802 S. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90014 | map |
The Tower Theatre pages: history | earlier exterior views | recent exterior views | lobby areas | lounges + basement support areas | earlier auditorium views | recent auditorium views | organ chambers | booth level | attic | roof | tower |
Plasterers at work in 1927 on the small dome at the rear of the ceiling. It's a photo from "Some Enchanted Evenings: American Picture Palaces," an article on the University of Virginia website.
Sidewall scaffolding in place in July 1927. It's a Dwyer Studios photo on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. Other interior items in the UCLA collection include: an early lobby sketch | interior section drawing | another interior section | floor plans |
A main floor plan dated October 21, 1926 from the UCLA collection. Click on it for a larger view.
Thanks
to Kelsey Araghi and her group at UCLA for locating the plan. The
research was for Anthony Caldwell's Spring 2023 Digital
Reconstructions on Broadway class. The image appears courtesy of the UC
Regents and Special Collections, UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library. Also see the basement plan from October 1926.
A stage detail from the October 1926 plan. At this time there was no provision for Vitaphone. The screen was up against the back wall, presumably between those two circles representing some sort of columns. Note the organ console in front of the stage at the center. It was on a hydraulic lift.
Presumably the organist could ride the console up from the basement. But there was no provision for other musicians to get into the pit from their basement lounge without going up the stairs and parading through the auditorium from the house right front exit and then into the pit. The only stage access was via the steps house right.
The Tower's auditorium in 1927. Thanks to Bill Housos for the photo from his collection. He notes that he purchased the photo decades ago from the Theatre Historical Society.
A closer look at the ante-proscenium area. Photo: Bill Housos collection
A detail of the original mural above the proscenium. Photo: Bill Housos collection
A balcony view from the March 3, 1928 issue of Motion Picture News. It's a Padilla Company photo. The issue, on Internet Archive, also has floorplans, lounge and lobby photos, plus an article on the following page titled "A Theatre Built on a Lot 50 x 150 Feet." The photo also appears in the July 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer.
Also check out the Motion Picture News issue of December 28, 1929. Section Two is the "Theatre Building and Equipment Buyers Guide" which includes an article by S. Charles Lee about the Tower Theatre: "Stretching The Building Fund and the Plot Area."
A closer look at the proscenium from the photo in the March 3, 1928 issue of Motion Picture News.
A detail of the dome from the Motion Picture News photo.
A photo of the main dome's mural appearing with "Modern Tendencies in Theatre Design," a July 1928 Architect and Engineer article discussing the theatre. In addition to this view of Tony Heinsbergen's work on the dome on page two of the article, the issue also includes the auditorium view that's also in Motion Picture News plus an exterior photo, and a lobby photo and theatre floorplan.
A look at the house left balcony sidewall from the Motion Picture News issue of December 28, 1929. It's on Internet Archive. The Los Angeles Public Library has a murkier version that appeared in a 1928 Heinsbergen Decorating promotional piece. The photo also is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.
The rear of the auditorium in 1963. It's a photo from Marc Wanamaker's Bison Archives that appears in the great 2008 Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres in Los Angeles" by Suzanne Tarbell Cooper, Amy Ronnebeck Hall and Mr. Wanamaker. The page with the photo appears in a preview of the book on Google Books. Thanks, Marc!
A 1978 balcony cross aisle railing photo by Tom Zimmerman that's in the California State Library collection.
A c.1992 look at the auditorium from Berger Conser Architectural Photography. The photo appears in Anne Conser and Robert Berger's great book "The Last Remaining Seats: Movie Palaces of Tinseltown." It's available on Amazon. Robert Berger's website has a portfolio of 16 photos from "The Last Remaining Seats." The photo also appears on the auditorium page in a photo gallery on the Tower Theatre website. Thanks, Robert and Anne!
The auditorium during a film shoot in 1994. It's a photo by William E. Ault.
A proscenium view. Photo: William E. Ault - 1994
A view of the house right wall during a film shoot. Photo: William E. Ault - 1994. Thanks to Sean Ault for providing these photos.
A 2007 view to the rear of the house. Note here that the angle is such
the we can see not only the main ceiling dome but a bit of the smaller
dome at the rear of the balcony. Thanks to Harrison Aster for his photo
on Flickr. See his Old Movie Palaces on Broadway set for more nice interior views of the Tower plus a few exteriors of other Broadway theatres.
Looking along the house left wall toward the proscenium. Photo: Rich Alossi - 2009
The front of the auditorium from the main floor. Photo: Wendell Benedetti on Flickr - 2009. See Wendell's view of the auditorium "digitally restored." For more great theatre photos see his Historic Los Angeles Theatres set on Flickr.
