Los Angeles Theatres: Warner Hollywood: street views 1955

Warner Hollywood: street views 1955 - present

1956 - A look west with the Warner playing "Cinerama Holiday." It had an 81 week run beginning November 14, 1955. It's a photo by A. Ellis Smith that's in the Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their #HB-275.

1957 - Another view during the run of "Cinerama Holiday." That's the Iris (later renamed the Fox) on the right, running "Friendly Persuasion." It's a postcard from the now vanished website Yesterday LA.

1957 - A March view with "Cinerama Holiday" playing. It's a screenshot from Getty Images footage that's included in Rick Prelinger's "Lost Landscapes of Los Angeles - 2016," an hour and twenty minutes of wonderful clips from various sources that was originally presented in a program at the Los Angeles Public Library. Also see "Lost Landscapes of Los Angeles - 2019." This second installment was presented at the Library by the organization Photo Friends as part of the series L.A. in Focus. Both compilations are on Vimeo.

Some of the same Getty footage can be seen as "Hollywood Blvd. Part 3 - 1956," a one minute clip on YouTube from Alison Martino. More of the footage can be seen in "Hollywood Blvd. 1956," four minutes of lovely clips on YouTube from Craiglaca1.

1957 - The Warner running "Seven Wonders of the World," a production that opened June 5 for a 69 week run. It's a photo from Superstock. The photo also appears on the Warner Theatre page of Roland Lataille's website In Cinerama.

1957 - "Seven Wonders" playing as the Le Garde Twins pass by during the Hollywood Christmas Parade. Thanks to a contributor named "film" for posting the photo from the Bob Morgan collection on Cinema Treasures.

1958 - Another look at the Warner during the "Seven Wonders of the World" run. It's a photo from the Historic Hollywood Photographs site, their #HB-270.

1958 - A great shot of "Cinerama" on the roof towers from footage appearing in part one of Rory Kennedy's 2024 HBO documentary "The Synanon Fix." Thanks to Donavan S. Moye for spotting the theatre and getting the screenshot.

1958 - "South Seas Adventure" had a 71 week run beginning October 1, 1958. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for finding the photo on eBay. It's on his Noirish post # 52046. The neon on the vertical would alternate between "Cinerama" and "Warner."

1959 - Looking east east on Hollywood Blvd. toward the Academy Theatre (later called the Holly) and, down beyond Wilcox, the Warner. The Warner was running the three-strip Cinerama production "South Seas Adventure." It's a photo from the collection of Sean Ault. Thanks, Sean!

1960 / 1961 - "World's Greatest Attraction" Thanks to Alison Martino for posting this colorful view from the Richard Wojcik collection on the non-public Facebook group Mid Century Modern. The Warner was doing a revival run of "This Is Cinerama," which ran for 22 weeks beginning November 2, 1960.

1961 - A lovely look west with the Cinerama neon lit on the vertical. This is one of over 800 images in the great book "The Story of Hollywood: An Illustrated History" by Gregory Paul Williams, available on Amazon. This photo is on page 321. There's a preview of the book to browse on Google Books.

1961 - A postcard view of the October 26 premiere for "Back Street" with Susan Hayward and John Gavin. Note that the Cinerama signage has been temporarily removed. Cinerama would return to the house in August 1962. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Beaudry for sharing this version of the card. It's on Flickr. There's also a copy of this one on Flickr from Eric Lynxwiler. Also see a version of the card with different coloring that was on the now-vanished site Yesterday LA.

1961 - The Warner marquee for "Back Street." The photo appears on the Warner page of Roland Lataille's In Cinerama site. It's from a March 14, 1962 article in the Motion Picture Herald. | article page one | article page two |

1961 - A Christmas season view west toward the Warner. Thanks Ken McIntyre for posting the shot on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

1962 - The August 8 premiere of "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" in three-strip Cinerama. Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for spotting this image that's with the "extras" on the DVD for the film. The shot is evidently from Roland Lataille but on the DVD the credit is for "Robitille."

1962 - A ticket lobby detail from the version of the "Brothers Grimm" premiere shot that Roland Lataille includes on the Warner page of his site InCinerama.com.

1962 - A postcard view taken during the 28 week run of "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm." It's on the In Cinerama website's Warner page curated by Roland Lataille. The card has also appeared on the Photos of Los Angeles and Vintage Los Angeles Facebook pages.

1962 - Another view from the run of "Brothers Grimm" posted on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles by Andrew Sandoval.

1963 - The February 20 opening of "How The West Was Won" (Cinerama / MGM). The film would go on to a 93 week run. Thanks to Howard Preizler for locating the photo for a post on the private Facebook group Friends of 70mm. Cinerama historian Roland Lataille has a version of the shot that appeared in April 3, 1963 issue of Motion Picture Herald on his In Cinerama page about the Warner Hollywood.

1963 - An outing for Herald-Examiner newspaper boys in July. It's a photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1963 - A marquee view from the run of "HTWWW" in the collection of Hollywood Historic Photos. "This performance sold out!"

1963 - A "How the West Was Won" view from a one minute clip shot by Warner Bros. that's on the Getty Images website. Earlier we get a view of the Academy/Holly Theatre running "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Call Me Bwana" as well as the Iris/Fox with a reissue of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." The Getty Images footage also appears on YouTube from Alison Martino as "Hollywood Blvd. 1960 [sic] Vintage Los Angeles..." Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting it on YouTube.

1963 - Another ride down the street with "How the West Was Won" playing. It's a shot from "Hollywood Blvd. 1965 [sic]," a 1 minute+ ride on YouTube from Alison Martino. Some of this same Getty Images footage also appears in "The Kid Stays in the Picture," the 2002 documentary about Robert Evans.

1963 - A fine look at the Cinerama neon up on the vertical in a December photo. It's on Vintage Los Angeles from the Richard Wojcik collection. Thanks, Richard!

1965 - A look west along Hollywood Blvd. from "Vintage Los Angeles" post on the blog Neat Stuff. It's also been seen on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles.

1966 - A view from the Richard Wojcik collection on the page of the non-public Facebook group Mid Century Modern. We're looking east along Hollywood Blvd. toward the Warner. Note a bit of the Iris Theatre marquee at the right with the film "Maya" playing. It's the theatre that was later renamed the Fox.

1966 - The Warner running "An American Dream" with Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh and Eleanor Parker. The film, an adaptation of a Norman Mailer novel and later known as "See You in Hell, Darling," was directed by Stuart Gist. Thanks to Sean Ault for the photo.

1966 - Thanks to Warren Beckerman for this "Kaleidoscope" photo he took. The film was a September release. Note that "Cinerama" is down and the "Warner" letters are back up on top of the marquee. The signage would again revert to saying "Cinerama" for the 1968 run of "2001." We also get a look at the Iris down the street.

1966 - Another Warren Beckerman photo taken during the "Kaleidoscope" run -- this time looking east. That KFWB building just east of the theatre was the first location for the Iris Theatre in 1913. The building came down in 1995.

1968 - "2001: A Space Odyssey" (MGM) played the Warner in 70mm for 80 weeks as a reserved seat engagement starting April 4, 1968. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting the image in Jan Harlan's documentary "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures," released in 2001.

1968 - Thanks to Bruce Kimmel for sharing this photo of the "2001" opening from his collection. He added it as a comment to a post about the theatre on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

1968 - A superb summer view during the run of "2001." We also get to see the Academy / Holly Theatre and the Vogue (running "Thomas Crowne Affair") in this footage appearing in Episode 4 of Leslie Chilcott's 2020 Epix series "Helter Skelter: An American Myth." Thanks to Donavan S. Moye for spotting the theatres in the footage and getting the screenshot.

