Los Angeles Theatres: El Capitan Theatre: the auditorium

1920s views:

The proscenium in 1926. The Mott Studios photo appeared in Volume 1 of "American Theatres of Today" by R.W. Sexton and B. F. Betts. It was published in two volumes in 1927 and 1930 by the Architectural Book Publishing Co., New York. It was 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 available on Amazon. The Los Angeles Public Library also has a version of this photo.

The image also also appeared with other photos as part of "The El Capitan Theatre and Department Store Building, Hollywood," a ten page article by the architect, G. Albert Lansburgh, in the February 1927 issue of Architect and Engineer, available on Internet Archive. Lansburgh noted:

"In designing this theatre the problem was to have a dramatic house that would have a rather exotic character, since the the theatre is in Hollywood where the majority of the residents demand the extraordinary. It was for this reason that I selected the East Indian type which had not heretofore been used in Southern California. The results have been most gratifying..."

The asbestos, with its design of two large peacocks, was painted by John B. Smeraldi. He did a lot of the decorative work at the Biltmore Theatre and Biltmore Hotel. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing this photo. A copy of this is also in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs Collection, their #T-011-20.

Across the balcony in 1926. Thanks to the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for the photo, their #T-011-14. Mr. Torrence is the author of "Hollywood: The First 100 Years," reissued by Zoetrope in 1982, and "The Hollywood Canteen," published in 2012. Take a look through the Historic Hollywood Photographs site for over 800 hundred rare Hollywood theatre photos.

A house left proscenium box view. It's a Mott Studios photo from the February 1927 issue of Architect and Engineer. There's a version of this in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence collection, their #T-011-16. Also see a much wider view to the house right box, their #T-011-4.

The boxes and proscenium columns were destroyed in the 1942 renovations. While the boxes were rebuilt, the columns were not. See a recent photo by Andreas Praefcke for a comparison.

Another house left proscenium box photo from 1926. It's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection and also appears in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection as their #T-011-7.

A lovely look across the theatre's grand drape. It's a 1926 photo from the AMPAS Tom B'Hend-Preston Kaufmann Archives that appeared in the souvenir program for the 1991 reopening. A copy of the program is in the Ronald W. Mahan Collection. Thanks to Ron for sharing this image.

A proscenium detail from the photo above.

The vista into the house from the stage in 1926. Thanks to the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for the photo, #T-011-10. The Los Angeles Public Library has a cropped version of it in their collection. Note the view of one of the two chandeliers -- they were not replaced in the Disney restoration.

A 1926 centerline view back. Note the open standee area at the rear of the main floor, later walled off to form a separate lobby space. It's a Los Angeles Public Library photo.

The back of the main floor with its open standee area. It's a 1926 Mott Studios photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

A closer look at the rear of the main floor, the standee area, and the east stairs to the balcony. It's a 1926 photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. A slightly cropped version of the photo also appears in the February 1927 issue of Architect and Engineer.

A column detail from a Mott Studios photo in the Ronald W. Mahan Collection.

The main floor standee area in 1926. The photo is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection where they credit it to Bruce Torrence.

The standee area a few years later after the wall had been filled in. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing the photo.

The auditorium after the 1942 renovation:

The theatre closed as a legit house in January 1942. The interior decor was modernized and the auditorium walls and ceiling covered with new corrugated surfaces. The architects for the remodel were William L. and Hal Pereira. When the theatre reopened in March 1942 it was a moderne venue for movies called the Paramount under the direction of Fanchon & Marco.

The main floor of the post-renovation auditorium. Note the fake plants draped over the front of the stage. The photo appeared in "Theatres and Auditoriums," the 1949 book by Harold Burris-Meyer and Edward C. Cole. It can be viewed on Internet Archive. There's also a slightly wider postcard version of the photo depicting "Hollywood's newest Paramount Theatre" from the California State Library collection. | the card |

The proscenium as seen from the balcony. It's a photo from the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their #T-042-2. The collection has 16 photos on their site of the theatre after the Paramount remodel of 1942.

