The Earl Carroll Theatre pages: history + exterior views | lobby areas | auditorium | stage | stage basement | sceneshop | ephemera |
The wall at the offstage doorway to the orchestra pit. The pit is on the stage left side of the centerline with two entrances, one about 7' in from each end of the pit. On the stage centerline, about 4' in from the onstage end of the pit, there were stairs from the house up to the stage. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
Thanks to Mike for all his fine photos. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for tech information and hundreds of fine photos of the many theatres he's explored in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
A support pillar for the revolve downstage center. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
We're downstage center looking toward centerstage left and the inner revolve drive mechanism. The circular metal track above the right hand vertical beam of the mechanism has the drive cable encircling it. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
The 70' diameter revolving stage is in two segments: the 60' diameter center portion and a 5' wide ring around the perimeter. They were variable speed, could be operated independently, and could both move in either direction. At the upper right note a portion of the concrete race that the wheels of the two revolves rested on.
Another angle on the inner revolve drive mechanism. It's a 50HP 3 phase wound-rotor motor. Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for his October 2017 photo, one that appeared on the LAHTF Facebook page.
The motor for the inner revolve. Photo: Mike Hume - March 2018
The motor nameplate: Photo: Mike Hume - March 2018
The disconnect for the inner revolve. There used to be another to its left for the outer revolve. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
Above the disconnects for the revolves, looking toward stage left. The wireway we see is going to the mechanism for the center revolve. Photo: Bill Counter - March 2018
Most of the stage basement is unexcavated so there's no access under most of the area occupied by the revolves. All you get to see when peeking in are the concrete raceways that support the track. Photo: Bill Counter - March 2018
A view toward the center of the inner revolve. Photo: Bill Counter - March 2018
The center of the inner revolve from below. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
A wider view of a portion of the inner revolve, looking toward the center axle. We're downstage near the mechanism, looking upstage. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
A reverse view from the previous photo. We're looking downstage at the inner revolve drive mechanism. Mike calls our attention to the low-clearance markers over on the far left on the concrete race for the revolve wheels. The stairs beyond go up to stage left. The onstage end of the orchestra pit is behind that hollow tile wall on the right of the image. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017.
Some of the wheels and the inner ring of track for the stage turntable. The disconnect switch is for the inner revolve. The outer revolve disconnect was to its left. The outer revolve mechanism is out of the frame to the left. The wire mesh enclosure is a bank of resistors for the outer revolve motor speed control. The wireway we see heading off to the right is going to the motor for the inner revolve. Photo: Chuck Weiss - 2011.
A detail of the wheels and the concrete race supporting the two revolves. Photo: Chuck Weiss - 2011
In the orchestra pit. We're stage left looking toward center. Note the tracks for the lift on the downstage wall, at the left. The pit is actually on two separate lifts. You could have a pit either about 16' long or about 32' long. Outside the doorway note the wire mesh enclosure for the inner revolve motor speed control. There's another pit entrance door down near the center of the far lift. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
In the pit looking toward stage left. Again note the tracks for the pit lift -- and the purple line on the floor marking the division between the two lifts. According to Marc Wanamaker, purple was the favorite color when the theatre was called Kaleidoscope. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
Outside the door at the stage left end of the orchestra pit and underneath the outer revolve. The inner revolve drive cables are visible in the lower right corner of the frame rising vertically up to the inner revolve. Note the outer revolve drive mechanism in the distance at the lower center portion of the frame. Over on the left, just to the right of the second light, that open door goes to the downstage soloist's lift. The metal V channel underneath the stage framing (and directly above the gray door) carries the drive cable to turn the outer revolve. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
Any disconnects or contactors for the pit lifts that were in this space seem to have vanished. There's no way to look under the pit lifts without running them up at least part way to stage level. A newish control box on a cable is sitting on the floor of each lift.
Outside the orchestra pit door looking up at the outer revolve. We're looking toward stage left. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
The outer revolve drive mechanism. The motor has been removed from the building. On the right it's the resistor bank for speed control of the motor. The door to the downstage soloist lift is behind the concrete column, to the left of the ladder. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
A closer look at the massive resistance unit for speed control of the outer revolve motor. It's about 20" square and five feet tall. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
A label on the resistance unit. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
The three-phase wound-rotor motor for the outer revolve. At the time of the photo it had been disconnected. It later was removed from the theatre. Photo: Chuck Weiss - 2011
The mechanism for the downstage soloist elevator. This small lift would take an individual performer up to stage level on a protruding area of the stage on the stage right side of the center stairs up from the auditorium. Photo: Chuck Weiss - 2011.
Chuck notes: "Under the stage of the Earl Carroll Theater, this is one of the tiny elevators the dancing girls would ride up to stage level. A corkscrew lift would take the scantily clad dancer up to an opening in the stage floor where she would be a part of the show." His post of the photo on Vintage Los Angeles generated many comments about the building. Thanks, Chuck!
Rise time was about nine seconds according to Mike Hume. He timed it in action in the 1940 film "A Night at Earl Carroll's." In 1938 they referred to the mechanism as the "girl lift." There was no hatch in the stage floor. Up at the concrete slab we're looking at the bottom of the round plug that was flush with the rest of the stage floor. You'd run the lift down using one of the push buttons we see on the left side. The performer would step on and the "up" button would take them up to stage level. The motor and gearing have gone missing. Note that there's still a horizontal pulley around the screwjack for the drive belt.
Another look at the downstage soloist elevator mechanism. And an extra toilet, not part of the mechanism. Beyond the wall at the left are the stairs up to stage from the auditorium. If you went up the lift with your back toward us you'd be facing the audience. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
A detail of the bottom of the mechanism of the soloist lift and its drive pulley. There was only one of these. The area of the stage protruding on the stage left side of the stairs didn't have one. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
At the right is the drive mechanism for the inner revolve. You can see a bit of the drive cable in the upper right of the image. Out of the frame to the right are stairs up to downstage left. look at the inner revolve from below the concrete race that supports it. Photo: Mike Hume - October 2017
Thanks to Mike Hume for all his fine photos. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for lots of tech information and hundreds of fine photos of the many theatres he's explored in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
The Earl Carroll Theatre pages: history + exterior views | lobby areas | auditorium | stage | back to top - stage basement | sceneshop | ephemera |
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