounge and the elevator are through the arches beyond the balcony stairs. The photo appeared with "Warner Bros. New Theatre," a seven page article on in the December 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer. It's on Internet Archive.
The lobby's wrap-around design can best be visualized in plan view. Note that the auditorium is placed diagonally on the site so coming in from Hollywood Blvd. you're not on the centerline of either the auditorium or the lobby. That's Hollywood Blvd. at the bottom, the second entrance on Wilcox Ave. at the left. The plan appeared in the December 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer, available on Internet Archive.
The same view as in the photo above but with somewhat different lighting -- and a sculpture down near the lounge arches that's not in the LAPL shot. This one is from the July 14, 1928 issue of Motion Picture News. The Warner was featured in an article in the titled "Spanish Atmospheric Style Featured in Design of New Warner Theatre in Hollywood." It's on Internet Archive.
A closer look at the the house right set of main stairs to the balcony. These and the companion set out of the frame to the right head up to the mid balcony level lobby. The auditorium is off to our right. It's a 1928 Mott Studios photo from view from the Mott-Merge Collection at the California State Library as part of their set #001386583. The photo is also in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.
A detail of the arches in front of the house right set of main stairs to the balcony from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. The Keystone photo also appears in the article "Warner Bros. New Theatre" in the December 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer.
A look back from the west toward the main entrance doors, an area that was opened up during a 1961 remodel. The stairs down to the lounge are in that dark nook nearest us. The photo appeared in the December 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer. The door at the left of the image is a room with electrical panels.
Back a bit farther west of the main entrance doors (beyond the elevator alcove and stairs to the downstairs lounge) we get the second main set of stairs up to the balcony. They go to the same landing as the first ones just inside the entrance and from there on up to the mid balcony lobby. The Keystone photo is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.
At the far west end of the lobby we get doors out onto Wilcox Ave. (at left) and another set of stairs to the balcony -- to the lower crossaisle house left. It's a Keystone photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Through those arches the lobby continues as the house left side aisle.
A view deeper into the area beyond the arches looking down the house left side aisle. It's a Los Angeles Public Library collection photo.
Turning around at the house left arches and looking back toward center. The stairs we see are the house left half of the two sets leading to the mid balcony lobby. The main Hollywood Blvd. entrance is farther around the curve to the left. The doors at right lead into into the Wilcox entrance lobby.
Behind us the lobby wraps around the auditorium and turns into the house left side aisle. It's a photo that appeared in the December 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer, part of an article titled "Warner Bros. New Theatre," available on Internet Archive.
The photo above also appears on page 122 of "American Theatres of Today" by R.W. Sexton and B. F. Betts, Architectural Book Publishing Co., New York. The two volumes were published in 1927 and 1930 and reprinted in one volume in 1977 and 1985 by the Vestal Press, New York. Theatre Historical Society also did a reprint in 2009. It's usually available on Amazon.
Around toward the east (house right) end of the lobby and we get this view of one of the two secondary stairs to the balcony. This gets you to a little vestibule and then in to the lower crossaisle house right. That archway on the left of the photo is the extension of the lobby around to become the house right side aisle. The auditorium is off to our left. It's another 1928 Mott Studios photo from view from the Mott-Merge Collection at the California State Library as part of their set #001386583.
Joan Crawford coming into the lobby for a c.1936 event. On the left it's Franchot Tone, her husband at the time. On the right is Francis Lederer. It's a William Grimes photo that's on the Getty Images site via the Michael Ochs Archive. Thanks to Lisa Kouza Braddock for spotting this on the Joan Crawford, the Self-Made Star Facebook page. It's also on the Images: 1936 page of the site The Best of Everything - A Joan Crawford Encyclopedia.
The theatre was not identified in captions that appear with either this photo or the one below. Lisa Kouza Braddock did the detective work on the shot above via a reverse image search -- and identified it as the Warner based on pictures appearing on this page.
Check out the painted detail around the exit signs in this shot of Kay Francis, Constance Bennett and Fritz Lang just inside the entrance doors at a c.1940 event. It's a William Grimes photo appearing on a page about Fritz Lang and the paranoid style in cinema on the site Archivio Siciliano del Cinema. It's also on the Getty Images site from the Michael Ochs Archive.
A view toward the center of the lobby with the snackbar at the right. Thanks to Don Solosan for this c.2009 photo taken for the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. The LAHTF is actively involved in the study and preservation of the vintage theatres in the Los Angeles area. The group frequently supports events and offers tours of the buildings.
We're looking west with the auditorium off to the right. Hollywood Blvd. is through the two arches at the left of the photo. We enter the lobby way off its centerline due to the diagonal placement of the auditorium. Beyond (with the 3 little arches sloping up) is the east main stair to the balcony. The 2 arches beyond lead to two stairways down to the basement lounge. The west main stair to the balcony is visible beyond.
On the east (house right) side of the lobby -- looking back toward the main entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Another view of the east stairs seen in the photo above. This is one of two sets of secondary stairs that you to a small vestibule either house left or house right and then in to the balcony's lower crossaisle. The stairs farther around, on the auditorium's centerline, get you up to the mid balcony lobby instead. The door goes to an electric panel room. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - LAHTF - 2013
At the east (house right) end of the lobby: a plaster detail near the secondary stairs to the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Another look back from the east end of the lobby toward the entrance. It's a 2010 photo by Cinema Treasures contributor Hollywood 90038 that was once on the Cinema Treasures page about what they call the Pacific 1-2-3.
