Also see: Hollywood Playhouse / Avalon: history + exterior views
The main lobby:
The stairs, originally visible from the front doors. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1927
The Mott Studios photos of the Playhouse in the California State Library collection include many not shown here on this page. They're in four sets: 5 photos - set # 01384357 | 15 photos - set # 01384349 | patio - 3 photos - set # 01384348 | lobby stairs - 3 photos - set # 01384347 |
The house left end of the lobby. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1927
The tapestry on the house left wall. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1927
Looking toward house right. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1927
A closer look house right. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1927
The house right end of the lobby in 1949. Photo: Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, #T-012-2
Inside the front doors. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The video wall opposite the front doors. The bar is behind it. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Looking to the inner lobby and the house left side of the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The house left view back to the outer lobby. The bar is on the left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The view in house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Looking back along the end of the bar to the outer lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The house right entrance to the auditorium. That's the men's room at the center. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Across the inner lobby to house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The stairs up. That doorway to the back of the main floor was a later addition. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The bar from house left. Go around either end to exit the theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Heading upstairs:
On the balcony stair landing. The center of the lobby space we see at balcony level was later walled in. It's now basically just two stairwells. Photo: Mott Studios, California State Library - 1927
In the balcony level lobby looking south. Through the doorway straight ahead there's a restroom and, to the right, stairs up to the balcony crossaisle house left. The lit doorway at the left gets you out onto the patio. The stairs at right head down to the main floor lobby. Photo: Mott Studios, California State Library - 1927
Scroll down to the bottom of the history + exterior views page for shots of the patio.
A closer look at the house left end of the space. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1927
A closer look at the house left end of the space. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1927
On the right side of the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
It was once a lobby behind the rail in the upper left, now walled in. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
A look back to the stairs on the left, into the auditorium on the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The house right vomitory. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Looking back from the vom. There's a restroom is on the left, stairs around the corner to the right. The fun is straight ahead -- the door leads out onto the patio. There's no way to get to house left from here other than back down to the stair landing or via the balcony crossaisle. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
A peek into the patio. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Going up the other side -- house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
A peek into the auditorium from the stairs. The doorway was a later addition. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The house left vomitory is seen on the left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Another view of what's left of the house left end of the balcony lobby. That's a restroom to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Vintage auditorium views:
A main floor view. Photo: Mott Studios, California State Library - 1927
The asbestos curtain as viewed from under the balcony. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library - 1927
Checking out the balcony soffit. Photo: Mott Studios, California State Library - 1927
A balcony view appearing in "Hollywood Today 1928,"
a 64 page rotogravure magazine published by the Hollywood Daily
Citizen. Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for scanning all the pages and sharing
the publication as an album on Flickr. The page with this photo also appears
in the "Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Group Pool" on Flickr that's curated by Michelle Gerdes. The Los Angeles Public Library has a cropped version of this in their collection. The Citizen's copy:
"Interior of one of Hollywood's beautiful legitimate theatres, The Hollywood Play House, Vine Street, north of Hollywood Boulevard, home of the spoken drama. Here repertoire is presented on a par with the world's finest art theatres."
The auditorium chandelier. Photo: Mott Studios, California State Library - 1927
A look to the rear of the house from the May-June 1952 "AM-FM-Television Broadcast News."
The rear of the auditorium, a c.2015 photo from the Avalon's Venue Rental page.
In use as a TV studio:
A proscenium view in 1952 after NBC had done a remodel to use the building as a TV studio. Note a bit of the asbestos visible within the proscenium. The movie screen got an image of the broadcast version of the show projected via an RCA TV projector on the front of the balcony.
The work was discussed in "NBC
Converts El Capitan for TV Theatre," a four page article in the
May-June 1952 issue of RCA's magazine "AM-FM-Television Broadcast News."
It's on page
22 of a pdf from the site AmericanRadioHistory.com. Thanks to Bob Foreman for finding the article. For a wonderful collection of historic tech material visit his site Vintage Theatre Catalogs.
A look to the rear of the house from the May-June 1952 "AM-FM-Television Broadcast News."
A look across the house as a television studio in 1955. Thanks to the Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for the image, their item #T-012-3. Other 1955 interior views in the collection: rear of the main floor, #T-012-3-1| looking onto the stage, #T-012-4 |
The auditorium remodeled into a music venue:
The auditorium remodeled into a music venue:
Looking in on the house right aisle before a "Hollywood and Vine" event produced by the organization Musique. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
In one of the booths. Thanks to Mike Hume for this 2019 photo and others appearing on this page. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for tech data and hundreds of photos of the many theatres he's explored. And don't miss his page on the Avalon.
Another view from one of the rear booths. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Across the back of the main floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The doorway to the stair landing. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
A view onto the stage. They've added a platform as the auditorium floor has been leveled and raised to the original stage level. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Across from house right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
A look offstage right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
A proscenium and ceiling grille detail. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
The rear of the auditorium, a c.2015 photo from the Avalon's Venue Rental page.
Another look to the rear of the house. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The house from the upper section of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The house left vomitory. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Along the crossaisle. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The August 2022 Musique event "Hollywood and Vine." Photo: Bill Counter
The house right proscenium column capital. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
A view from the top. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
A view from the top. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
A ceiling panel detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Another ceiling panel design. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The chandelier. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
The chandelier. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Another chandelier shot. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
A chandelier detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The back corner of the ceiling house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
Joël Huxtable comments: "About that missing plasterwork in the middle... The building experienced minor damage in the '94 earthquake. The south-east corner of the fly house separated and was repaired. Pieces of the plasterwork in the ceiling cracked and/or fell. Myself and the production manager went into the ceiling and, using poles, knocked out any existing loose pieces — the bulk being the strips in-between the angled frames and the ceiling border, as you see here.
"Near the proscenium, also at the south-east end, a few of the ceiling frame pieces fell and we had to knock what was left of those out. To this day, they have not been able to be replaced, so you can see some quite large areas into the ceiling space. None of the angled frames were damaged. None of the large ceiling medallion was damaged. All of the plasterwork is fortified with horse hair and hung/mounted with 1/4 inch wire. The frames are actually simply seated in place and held in by the vertical column pieces."
Across the upper section of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022
The projection booth, viewed from house right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
The house from up center. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Proscenium: 37 '8" wide x 45' high
Footlights to curtain: 4'6" originally
Curtain to backwall: 34' 4"
Stage wall to wall: 71'
Grid height: 71'
Rigging: It was originally a hemp house with fly floors both stage left and stage right. In 1949 they were rigged with 45 hemp sets. The main fly floor is stage right. At least one hemp headblock is still in position.
Some wire guide counterweight sets have been added, a mix of single and double purchase. Three sets downstage go to stage level stage right. The others just go as low as the stage right flyfloor. NBC added 8 counterweight sets for electric battens in 1952 as well as winched sets for lighting over their added thrust. ABC evidently added more counterweight sets during their 1963 remodel.
Much of the current equipment is hung using chain motors. Mike Hume notes that they still have a deadhung wraparound cyc track, probably from the TV days.
Dressing rooms: 21 was the original layout with 2 at stage level, 2 in the basement and 17 on upper levels. Mike comments: "The spaces under the fly floors at either side of the stage are a variety of VIP areas. Stage left the 'Jerry Lewis Room' is a fabulous space at stage level, and above it is a VIP gallery which is open to the stage. Above that level it's not a usable fly floor as it's been built out as office space. Stage right also has rooms and viewing galleries below the fly floor but the stagehouse is clear above fly floor level."
The projection booth, viewed from house right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Backstage:
The house from up center. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Proscenium: 37 '8" wide x 45' high
Footlights to curtain: 4'6" originally
Curtain to backwall: 34' 4"
Stage wall to wall: 71'
Grid height: 71'
Rigging: It was originally a hemp house with fly floors both stage left and stage right. In 1949 they were rigged with 45 hemp sets. The main fly floor is stage right. At least one hemp headblock is still in position.
Some wire guide counterweight sets have been added, a mix of single and double purchase. Three sets downstage go to stage level stage right. The others just go as low as the stage right flyfloor. NBC added 8 counterweight sets for electric battens in 1952 as well as winched sets for lighting over their added thrust. ABC evidently added more counterweight sets during their 1963 remodel.
Much of the current equipment is hung using chain motors. Mike Hume notes that they still have a deadhung wraparound cyc track, probably from the TV days.
Dressing rooms: 21 was the original layout with 2 at stage level, 2 in the basement and 17 on upper levels. Mike comments: "The spaces under the fly floors at either side of the stage are a variety of VIP areas. Stage left the 'Jerry Lewis Room' is a fabulous space at stage level, and above it is a VIP gallery which is open to the stage. Above that level it's not a usable fly floor as it's been built out as office space. Stage right also has rooms and viewing galleries below the fly floor but the stagehouse is clear above fly floor level."
Paint frame: There's a suspended walkway across the upstage wall at flyfloor level, once used as a catwalk for a paint frame.
Stage:
The main floor has been leveled and brought up to stage height. A new
stage platform has been built several feet above the original stage
height.
Some of the measurements and data are from
the 1949 ATPAM Theatre, Arena and Auditorium Guide. Thanks to Bob
Foreman for posting the contents of the book on his blog Vintage Theatre Catalogs.
The view offstage left. The staircase coming up from the star room
(known as the Jerry Lewis Room) to the VIP box above is in the amber-lit
area at the left. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
A look toward the grid stage left. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
A look downstage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Another stage right view. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
The monitor mix position stage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
The monitor mix position stage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
On the paint bridge looking offstage left. There's a fan room above the level we're looking into. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Along
the paint bridge looking toward stage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019. He
comments: "A single arbor on the rear stage wall appears to have been
dedicated to a paint frame, now long gone. There are also some old 1950s
cyclorama curtain tracks (dead hung), presumably from the TV days,
visible at the bottom-left."
Looking upstage on the flyfloor stage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019. It's a mix of single and double purchase sets of different vintages. Eight sets for electrics were installed during the 1952 NBC remodel. The rest was either installed later by them or perhaps during the 1963 ABC remodel. One monster arbor using four stacks of weights is upstage. There's no pinrail remaining.
A view of the grid from the flyfloor stage right. Note the unused well out about 20' from the side wall where hemp headblocks were once positioned. At least one is still in place. On the far right of the image it's the ladder on the back wall to get up there. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Dressing rooms:
A view of the grid from the flyfloor stage right. Note the unused well out about 20' from the side wall where hemp headblocks were once positioned. At least one is still in place. On the far right of the image it's the ladder on the back wall to get up there. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Looking down on the stage right flyfloor. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
The view back across to stage left. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
The view back across to stage left. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Dressing rooms:
The Jerry Lewis Room offstage left at stage level. A VIP gallery open to the stage is above it. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Another view of the Jerry Lewis room. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
A closer look at the spiral staircase going up to the VIP box. Photo: Nick Carr - Scouting Los Angeles
The light at the top of the stairs. Photo: Nick Carr - Scouting Los Angeles. Thanks, Nick!
Dressing room 1. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Dressing room 1. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019
Dressing room 2. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019. Thanks, Mike! Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for lovely photos of the theatres he's surveyed. And don't miss his page on the Avalon.
The Bardot spaces:
A photo of the Bardot space from the Avalon's Venue Rental page. We're on the second floor looking east toward Vine St. Note the covered windows straight ahead.
The 2nd floor space looking north toward the bar. It's a photo from the Avalon's Venue Rental page.
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