A closer look toward the "stage" - all of 7' deep. The areas under the
boxes used to be exits. When a larger screen was installed in front of
the proscenium, these were abandoned and others added deeper into the
house. The stage you see is an extension forward added for the filming
of "Mambo Kings" in 1991. Photo: Don Solosan - Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation - 2009
The LAHTF is active in promoting awareness of the historic theatres of
Los Angeles and is active in working toward their preservation. The
organization frequently offers tours and sponsors other events related
to historic preservation. www.lahtf.org | on Facebook
The mural above the arch. Not the original, of course. It had a moderne re-do. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2009
Looking back toward the balcony. Photo: Rich Alossi - 2009. Thanks, Rich!
A balcony view from up in one of the side boxes. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2009
A proscenium view from the balcony. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2009
The balcony as seen from the house right front exit. Photo: Wendell Benedetti on Flickr - 2009
The house right front exit looking toward the proscenium. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2009. Thanks, Don!
A look along the house left wall toward the front exit. Photo: Rich Alossi - 2009
In the middle of the balcony, getting a glimpse of the ceiling dome. Photo: Rich Alossi - 2009
The lower balcony house right wall. Photo: Wendell Benedetti on Flickr - 2009. On the LAHTF Facebook page see Wendell's 2012 photos of the balcony during Ed Kelsey's history talk and a wide angle view from the rear of the balcony.
The back of the balcony house right. The door to the booth is open -- let's go! Photo: Rich Alossi - 2009
The ceiling and the house left wall from the upper balcony. Photo: Rich Alossi - 2009
Another house left sidewall detail. Photo: Rich Alossi - 2009
Looking to the top house left. Photo: Rich Alossi - 2009. Thanks, Rich!
Looking in to the rear of the main floor from the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Behind the standee rail looking toward house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The standee rail from house left. Thanks to Sandi Hemmerlein for her
photo taken at the 2012 LAHTF Tower Theatre tour. See the photo essays
on her Avoiding Regret blog: Lobby, House & Balcony and Backstage, Booth and Basement.
A fine view toward the stage from house left from the Broadway Theatre Group collection. It appears on a post by Steven Miller on the Twin Peaks Blog that's devoted to the episode called "The Fireman's House." Thanks to Nicholas John Bataran for sharing the photo as a comment to a post on the Los Angeles Theatres Facebook page.
A look across to the house left sidewall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A detail of the house right sidewall at the rear of the main floor with a
bonus view of one of the under balcony coves. Photo: Wendell Benedetti -
LAHTF Facebook page - 2012
The plasterwork on the sidewall arches at the rear of the main floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Along the house right sidewall. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - 2012
A sidewall view through the standee rail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A ceiling plaster detail under the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A balcony soffit light fixture. There are coves at the rear and this
style of fixture farther forward. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The same fixture lit. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A detail of the house left sidewall under the exit passage from the front of the balcony. Photo: Stephen Russo - LAHTF Facebook page - 2012
A bit of plaster at the proscenium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The top of the Tower's proscenium. Photo: Stephen Russo - LAHTF Facebook page - 2012. Also see his photos of the proscenium from the balcony and a detail of the figure above the proscenium.
A detail of the plasterwork at the top of the proscenium. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page - 2012
Details of the figures left and right above the proscenium. The
consensus seems to be that it's Shakespeare at the right, possibly (as
Escott Norton suggests), Sarah Bernhardt on the left. He notes that she
had died in 1923 and still had a strong reputation as the greatest
dramatic actress of modern times. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page - 2012
The auditorium NOT under high pressure sodium illumination. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page
- 2012. Wendell notes that for this photo he used two strobe lights.
The purple paint job dates from the 1965 renovation, when the original
ceiling dome murals were removed and the elaborate detail work along the
top of the sidewall arches was painted over.
The front exit to the alley house right. The doorway there on the left
gave access to the speakers behind the screen. And also to a look
underneath the temporary stage. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The curved row of original footlights under "Mambo Kings" stage. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Onstage looking straight up at the area above the stage. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Onstage looking up toward the upper right side of the proscenium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A view from the back of the stage. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page - 2012. He notes that the illumination at the time was three sodium vapor lamps and six incandescent bulbs.
A balcony front detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Inside the balcony: the view across toward house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Inside the balcony: looking down on the top of one of the domes at the rear of the main floor. These
views were taken by peeking through an open access door on the stairs
from the lobby up into the house right side of the balcony. Photo: Bill
Counter - 2012
Inside the balcony: looking forward. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Looking along the balcony cross aisle toward house left. The 2010 photo is included in the Los Angeles Historic Theatres
Facebook album of Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles. The group was on
expeditions looking for haunted spaces. There are also photos of the
Palace and Los Angeles Theatres included.
At the balcony vomitory house left -- looking back down into the upper level of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
On the balcony cross aisle -- a railing detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A balcony seat end standard. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The railing along the front balcony exit house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Down the front exit house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A sidewall detail house left. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - 2012
A detail of one of the lower balcony sidewall panels. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A detail of one of the lower balcony sidewall panels. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Ceiling plasterwork in the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Another ceiling plaster detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A balcony sidewall plaster detail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
More balcony plasterwork. Here we're looking at the top of one of the sidewall arches. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Looking toward the back wall. That's the door to the booth at the top of the house right aisle. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A view along the back wall. The hunters were headed to the booth. Photo: Ghost Hunters - 2010
At the top of the balcony house right: the stairs up to the booth and screening room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Another view along the backwall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The small dome at the rear of the balcony. That's the front wall of the booth at the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
Another look at the rear dome. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The supply air ports along the back wall of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
One of the plaster panels on the upper balcony sidewalls. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A bracket where the back of the balcony ceiling meets the house left sidewall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The door to the cry room at the top of the balcony house left. Photo: Ghost Hunters - 2010
Looking into the cry room. The room's window had been temporarily covered. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The main dome from the top of the balcony. Photo: Escott O. Norton - 2012. Thanks, Escott! He was formerly the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. www.lahtf.org | on Facebook
A 2014 August Bradley photo for Broadway Theatre Group, owners of the Tower. It made an appearance on a Facebook page the theatre once had.
The view from the top of the balcony in 2014. It's a Hunter Kerhart photo but he's added in a view of the ceiling mural as it appeared in a photo from the July 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer. Thanks, Hunter!
The theatre during the 1st "Night on Broadway." Photo: Mike Hume - January 31, 2015. Thanks, Mike! More of his theatre photos from that night can be seen in his Night on Broadway set on Flickr. Many of Mike's photos also accompany Bianca Barragan's L.A. Curbed article: "Stunning Looks inside 7 of Broadway's Rarely Opened Theatres."
The house left wall. Thanks to Steve Shriver for his photo, part of his "Night on Broadway" Facebook album of photos taken at various Broadway theatres during the January 31, 2015 event.
A "Night on Broadway" balcony view. The event on stage was a strange production called "Chessboxing" that involved alternating rounds of boxing and playing chess. It was a standing room only crowd -- because there aren't any seats on the main floor. Photo: Stephen Russo - LAHTF Facebook page - January 31, 2015. Thanks, Stephen!
In the cry room looking toward the window. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The rear of the cry room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
The main dome from the top of the balcony. Photo: Escott O. Norton - 2012. Thanks, Escott! He was formerly the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. www.lahtf.org | on Facebook
Another main dome view from the rear of the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012
A 2014 August Bradley photo for Broadway Theatre Group, owners of the Tower. It made an appearance on a Facebook page the theatre once had.
The view from the top of the balcony in 2014. It's a Hunter Kerhart photo but he's added in a view of the ceiling mural as it appeared in a photo from the July 1928 issue of Architect and Engineer. Thanks, Hunter!
A view from the stage with the dome mural "restored." Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2014
The theatre during the 1st "Night on Broadway." Photo: Mike Hume - January 31, 2015. Thanks, Mike! More of his theatre photos from that night can be seen in his Night on Broadway set on Flickr. Many of Mike's photos also accompany Bianca Barragan's L.A. Curbed article: "Stunning Looks inside 7 of Broadway's Rarely Opened Theatres."
The house left wall. Thanks to Steve Shriver for his photo, part of his "Night on Broadway" Facebook album of photos taken at various Broadway theatres during the January 31, 2015 event.
A "Night on Broadway" balcony view. The event on stage was a strange production called "Chessboxing" that involved alternating rounds of boxing and playing chess. It was a standing room only crowd -- because there aren't any seats on the main floor. Photo: Stephen Russo - LAHTF Facebook page - January 31, 2015. Thanks, Stephen!
The Tower's auditorium during the 2nd "Night on Broadway." Photo: Hunter Kerhart - January 30, 2016. The theatre wasn't part of the lineup for the 2017 event. Thanks, Hunter! Keep up with Hunter's explorations: on Facebook | hunterkerhart.com | on Flickr
A photo taken showing the actual colors of the auditorium, with the high pressure sodium worklights turned off. Thanks to Mike Hume for his 2017 photo. Check out the terrific Tower Theatre page on his Historic Theatre Photography website.
A 2018 look down by L.A. Times photographer Robert Goulrey that appeared with Roger Vincent's June 24, 2021 story "Take a look inside Apple's new downtown L.A. store..."
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