A detail of the ceiling plaster near the house right secondary stairs to the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The peephole in the door to the door to the manager's office, under the house right stairs. Farther around house right was the office originally used by the theatre's full-time nurse. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - LAHTF - 2013
Inside the manager's office house right. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - LAHTF - 2013
The side aisle house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Looking out toward Hollywood Blvd. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A chandelier in the entrance vestibule. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A view of the lobby from center toward the west side. The snack bar is out of the frame to the right. Beyond the arches at the center of the photo the lobby curves around along the house left side of the auditorium. Also note a stairway there leading up to the house left side of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Another view toward the west end of the lobby -- this time from up on the balcony stairs. It's a 1992 photo by Berger Conser Architectural Photography from Anne Conser and Robert Berger's great book "The Last Remaining Seats: Movie Palaces of Tinseltown." It's available on Amazon. Robert Berger's website has a portfolio of 16 photos from "The Last Remaining Seats."
A great view of one of the lobby chandeliers. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - c.2009
The elevator to the basement lounge and the balcony. The door to the right of the elevator was a room for the theatre's telephone operators. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The lobby from the west side looking back toward center. The auditorium is at the left. The west main stairs to the balcony and arches leading to the basement lounge stairs are at the center of the photo. At the far right we see the railing for the west secondary stairs to the balcony. No, the welcome arrow pointing toward the balcony stairs doesn't mean you can go up --the upstairs theatres were off limits when the theatre was being used for church services. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Through the arches in the center of the photo above that are on the auditorium centerline: in the nook there's the elevator and the stairs down to the lounges. The door to the left of the elevator was the coat check room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A lobby wall sconce. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2013
Another view from the west toward the center of the lobby. The two arches at the center of the photo lead to the basement lounges. The farthest arch you can see is the main entrance from Hollywood Blvd. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - c.2009. Thanks, Don!
In the Wilcox Ave. exit vestibule: a look south at the ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
In the Wilcox Ave. exit vestibule: a ceiling beam stencil detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
In the Wilcox Ave. exit vestibule: a door panel detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
In the Wilcox Ave. exit vestibule: doors headed out onto the street. There was a second boxoffice on Wilcox so this area could also be used as an entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A closer look at the exit sign and plaster work. Photo: Gary Simon - 2010
One of the chandeliers in the Wilcox Ave. exit vestibule. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A house left lobby door detail. Photo: Gary Simon - 2010
Into the lobby from the secondary stairs to the balcony on the house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A bit higher on the secondary stairs to the balcony on the house left (west) side of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Far around to house left is a suite of offices occasionally used by Jack Warner. This is the door to the vault. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
A closer view of the vault door. 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.
2017 and later:
The Warner's ticket lobby. The marble at the entrance and all the aluminum date from an early 60s remodel by Stanley Warner Corp. Thanks to Mike Hume for his 2017 photo. 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 this theatre, one he has listed as the Hollywood Pacific.
The Warner's ticket lobby. The marble at the entrance and all the aluminum date from an early 60s remodel by Stanley Warner Corp. Thanks to Mike Hume for his 2017 photo. 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 this theatre, one he has listed as the Hollywood Pacific.
A ticket lobby ceiling detail. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
John Sittg, longtime Pacific Theatres projection supervisor, discusses the history of the theatre for the crowd touring the building as part of the summer 2017 Theatre Historical Society Conclave. Photo: Mike Hume
A peek around from the entrance toward the west end of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
From the center elevator alcove looking around toward the Wilcox side of the lobby. Thanks to Matt Lambros for June 2017 photo. Visit his blog AftertheFinalCurtain.net and the After the Final Curtain Facebook page.
See Matt's 2017 Warner (Pacific) Theatre post on After the Final Curtain for a great array of fine photos. Many of his Warner photos also appeared with "Checking in on the Warner Hollywood....," an August 2017 Curbed L.A. article by Bianca Barragan.
The elevator alcove. Stairs on either end of this area go to the basement lounges. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
Farther around toward the Wilcox entrance. Continuing around to the right through the arches one comes to the suite of rooms that were Jack Warner's office for use, as John Sittig says "on the days he wanted to be an exhibitor." It's a 2017 Matt Lambros photo that appeared on his After the Final Curtain Facebook page.
Several house left auditorium entrances as seen from the west stairs. That's a bit of the booth wall seen through the doorway. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2017
A ceiling detail. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2017
A detail of the west stairs. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2017
The doors leading to the Wilcox vestibule. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2017
The Wilcox vestibule doors as seen with an angle back toward the entrance. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2017
An exit door detail. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
A plasterwork detail. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2017
Another Wilcox side plaster detail. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2017
A chandelier detail near the Wilcox Ave. vestibule. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
A chandelier detail near the Wilcox Ave. vestibule. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
A look back toward the center of the lobby from near the back stairs house left. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The doors at the right head out onto Wilcox Ave. On the left we're looking back toward the center of the lobby. Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for this June 2017 photo, appearing on the LAHTF Facebook page.
The east end of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
The entrance to the right center aisle. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The chandeliers and ceiling treatment near the east stairs. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The entrance to the right center aisle. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
The chandeliers and ceiling treatment near the east stairs. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
A balustrade detail on the east stairs. Photo: Matt Lambros - 2017. Thanks, Matt!
A peek farther around the east end of the lobby. Through the arches the lobby continues and turns into the house right side aisle. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
A look back down from the back stairs house right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
About the Warner Hollywood:
| an overview | street views 1926 to 1954 | street views 1955 to present | back to top - main lobby | basement lounge | upper lobby areas | recent auditorium views | vintage auditorium views | stage | stage basement | other basement areas | booth and attic | all warner hollywood posts |
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