The Warner Grand pages: history + exterior views | lobby areas | auditorium | stage + basement | booth |
A look into the lobby from the entrance doors. It's a photo included with "The Warner in San Pedro," an article on the new theatre in the Better Theatres section of the July 4, 1931 issue of Motion Picture Herald. It's on Internet Archive. The photo also appears in spread on Foyers in the November 21, 1931 issue.
The lobby in 1931. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library
The stairs up to the balcony. Photo: Motion Picture Herald - July 4, 1931
The balcony level lobby. We're looking toward house left -- the auditorium entrances are to our right. Photo: Motion Picture Herald - July 4, 1931
Recent main lobby views:
Looking in from the front doors. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023
An area in the middle of the ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023
The Grand Vision Foundation hired paint restoration company LeGrande
Studios to investigate what painted detail remained under the later
layers of lobby ceiling paint. See the Foundation's restoration page for details of their "Love the Lobby" campaign. It was begun in 2018 and was part of the discussion in a June 2019 Easy Reader News story. Lobby ceiling restoration is to be one of the projects during the 2024-2026 renovation work.
Paint investigation near the stairs. Michelle Gerdes - 2023. It's one of eight photos she's shared in a Facebook post that were taken at the "San Pedro on Film" event put on by the San Pedro Heritage Museum.
The LeGrande Studios investigations on the house left end of the lobby. The brighter angled section is an area they've painted in a bit to show what the pattern might have
looked like originally. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023
The stairs at the left head down to the basement restrooms and lounge. The doors to the auditorium are off to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
A bit deeper into the lobby. Those are just exit doors to the alley ahead. Thanks to Hile Hight for the photo, a post for the SoCal Historic Architecture private Facebook group. Also see an auditorium view on Nile's post.
One set of exit doors to the alley. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023
A closer look at the niche on the lobby east wall -- formerly a fountain. Thanks to Steve Milner for his 2016 photo. It appeared as one of a set of seven in a post for the private Facebook group SoCal Historic Architecture.
The stairs to the balcony. The exits to the street are off to the left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The vista down the row of lobby chandeliers. Photo: Steve Milner - 2016
The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation is actively involved in the study and preservation of the vintage theatres in the Los Angeles area. The group frequently supports events and offers tours of the buildings. www.lahtf.org | on Facebook
A lobby plaster detail. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - 2013. Don't miss her two Avoiding Regret photo essays on the Warner. You'll find many photos, a
history of the building, and lots of information about her exploration
of the theatre. There's one on the public spaces, "Open to the Public," and one on the non-public areas, "Behind Closed Doors."
The house left stairs to the basement. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2023. Thanks!
A closer look at the signage. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - 2013
The basement lounges:
At the bottom of the stairs. The men's room is over on the left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
Work earlier in 2014 on the basement lounge alcove by KC Restoration, a Culver City firm. It's a photo appearing on their Facebook page.
Another view toward the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023
Looking across to the men's room. Thanks to Mr. Arteest for this 2008 view. It's one of 72 great photos in his Warner Grand set on Flickr. The ladies room entrance is behind us.
A view north in the lounge toward the ladies room entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023
A 2008 view of one of the lounge fixtures after refurbishment. The photo is in Mr. Arteest's Warner Grand set on Flickr.
One of the ceiling fixtures. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
Need another fixture shot? Photo: Bill Counter - 2023
A detail of the painted ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
In the ladies room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
Looking out from the ladies room. That's the black-tiled men's room across the way. The stairs back up to the main lobby are out there, off to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
In the men's room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
Another men's room view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
Heading up to the balcony:
The house right stairs to the balcony. Photo: Claudia Mullins - Photos of Los Angeles - 2017
In the main lobby looking upstairs via the house left stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
A sconce on the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
An exit sign at the top of the stairs. Photo: Berger Conser Architectural Photography - c.1992. The photo appears in Anne Conser and Robert Berger's great book "The Last Remaining Seats: Movie Palaces of Tinseltown," available on Amazon. The Robert Berger Photography website has a portfolio of sixteen photos from "The Last Remaining Seats."
A look down from the house left end of the balcony lobby. The open door nearest us is the men's room -- the ladies is down at the other end. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The balcony lobby from house left. That's the manager's office at the far end. Thanks to Stephen Russo for his 2013 photo on the LAHTF Facebook page.
A peek into the auditorium house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The repurposed drinking fountain on the west wall. Thanks to Gary Simon for his 2014 photo on the LAHTF Facebook page.
An earlier drinking fountain view. Thanks to Don Solosan for the 2009 photo on the LAHTF Facebook page.
A ceiling detail. Photo: Claudia Mullins - Photos of Los Angeles - 2017
One of the balcony lobby's pilasters. Photo: Claudia Mullins - Photos of Los Angeles - 2017
A closer look at a pilaster capital. Photo: Claudia Mullins - Photos of Los Angeles - 2017
The manager's office doors at the house right end of the lobby. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - 2013
A peek into the manager's office. Photo: Mr. Arteest on Flickr - 2008
The balcony lobby from the house right end. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2014. Thanks, Hunter! Keep up with his recent explorations: on Facebook | hunterkerhart.com | on Flickr
Down the house right stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
Another wall and ceiling detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
A lovely lady on the ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The men's room on the house left end of the balcony lobby. We're looking out from the toilet area toward some fine woodwork on the entrance vestibule door. The guys got black tile, the ladies got green. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The balcony men's room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The balcony men's room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The entrance to the balcony ladies room on the house right side of the lobby. Photo: Claudia Mullins - Photos of Los Angeles - 2017. Thanks for all your photos, Claudia!
In the balcony ladies room. We're looking out from the toilet area to the lounge beyond. The fancy door gets you out to the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
Another balcony ladies room view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The Warner Grand pages: history + exterior views | back to top - lobby areas | auditorium | stage + basement | booth |
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