This card has appeared numerous places and, because of the dome, it's been asserted that this is an early version of the Beverly. First of all, it says Hollywood on the card, not Beverly Hills. Some have speculated that this was an early design for the Warner Hollywood. Again not so.
It's a promotional postcard of a never-built project, the New Hollywood Theatre. This version of the card is from the collection of Brian Michael McCray, appearing as a post on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles.
The card made an appearance in 2012 in Ethereal Reality's Noirish Los Angeles post #8380. He found a copy of it on eBay. A drawing of the project from A.B. Rosenthal also appears (in a small size) on page 72 in
the October 1920 issue of Architect and Engineer
with an article entitled "The Planning of Theatres and Auditoriums."
Architect: A.B. Rosenthal
Proposed operators: the Gore Brothers and Sol Lesser
Seating capacity: 2,700 was the number noted in a July 4, 1920 L.A. Times story.
Stage: It
was to be huge: 118' across with a 50' proscenium. The Times notes
that they were planning that the theatre be usable for either films or
stage shows.
Style of decor: The
design supposedly was to feature opulent interiors finished in walnut,
mahogany, and marble along with state of the art lighting equipment for
unusual stage effects. Stylistically, it was to draw on Indian, Persian
and Islamic influences with gilded domes.
The project was mentioned in "New Theaters To Rise Here," a July 4, 1920 article in the L.A. Times. Regarding this project they noted:
"...Architect A.P. Rosenthal [sic] is preparing for a theater and office building on Hollywood Boulevard, near the junction of Ivar street for Gore Brothers, Sol Lesser and associates. The front portion of the building will be four stories in height, containing thirty office rooms, and the theater lobby on the ground floor will be flanked by store-rooms on each side.
"The auditorium of the theater will have a seating capacity of about 2700, and plans call for a large stage, scene lofts, and dressing rooms for the production of legitimate plays. The structure will be of concrete, with terra cotta facing, and the interior is to be finished in tile, marble and hardwood."
Article also discusses Loew's State, the new Pantages at 7th and Hill, the Hillstreet, Grauman's Metropolitan and the Egyptian. The full article: part one | part two | part three |
More details were provided in the July 18, 1920 issue of the L.A. Times. This drawing was under the headline "Final Sketches of Two Handsome Structures to Be Erected Here." The other was a synagogue for Boyle Heights. The caption noted: "New Hollywood Theater Now Under Construction on Hollywood Boulevard for Gore Brothers, Sol Lesser and Associates; A.B. Rosenthal, Architect." This article accompanied the illustration:
Opening: Well, it never did. The Times article would have led you to believe that construction was underway. Supposedly the contracts for the excavation and foundations had already been awarded.
An article about this project and several others that appeared in the October 1992 issue of the Tom B'hend / Preston Kaufmann publication Greater L.A. Metro Newsreel:
The issue of Newsreel with the story is in the Ronald W. Mahan collection. Thanks to Ron for scanning the article.
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