1968 - A look west during the run of "2001." Thanks to Tom Anderson for locating this photo for a post on the page for the private Facebook group Mid Century Modern. Pacific Theatres would take over the Warner during the 80 week run and rename it the Hollywood Pacific.

1971 - A view during the run of the October release "Some of my best friends are..." Thanks to the Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for the photo. It's on their site as #HB-380.

1971 - A "Clockwork Orange" shot from the collection of John Sittig, formerly of Pacific Theatres, that appears on the Warner Hollywood page of the informative site From Script To DVD. The film was a December release.

1971 - A "Clockwork Orange" snapshot posted by Ray McVay, Jr. on the Southern California Nostalgia Facebook page. He noted that his mother managed the theatre in the 1980s and 1990s.

1972 - A view taken during the run of that great epic "Black Girl." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this one for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. It also can be seen in the Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, item #T-053-11.

1973 - A bit of Broadway-style religion. Thanks to Dave Hunter for sharing this shot he took during the run of "Jesus Christ Superstar." And thanks to Michael Manus for working on the image.

1978 - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" playing in 70 in the big house. Many thanks to Richard Lenoir for sharing his July 24 photo on the Friends of 70mm private Facebook group. In Michael Coate's article about the film's 70mm runs on the site In70mm he notes that it opened at the Pacific on July 21 and had a five week run.

1978 - Don't you love the color of that vertical sign? "Animal House," a July 28 release, was playing in the big house downstairs. Thanks to Scott Santoro for locating this photo he posted on the Los Angeles Theatres Facebook page. This was the year of the triplexing. The complex had reopened in May with "American Graffitti" downstairs and "Thank God It's Friday" in both upstairs houses.

1979 - Many thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this photo he took as a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. "The Onion Field" was a September release.

1979 - A Fall shot with the September Charles Bronson/Jill Ireland picture "Love and Bullets" in the big house along with "City on Fire." Upstairs it was "Moonraker," out in June, and in house #3 the July release "The Amityville Horror." Thanks to マルジュンイチ for sharing this photo, taken on a trip to the U.S., as a post for the Facebook group Lost Angeles.

1980 - "Kramer vs. Kramer," a December 1979 release, in the big house. Both "The Godsend" and "Windows" were January releases. William Friedkin's "Cruising," coming soon, was a February 15 release. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this photo he took as a post on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page.

1980 - An April photo, taken when the three films were enjoying post-Academy Award runs. "Black Stallion" was an October release, "All That Jazz" was out in December. Thanks to Bill Hardesty for sharing the shot on the You know you grew up in Hollywood because... private Facebook group. It had once appeared on the now-vanished American Classic Images website.

c.1980 - A look west that Bill Gabel located for a post for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.

1981 - A view by Paul Chinn of "protests" in front of the theatre ballyhooing the film "Maniac." The photo is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1982 - Thanks to Marc Seavey for this photo, one of four Hollywood views of his in a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

1982 - Thanks to the American Classic Images website for this December photo.

1983 - A January photo from the American Classic Images collection. Their website is no more.

1983 - "Coming July 22nd" to the big house. Neon signage was up for "Jaws 3-D" with Dennis Quade and Bess Armstrong. Thanks to the Classic Hollywood/Los Angeles/SFV Facebook page for locating the photo.

1983 - The shark signage at night. Thanks to American Classic Images for this photo. "Stroker Ace," in the big house at the time, was a July 1 release.

1986 - The view west toward Wilcox and the Fox Theatre beyond on the left. The photo from Bill Gabel's collection appeared as a post by him on Photos of Los Angeles. The Warner/Pacific is on the right with the Fox on the left -- its vertical bisected by a streetlight post. Thanks, Bill!

1988 - "Colors" with Sean Penn and Robert Duvall was playing the big house. Upstairs it was "Lady in White" with Lukas Haas and Len Cariou and "Casual Sex?" with Lea Thompson and Victoria Jackson. Thanks to Arnold Darrow for finding the photo. "Colors" featured a number of downtown theatres in its opening sequence. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for some screenshots.