Thanks to Royce Mathew for this colorized image of the auditorium in its Paramount days.

The Paramount's contour curtain and title curtain. It's a 1942 Boxoffice magazine photo that appeared with a full page article about the remodeling in the April 25, 1942 issue titled "Completed..." The caption read: "Fading to the screen is the Architects Pereiras' idea of what the modern theatre auditorium should imply. The Paramount's massive contour curtain makes this mandatory." The article noted:

"Adequately expressing the Architects Pereiras' idea that 'the play's the thing' even in movie presentation, the Paramount's auditorium fades into its focal point, the screen. The massive proscenium drapery, said to be the only 50-footer in existence, is of the contour type in rich satin operated on curved tracks. In this room practically the only applied decoration is a series of flower boxes running across the stage front and around the sides of the auditorium parallel to the outside aisle seats."

A listing featuring the Paramount's curtain from a Tru-Roll rigging catalog. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing the image. The page also noted:

"Hollywood Paramount Theatre with Multi-Form Contour Curtain. The entire curtain raises in the final position, with contour valance moving out during opening and then returning to its original position. Installed by R.L. Grosh & Sons, Scenic Studios."

This famous Life magazine photo by J.R. Eyerman is of the audience at the Paramount watching the November 26, 1952 premiere of "Bwana Devil" in 3-D. It's in Life's "Images of the Century" series appearing on the website of Santa Fe's Monroe Gallery. More Life images available to view (and purchase) are on their Life Photographers page. Another image taken by Mr. Eyerman that night on the main floor is discussed in the Life article "Life at the Movies: When 3-D Was New."

Mike Ballew, in a Facebook post celebrating the premiere's 70th anniversary, suggests that this shot with the audience looking somewhat amused, and one lady with her head thrown back in laughter, may have been taken not during the relatively humorless feature but during an introductory short titled "M. L. Gunzberg Presents Natural Vision 3-Dimension." Also see another post from Mike that's about the film. His forthcoming book is titled "Close Enough To Touch: 3-D Comes To Hollywood."

Up in the balcony for the opening night of "Bwana Devil." It's another photo by J.R. Eyerman. This shot and his others are discussed on a page of the site Alphelis. Thanks to Lawrence Kaufman for including this version of the photo in a huge Facebook post about the film.

"Bwana Devil," like the 3-D features that followed, was run with two machines and 5,000 ft. reels and had an intermission for reel changes. Joe Seeling, formerly a projectionist at the theatre, notes that by the time of the April 1953 run of Warner's "House of Wax" the theatre was set up with four machines and ran 3-D features without an intermission.

Another 1952 photo taken at the Paramount is this Los Angeles Public Library view of Charles Coburn, Hugh Marlow and K.T. Stevens. The Library also has a photo of the magic glasses sign that was in the lobby. Several of our participants evidently didn't read the instructions. There's an article about "Bwana Devil" on Wikipedia. For more "Bwana" shots see Scott Collette's Forgotten Los Angeles Facebook post.

A 1964 photo from the Boxoffice issue of February 18, 1965. The front of the stage got rebuilt with the steps eliminated and center portion flattened out. The article "Dramatic Effects in Remodeled Theatre" detailed the renovation done by Statewide Theatres. | article page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | The caption read:

"Full auditorium view of the remodeled and refurbished Hollywood-Paramount Theatre, Los Angeles. The entire stage area was rebuilt, enlarged and carpeted. Dramatic lighting accents the light moss green waterfall curtain interwoven with metallic gold thread. Title curtain is deep moss green velour and side walls are draped. Ten motors are used for theatrical effects of drapes. The auditorium seats 1,498."

