Los Angeles Theatres: United Artists Theatre: recent auditorium views

933 S. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90015 | map |

The pages on the United Artists: history | vintage exterior views | recent exterior views | outer lobby | inner lobby | lounges | upper lobby areas | earlier auditorium views | recent auditorium views | projection | stage and stage basement | other basement areas | attic | office building/hotel interiors | roof |

Seating: The auditorium, once with 2,214 seats, is now down to 1,647. The current count is 825 on the main floor and 822 in the balcony. The booth on the main floor installed in 1955 for the TODD-AO run of "Oklahoma!" gobbled up a chunk of space. There are also a few rows missing down front. And the mezzanine, once seating about 200, was removed in 1955. The idea was to improve sightlines to the top of the huge TODD-AO screen from the back of the main floor.

The story is that Mary Pickford wanted the theatre especially comfortable so the seats installed were wider than was standard at the time. One article talked about their air-inflated backs. The screwjack orchestra pit lift and organ lift both still work. The organ was removed in 1955. The drapes inside the proscenium arch cover the plaster damage from the installation of the big deeply curved TODD-AO screen.

Recent main floor views:

A great shot by Mike Hume of the 1927 Paramount feature "Wings" hitting the screen for a June 2017 Los Angeles Conservancy "Last Remaining Seats" screening. It was a post by Mike on the Facebook page Theatre Architecture. More of his fine photos of the occasion appear on the LAHTF Facebook page.

The election on the big screen at the UA. Photo: Mike Hume - November 8, 2016. Thanks, Mike! See his full election night set on the LAHTF Facebook page. And don't miss the page about the United Artists on his Historic Theatre Photography site.

An election night view to the rear of the house. Note an interesting development. The doorways to the mezzanine (closed off since the mezzanine was removed in 1955) have been opened again -- giving one a look at the mezzanine lobby from the main floor. Photo: Mike Hume - November 8, 2016

Election night from house right. Photo: Mike Hume - November 8, 2016

The stage from back under the balcony. Photo: John Hough - 2016. Thanks for the fine work, John! See the United Artists page for many more photos on OrnateTheatres.com, the website he and Mark Mulhall are doing for their theatre documentation project.

A proscenium plasterwork detail. Photo: John Hough - 2016

A look skyward from the main floor. Thanks to Bringing Back Broadway for the photo. It was taken during the 2nd "Night on Broadway," January 30, 2016. It's included in their Facebook page Night On Broadway photo album.

A wide angle view to the dome. Photo: John Hough - 2016

Another dome view. Photo: John Hough - 2016

The ceiling from onstage. Photo: John Hough - 2016

The rear of the house. Photo: John Hough - 2016

The auditorium's ceiling from the front of the main floor. Photo: Stephen Russo - 2015. Thanks, Stephen! The photo originally appeared on the LAHTF Facebook page. Also on the page by Mr. Russo: proscenium view - 2014 | another proscenium view - 2014 | stage from main floor - 2014 | balcony sidewall - 2014 | dome - 2014 | above proscenium - 2014 | new curtain - March 2014 |

The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation is actively involved in the study and preservation of the many vintage theatres in the L.A. area. The group frequently supports events and offers tours.
www.lahtf.org | on Facebook |

The view onto the bare stage. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - August 2014. Thanks to Rebecca Reynoso, 323-375-4192, for the photos. Cap Equity brokers deals between property owners and those looking for filming locations or other special uses. Their United Artists Theatre page has 82 photos of the building.

The rear of the main floor -- and the former mezzanine area above. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - August 2014.

Another look to the rear of the house. Note the installation of surround speakers for film presentations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - August 2014

The proscenium area with the theatre in a pink mood. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - August 2014

Up the outer proscenium cove to the ceiling's stalactites. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - August 2014

Movies make a return to the UA. Note the red velour traveler, here seen flown. It had been newly installed at the time of the photo. Also part of the package are the red legs replacing yellow ones made out of the old 1955 TODD-AO curtain which had been in place for years. Keep up with Hunter's explorations: on Facebook | hunterkerhart.com | on Flickr

Cinespia has done some screenings and the L.A. Conservancy included the UA in their Last Remaining Seats schedules starting in 2014. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - April 2014.

Recent photos from up in the balcony:

In a green mood for an October 2022 L.A. Opera screening of "Frankenstein" with a full orchestra. Thanks to Mike Hume for sharing his photo in a post on the LAHTF Facebook page.

"Wings" on the screen in a screening for the Los Angeles Conservancy. Photo: Mike Hume - LAHTF Facebook page - June 2017

Election night up in the balcony. Photo: Mike Hume - November 8, 2016.

A look across the balcony. Photo: John Hough - 2016

The vista from the top of the balcony. Photo: John Hough - 2016

A house left wall detail. Photo: John Hough - 2016

A look down to the main floor. Photo: John Hough - 2016

Across the back of the balcony. Photo: John Hough - 2016

The house right organ grille. Photo: John Hough - 2016. Thanks again, John! See more of his great theatre photos on his website www.OrnateTheatres.com.

The balcony view during the 2nd "Night On Broadway." Photo: Mike Hume - January 2016. Thanks, Mike! You can see more of his photos from the evening in his "Night On Broadway" set on Flickr.

The theatre in more of a blue mood Photo: Mike Hume - January 2016

A terrific look down from the top of the balcony. Thanks to Joshua Gardner for his 2015 photo. It originally appeared on the Bringing Back Broadway Facebook page.

Photos taken around the time of the reopening in 2014:

The main floor from house right. The small screen wasn't the normal picture size -- it was a setup for a presentation by theatre historian Ed Kelsey at the LAHTF tour. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

The United Artists showing off some of its new lighting. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page. - February 2014. Thanks, Wendell! The event was the LAHTF "all-about" tour.

"Inside the New Ace Hotel's Dazzling Old United Artists Theatre," a Curbed L.A. article by Pauline O'Connor, appeared in February 2014, just before the theatre's reopening. The article was accompanied by 22 stunning photos by Elizabeth Daniels.

Another Elizabeth Daniels photo from the February 2014 Curbed L.A. article taken back a bit farther under the balcony. Thanks, Elizabeth!

Looking up toward the Gothic plasterwork above the proscenium and on the sidewalls. Photo: Jim Kohat. The photo is part of Jim's fine UA Theater Ace Hotel set on Flickr with images taken during the February 1, 2014 LAHTF tour of the building. Thanks, Jim!

Up to the heavens -- the ante-pro area. Note the Altec multicell horn hiding up there. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

Another look upwards. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

The house left organ grille and the dome beyond. It's an Elizabeth Daniels photo appearing with "Inside the New Ace Hotel's Dazzling Old United Artists Theatre," a February 2014 Curbed L.A. article by Pauline O'Connor.

Another gaze up at the dome from the main floor. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

Across the stage to house right. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

The view toward house left. Photo: Jim Kohat - February 2014

Another house left view with a nice view of the balcony soffit. It's an Elizabeth Daniels photo. Head to the February 2014 Curbed L.A. article for the full 22 photo show which includes shots from up in the balcony and out in many lobby areas.

The main floor rear house left. Note that ugly 1955 TODD-AO booth and the doorways that once served the now-missing mezzanine. The booth now has some black drapes on the front. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014.

Across the rear of the main floor. The remains of the mezzanine are visible at the left. The new darker wall colors of the Ace renovation make the loss less noticeable. Photo: Bill Counter - January 2014

A sidewall view from near the orchestra pit. This was five weeks prior to the first show and the auditorium was still lit with work lights. Photo: Bill Counter - January 2014

The house right organ grille showing off some of its new LED lighting. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - January 2014

The house left wall from the stage. Photo: Bill Counter - January 2014

Looking back toward the main floor booth as construction wraps up. At the time of the photo the house was open for a press preview as work continued in many areas. Photo: Bill Counter - January 2014

Up toward the booth and the dome. Photo: Bill Counter - January 2014

The panorama across from house left. Note the earlier yellow drapes, leftovers from 1955 to cover the proscenium damage from the 1955 TODD-AO re-do. Soon after reopening Ace replaced them with new red ones and also got a new red traveler. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

The upper section of the balcony and back toward the booth. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

Another view along the crossaisle. It's one of 22 lovely photos by Elizabeth Daniels with "Inside the New Ace Hotel's Dazzling Old United Artists Theatre," a February 2014 Curbed L.A. article by Pauline O'Connor that appeared just before the theatre's reopening.

A view across the auditorium and a look at the asbestos) after the Ace renovations. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page - January 2014. Also on Facebook see a slightly different view he took across the balcony in February. He also has a photo of the house right mural with discussion in the comments about various overpaintings.

The house left organ grille from the balcony. Photo: Jim Kohat - February 2014. The photo is part of Jim's fine UA Theater Ace Hotel set on Flickr with images taken during the February 1, 2014 LAHTF tour of the building. Thanks, Jim!

Another look down toward the stage. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

An organ grille detail house right. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

A house left wall detail. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

The house right mural. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

A house right mural detail. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

An exit door house right. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

A closer look at the plasterwork above one of the house right exits. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

A house right sidewall detail. Photo: Jim Kohat - February 2014

A sidewall plaster detail. Photo: Bill Counter - January 2014

The scintillating dome. Photo: Jim Kohat - February 2014

A dome detail. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

Another look at the arcade around the dome. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

The upper balcony from house left. It's an Elizabeth Daniels photo appearing with the February 2014 Curbed L.A. article.

The mysterious rear of the balcony house right. Photo: Jim Kohat - February 2014

Toward the booth across the refurbished seats. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014

Across the back of the balcony under the booth. There's a door at each end of the back row to get you up to the booth, fan room and attic. Photo: Bill Counter - January 2014