1989 - A shot by Ken McIntyre that he shared on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group showing the readerboard panels getting changed along with a bit of relamping. They were running "Dream Team," "K-9" and "Loverboy" on the three screens.

1990 - A look west from Hollywood and Vine in May. The photo by Carol Westwood is in the Los Angeles Photographers Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library.

1990 - A view east that was taken by Steven Otto.

1990 - The late April release "The Guardian" playing the big house. Thanks to Steven Otto for sharing his photo.

1992 - The Hollywood Pacific during the riots. It's a Gary Leonard photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

2004 - The view down the vertical. It's an L.A. Times photo. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it.

2005 - A look at the signage at night from Ken Roe's Hollywood Pacific set on Flickr. He notes that this was a night in June when the L.A. Conservancy screened "Cover Girl." Don't miss Ken's Movie Theatres - USA album with over 700 photos he's taken.

2007 - The building as we look west on Hollywood Blvd. The wood formwork on the side is from the demolished KFWB building. Photo: Bill Counter

2007 - A tower view. Note the "Warners" letters visible inside. Photo: Bill Counter

2007 - A look at the signage long after the theatre closed. Sorry, no bargain matinee. And you would have to go to another Pacific house for those gift certificates. Photo: Bill Counter

2007 - The ceiling in the ticket lobby. Photo: Bill Counter

2007 - The west side of the building as we look north on Wilcox Ave. Photo: Bill Counter

2007 - One of G. Albert Lansburgh's gargoyles atop a Wilcox Ave. arch. Photo: Bill Counter

2008 - A view of the frontage along Wilcox looking south toward Hollywood Blvd. It's a photo from indefatigable researcher Ken McIntyre. This is one he has on Photobucket.

2008 - A look at the bulk of the stagehouse end of the building from researcher Ken McIntyre on Photobucket. More from Ken on Photobucket: marquee detail | another marquee detail | west exterior 2008 | arch detail |

2009 - The view east toward the Warner. That's the Fox Theatre on the right -- here with the marquee just rows of vertical fluorescent tubes. It's been converted to a nightclub operation. Photo: Google Maps. On Google: a current interactive version

2010 - The rear of the building. The stage backs into this SE corner. Photo: Bill Counter

2012 - The building was in use for Sunday church services at the time of this photo. That ended in mid-2013 when the owners terminated the rental agreement and boarded up the building. Photo: Bill Counter

2012 - The ticket lobby. Photo: Bill Counter

2013 - A conquistador guards the office building entrance. Photo: Ken McIntyre

2013 - A look skyward. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing his photo.

2013 - One of the towers as seen from the Wilcox side of the building. Photo: Ken McIntyre

2013 - The arches and exit doors on the Wilcox side of the theatre. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for his photo.

2014 - Thanks to Stephen Russo for sharing this marquee view on the LAHTF Facebook page. It prompted a long thread of very interesting comments about the dormant building.

2014 - The entrance after the boarding up. Photo: Bill Counter

2014 - The Wilcox side. Photo: Bill Counter

2014 - A detail of the arches on Wilcox. Photo: Bill Counter

2015 - The Warner from above, one of many treats on "Los Angeles," a 6 minute video from Ian Wood on Vimeo. It includes flyovers of Capitol Records, the Griffith Observatory, City Hall, the canals of Venice, Lake Hollywood and more. Don't miss it!

2017 - The east side of the building. Thanks to John Hough and Mark Mulhall for the photo. Visit their ever-growing site OrnateTheatres.com for terrific collections of photos they've taken of many Los Angeles area theatres as well as others around the country.

2017 - Thanks to John Alvarez for his March shot of the boarded up building. It was a post of his on the You know you grew up in Hollywood because... Facebook page.

2017 - Thanks to Mike Hume for his marquee and tower 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 Warner.