The traveler and waterfall curtain in action in 1984. Thanks to projectionist Joe Seeling for his photo, included in a post of eight views on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. Thanks to Royce Mathew for working on the color. Joe notes that the screen at the time was 20' x 40' and comments:

"Opening the show at the Paramount was a complicated process. Everything was done manually. The dimmers for the lights were two small sliders on a box that sat on a shelf by projector two. The waterfall curtain was a two piece arrangement: a moving valance and the main waterfall. To open the show you needed to do everything in exact order: strike the lamp on Projector #3 , dimming the house light to 25% to bring attention to the stage, simultaneously start the waterfall and beginning to drop stage light to 50%. When the 4th tier of the waterfall began to lift: start the traveler, fade intermission music. When the traveler was about half way open start projector #3, open hand dowser (start mental 7 count) continue to fade stage lights. Open electric dowser, changer-over sound to projector #3. The valance drops back down just before the image hits the screen and stage lights fade to black at the same instant. It was about 35 seconds."

The rear of the main floor in 1989. This image, and the three below, were part of a survey of the building undertaken before construction began for the restoration. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing the photos.

A view across the balcony revealing that the ceiling in this area was untouched in the 1942 renovations. Note that we're missing the two original chandeliers and other lighting had been changed. Photo: Ronald W. Mahan Collection - 1989

A look to the stage. Photo: Ronald W. Mahan Collection - 1989

The view to the back of the house. Photo: Ronald W. Mahan Collection - 1989. Thanks, Ron!

During the 1991-1992 restoration:

The original decor was revealed again (and mostly restored) during the Disney / Pacific Theatres remodel of 1991 done under the direction of Joe Musil.

A c.1989 photo taken during investigation to determine what of the original decor remained above the 1942 vintage suspended ceiling. Here we're looking at part of the sounding board area. That opening at the lower part of the image is the top of what remained of the proscenium arch. The row of circular openings in the brown plaster were access holes to relamp the proscenium cove. Thanks to Mike Hume for spotting the photo on a page about the restoration project from California Restoration & Waterproofing. They comment:

"In 1989, The Walt Disney Company joined forces with Pacific Theatres to begin a two-year archeological dig, which led to a museum-quality restoration of the legendary palace... A previous modernization had left five large holes (each hole measuring six feet by four feet) cut through the ornate proscenium ceiling. This had undoubtedly been a cheap and quick way to install the air conditioning ducts in the 1950s or 1960s. Solution: Create urethane molds of the missing sections of the ceiling. Hand cut the new plaster pieces to fit exactly into the voids and tie them into place within the ceiling. Edges were then smoothed with plaster. Decorative artwork was then applied to blend the ceiling together once again."

A view from the balcony of the scaffolded auditorium during restoration. It's a 1991 photo by Gary Krueger that appeared in the souvenir program for the 1991 reopening. A copy of the program is in the Ronald W. Mahan Collection. Thanks to Ron for sharing this image.

Getting closer to the reopening. It's another 1991 photo by Gary Krueger from the reopening program. Thanks to Ron Mahan for sharing this image.

The house after the 1991 reopening:

A 1991 photo taken after restoration work was completed. The two proscenium boxes were envisioned as side stages for use during pre-show presentations. The organ was installed later and the areas then became organ chambers. The theatre was designed with chambers behind the boxes but an organ had never been installed as the theatre was used for legit, not movies. Photo: California Restoration & Waterproofing

A 1991 view across Joe Musil's "Fred and Ginger" curtain. The photo is now in the Ronald W. Mahan Collection. Ron notes that at this time the stage was only partially usable. The full renovation backstage was completed several years later.

A 1991 look at one of Joe Musil's stage designs. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing the photo. The green velour lambrequin has gold fringe and 42" tassels. The deco portal, which flies, was painted on purple velour over a hard frame. Outside the proscenium are spotlight covers that are painted scrim over a solid frame. The traveler is magenta damask at 100% fullness.

Thanks to Brad Miller for this 2005 look to the rear of the auditorium. It's a photo appearing on the The El Capitan Theatre page of Cinema Tour. The site has great selection of photos of the El Capitan after the Disney restoration (including projection booth views) from Mr. Miller, Adam Martin, and other contributors.

All projection is now done from the new booth at the rear of the main floor. The main floor is exceptionally shallow not only due to the new booth but also boxed in areas in the corners and at the head of the aisles on either side of the booth. Some of that space in the corners was used for new ADA compliant restrooms.

This photo that appeared with the Jim Hill Media blog's article "The El Capitan Theatre: An Appreciation" shows the stage as dressed for "Chronicles of Narnia" in 2005. The article by Dale Ward has a nice history of the theatre.

A view to house right. There isn't a full pit for the console to drop into anymore but there is a "box" at the center they've built out at stage height. Photo: Andreas Praefcke - Wikipedia Commons - 2008

A colorful c.2010 photo of the front of the auditorium that once put in an appearance on the El Capitan Facebook page. The "Fred and Ginger" curtain was a design by Joe Musil.

The vista onto the open stage from the rear of the main floor. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2010

Thanks to Rebecca Reynoso at Cap Equity Locations for the many photos from the firm that appear here. They broker deals between property owners and companies looking for locations for filming or special events. See their page on the El Capitan Theatre for over two hundred great photos exploring all areas of the building.

The view across the stage toward the house right proscenium box. The box in the center is the location of the organ lift. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2010

Toward the rear of the house from onstage. Note the tech table. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2010

A wide angle look from the top of the balcony onto the empty stage. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2010

Another view down onto the stage. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2010

A sidewall view from under the original projection booth. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2010

Another look across the balcony. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2010

Upper balcony side aisle stairs. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2010. See the El Capitan Theatre page on their website for many backstage views. Thanks, Rebecca!

Looking across the main floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

An organ prelude by Rob Richards prior to a screening of "The Avengers." Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

The house from the left side of the balcony. Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for the 2012 photo, originally appearing on the LAHTF Facebook page. There's a high resolution version on Flickr. Also see Wendel's photos of the organ console and front of the main floor on the LAHTF Facebook page.

Another balcony view with the organ in use before a film screening. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

The house left proscenium box and organ grille. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

A post-Dolby Atmos view. Note the speaker trusses above for the JBL Pro speakers. Thanks to Stephen Russo for his 2013 photo, originally appearing on the LAHTF Facebook page.

Thanks to Franck Bohbot for this 2014 photo. It's part of his terrific Cinema Portfolio that includes over thirty photos of movie palaces, many of them in California. Current screen size is 20' x 42'.

A 2018 photo by Mike Hume. See his Historic Theatre Photography site for hundreds of great photos of the theatres he's explored in Los Angeles and elsewhere. And don't miss his page about the El Capitan.

A look at the special drop painted for the 2018 run of "Mary Poppins Returns." Photo: Mike Hume

"Luca" at the El Captian Theatre in June 2021. Well that's how they spelled it for this projection on the curtain during the run in Hollywood, evidently the film's only theatrical engagement. Thanks to Levi Tinker, general manager of the Chinese, for the photo.

Rob Richards rising up from the depths prior to a screening of "Jungle Cruise." The film ran from July 30 until August 10, 2021. Photo: Bill Counter

A shot by former Disneyland Jungle Cruise boat operator Jon Olivan taken during the run of "Jungle Cruise." It's one fifteen views on a Facebook post. His comment on this one: "Before the movie house organist Rob Richards, donning a leopard print blazer, played an array of both Disney Studios and Disneyland ride songs."

A wider "Jungle Cruise" view. Costumes from the film were on display in the boxes. Photo: Bill Counter - 2021

A look down before the October 2021 run of Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Thanks to Gregory Johnson for sharing his photo, one of 26 in a post on the Los Angeles Theatres Facebook page.

The house left decor added for "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Photo: Gregory Johnson

A look to house right before a screening of "Nightmare." Photo: Gregory Johnson. Thanks!

Looking in from the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

Mike Hume makes a dazzling entrance, coming up on the Mickey lift for his presentation as part of the November 2022 Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation "all-about" tour. A video clip of his rise appears on the LAHTF Facebook page.

The house right organ grille. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

An organ grille detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The back of the main floor house right. The boxed-in area provides space for an ADA compliant restroom. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

Across to house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The back corner house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

A soffit detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The two projection booths. The original booth upstairs is now used just as a lighting position. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The vista from the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

From the front of the balcony house right: a peek in the the upper level of this side's organ chamber. The lower level on each side is down in the proscenium boxes and accessed from the dressing room stairs backstage. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

A few pipes in one of the chambers. Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for his 2012 photo, one that appeared on the LAHTF Facebook page.

A detail of the plasterwork where the sounding board meets the ceiling over the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

A ceiling detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The house left vomitory. Note the door to the plenum space on the left, just before the curtains. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

Looking into the plenum space under the upper seating section. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The "Curtain Show" - elements from earlier versions:

The "Fred and Ginger" curtain, a design by Joe Musil, once figured in the theatre's elaborate multi-image, multi-curtain light show before a film. This c.2010 shot once appeared on the Facebook page Waking Sleeping Beauty.

House organist Rob Richards at the console in front of the now-retired "Fred and Ginger" curtain. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2010

A detail of Joe Musil's "Fred and Ginger" curtain. The curtain was retired when the pre-show got a revamp. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

More of the curtain and light show as it was in 2012. Here the peacock is on a curtain. The current version is a flat. Photo: Bill Counter

A segment of the earlier Hollywood panorama. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

Yet another moment in the El Capitan preshow as it was in 2012. Photo: Bill Counter

The "Curtain Show" - version 2021:

The new version of the four-part pre-show starts with a multicolored light show on the house curtain using the foots and other positions. It's a shot from John Iacovelli's wonderful one and a half minute long "Curtain Show" video he posted on Facebook. It can also be seen as a post on the Facebook Theatre Architecture page where there were many comments. Check out the comments on a Facebook post by Mike Hume for his video of the show.

The curtain rises in Austrian drape style revealing a set piece with a peacock as the center. It's lit with various lighting combinations, including black light effects. Image: John Iacovelli - 2021

Another look at the peacock and elephants. Image: John Iacovelli - 2021

The peacock unit flies revealing a Hollywood skyline piece with a twinkling star drop. Image: John Iacovelli - 2021

Stars and the Hollywood skyline with, of course, the tower atop the El Capitan at the left.
Image: John Iacovelli - 2021

Hollywood then flies out revealing a shimmering curtain of vertical Mylar strips. Image: John Iacovelli - 2021

After different lighting combinations the Mylar curtain opens as a traveler revealing the screen. Image: John Iacovelli - 2021. Many thanks, John! Don't miss watching his full "Curtain Show" video on Facebook.

Up in the original booth:

A look across the original upstairs booth in 1984. On the far right it's a 35mm Simplex XL. The other two machines are Norelco AAII 35/70 machines. The lamps are Xetron XH-4000s.

Two of the three amp racks in 1984. Not shown is the rack with the preamps and the Dolby CP200 processor. Thanks to projectionist Joe Seeling for his photos, included in a post of eight views on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. He notes that the stage speakers at the time were five Altec A2s with dual 288 drivers on the 3x5 multicell high frequency horns.

Since the Disney renovation all projection has been from a new booth constructed at the rear of the main floor. The upstairs booth is now filled with digital projectors used for effects in the curtain show as well as an array of spotlights to light both auditorium features as well as stage action.

The door to the booth stairs is at the top of the balcony house right. Note the ladder on the right wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

Attic access. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

Looking in to the right side of the booth. On the right are the amps for the Atmos surround speakers. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

Alongside the #2 Super Trouper II. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

A look down from one of the ports. Thanks to Kevin Segall for this shot, taken at the November 5, 2022 LAHTF "all-about" tour of the theatre. It's one of five photos he shared in a Facebook post.

Along the front wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

A view to the left end of the booth and the added spot port cut in that wall. The blue units on the right are digital projectors used for the pre-film curtain show. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The balcony as seen from the left wall spot port. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

In the left rear corner of the booth: a trap door that once served as the booth's required second exit. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

Looking back to the right side of the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

The stairs back down to the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

El Capitan Theatre: the auditorium

2 comments: