Los Angeles Theatres: State Theatre: lobbies and lounges

Redecorating in progress for a June 27, 2021 grand reopening. As a church, that is. The same group that the owners kicked out in January 2018 is back with a new lease. New carpet and lots of white paint. Photo: Bill Counter - June 11, 2021

Peeking in from the entrance doors. The event was an L.A. Conservancy screening of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," the first film in the theatre in 20 years. Photo: Bill Counter - June 2018

The north side of the outer lobby. The walkway above is to the ladies lounge. Thanks to Claudia Mullins for this and her other April 2018 photos appearing here. They're part of a 46 photo State Theatre Tour set on Facebook that she took during the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation "all-about" tour of the building.

A detail of some of the ornament below the north walkway. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2018

Looking up from under the north walkway. Photo: Claudia Mullins - April 2018

One of the fixtures along the north wall. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

Looking toward the entrance doors on the north side of the lobby. Thanks to Mike Hume for this June 2018 photo and the many others that appear here. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for tech data and hundreds of fine photos of the many theatres he's explored. And don't miss his page on the State.

A terracotta serpent at the entrance. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

Another detail of the terracotta in the outer lobby. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

A view in toward the inner lobby. The auditorium is off to the left. The arches originally had doors separating this area from the inner lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2007

The chandelier from below. Photo: Claudia Mullins - April 2018

Checking out one of the columns. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2018

The main stairs to the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

A closer look at the stairs. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2018. Thanks, Michelle!

The bottom of the stairs. Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for his April 2018 photo. It's one in a great nineteen photo set that's on the LAHTF Facebook page. They were mostly taken during a Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation "all-about" tour of the building.

The LAHTF is active in promoting awareness of the historic theatres of Los Angeles and works toward their preservation. They frequently offer tours and sponsor other events related to historic preservation. www.lahtf.org | group Facebook page | official Facebook page

A detail of tile on the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

The room under the stairs, perhaps originally a coat check room. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

A 40s look at the snackbar at the Loew's State. We're just inside the front doors with the stairs to the balcony behind the bar. It's a shot taken by Western Photo in the Tom B'hend and Preston Kaufmann Collection, part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library Digital Collection.

A closer look at the snackbar "cabinet." It's a Nate Singer photo that's in the Tom B'hend and Preston Kaufmann Collection.

The inner lobby:

A capacity sign to the left of the aisle 1 entrance. It'll be difficult to exceed that number unless we pack the lobby. There aren't currently that many seats. Photo: Claudia Mullins - April 2018

A view up to the balcony level with a bonus peek into the house. The wall has been filled in. Originally it was an open standee rail with drapes. Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for his 2017 photo, one that appeared on the LAHTF Facebook page.

Electrical panels on the north wall. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

Looking up from the main floor from a position halfway into the lobby. This would have been the view if you had looked up after coming in the now-abandoned 7th St. entrance. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for his 2008 photo.

A look in at the top of aisle 3. It's a 2008 Ken McIntyre photo.

Looking toward house right. Photo: Bill Counter - June 2018

The alley end of the lobby. That brown door in the middle goes downstairs and, while the church was a tenant, connected to the basement cafeteria spaces. Photo: Bill Counter - June 2018

Looking back from house right toward Broadway. The second entrance in from 7th St. was where that drinking fountain now is. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

The house right stairs to the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - June 2018

A wider look up the house right stairs. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

A closer look at the ventilation grille seen in the previous photo. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

The house left end of the balcony lobby:

The view from the top of the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

Another look down. The walkway across on the left goes to the ladies room. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

The capital of the column on the far left edge of the precious photo. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

A closer look at the railing on the walkway to the ladies room. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

Back across toward the stairs. The entrance to the house left side of the balcony is at the right of the photo. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014

Peeking in to the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

The lobby view as you come out of the left side of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

The outer lobby chandelier. At the bottom of the image we're looking out the entrance doors to Broadway. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for his 2008 photo. It's on Photobucket where you can page through additional photos from his visit to the theatre. You might also want to pay a visit to the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page Ken curates.

The balcony lobby from the Broadway end as it originally appeared. The photo is from a 1922 Architectural Digest survey issue discussing noteworthy southern California buildings. It's from the Stanford Library collection and available on Google Books. Note that we have no chandeliers -- it's all uplight from those torchieres.

A more recent view from the Broadway end of the lobby. The auditorium is off to the left. At the far end are the back stairs down to the house right end of the inner lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2007

The railing at the right allows a look down to the lower level. It would also have given you a view of patrons coming in from the second entrance 7th St. That one was closed in 1936 and the space remodeled for retail use.

The ornament in a ceiling coffer. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

The drinking fountain on the south wall. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

Electrical panels on the north wall. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

A decorative panel above a pair of pilasters. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page - April 2018

Ceiling grilles arched across the lobby between pairs of pilasters. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

A detail of the plaster seen in the previous photo. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

A view down the center. That open door on the right goes to a suite of offices above the 7th St. retail spaces. It's a photo that appeared on the Historic Core Facebook page in 2015.

At the railing for a peek down onto the main floor. The first door on the left goes to theatre offices, the second is the men's room. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart for his 2014 photo. Keep up with his explorations: on Facebook | hunterkerhart.com | on Flickr

Ventilation grilles in the lobby ceiling. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

The end of one of the grilles. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

The office area tucked in under the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

The safe in a closet on the east end of the office area. Photo: Claudia Mullins - April 2018

One of the chandeliers. Thanks to prolific contributor Bill Gabel for posting his photo to the Cinema Treasures page about the State. It was taken when the theatre was still running as a film house.

The ladies lounge:

The doorway to the ladies restroom area at the north corner of the house left end of the balcony lobby. That arched window we see on the far wall looks out over the marquee. The railing on the right allows a view down into the outer lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014

A look to the main floor from the walkway to the ladies room. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

A doorway to the ladies lounge. It's currently covered on the other side. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

A detail of the capital of the pilaster seen on the right side of the doorway in the previous photo. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

After a turn to the right you're in this hallway that runs parallel to Broadway. At the left we're looking out onto the top of the marquee. The area to the right was once open as a lounge. The church tenant that was in the building walled it off. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

Out on the marquee. Thanks to Mike Hume for his April 2018 photo. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for tech info and hundreds of fine photos of the many theatres he's explored. And don't miss his page on the State Theatre.

In the walled off lounge area. We're looking north. That window on the right just gets you a look at the hallway to the ladies room. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

Looking south toward the toilet area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014

The ladies restroom. There are currently no restrooms on the main floor. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

Back out toward the hallway. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

Looking out from the doorway to the ladies room. 7th St. is off to the right, the auditorium is off to the left. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

The house right end of the balcony lobby:

The wide angle view from the stairs. At the far right is the entrance to the balcony. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

Into the balcony house right. That's a janitor's room on the left. The doors straight ahead go to the fire escape in the alley. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

The lobby from the top of the house right stairs. We're looking toward Broadway. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2018

A 1921 view from house right. At the far end of the space the door on the left goes to the ladies lounge. Check out the crazy carpet pattern. It's a photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

The house right chandelier and a bit of the ceiling. Photo: Mike Hume - June 2018

A lovely look at one of the very grotesque pilaster capitals. Thanks to Marilyn Castaneda for her 2015 photo that once appeared on the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles.

The men's room: