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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:
Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps" on the big screen for a June 28, 2025 L.A. Conservancy "Last Remaining
Seats" matinee double
feature. It was paired with "The Lady Vanishes." Thanks
to Mike Hume for sharing the photo. He was the Conservancy's official photographer
that day. See his event archive for 17 photos and don't miss the page about the UA on his Historic Theatre Photography site.
Movies do occasionally play the theatre. Digitally, that is. It hasn't run film for decades. There have been preview screenings from various distributors. Cinespia has done some events and, beginning in 2014, the L.A. Conservancy has
sometimes included the UA in their "Last Remaining Seats" schedules.
The look when the house reopened in February 2014. That's the theatre's asbestos curtain on view. It's a photo by Elizabeth Daniels that appeared with "Inside the New Ace Hotel's Dazzling Old United Artists Theatre," a Curbed L.A. article by Pauline O'Connor. The article is still online but now missing the 22 photos that were with it.
The full screen. Note the red velour house curtain, here seen flown. It had been newly installed at the time of this April 2014 photo. Also part of the package were the red legs that replaced yellow ones which had been in place for years, made out of the old 1955 TODD-AO curtain. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart for the photo. Keep up with his explorations: hunterkerhart.com | on Flickr
An August 2014 view onto the bare stage. Thanks to Rebecca Renoso of Cap Equity Locations for sharing the company's photos appearing on our pages.
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
Another proscenium plasterwork detail. Thanks to John Hough for sharing this 2016 photo and others appearing here.
The 2016 election on the big screen at the UA. Photo: Mike Hume - November 8. Thanks, Mike! See his full election night set on the LAHTF Facebook page.
An election night view from house right. Note an interesting development. The doorways to the mezzanine (closed off since the mezzanine was removed in 1955) had been opened again -- giving one a look at the mezzanine lobby from the main floor. Photo: Mike Hume - November 8, 2016
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 shared by Mike in a post on the private Facebook group Theatre Architecture. More of his fine photos of the event appear on the LAHTF Facebook page.
Getting set up for the June 2025 L.A. Conservancy "Last Remaining Seats" screenings. Photo: Bill Counter
Looking up toward the Gothic plasterwork above the proscenium and on the sidewalls. Thanks to Jim Kohat for the photo, one appearing in his UA Theater Ace Hotel set on Flickr with shots taken during the February 1, 2014 Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation tour of the building. The organization is involved in the study and preservation of vintage theatres in the L.A. area and occasionally offers tours.
The ante-pro area. Note the Altec multicell horn hiding up there. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014
The ceiling from the front of the main floor. Thanks to Stephen Russo for sharing his 2015 photo, one that 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 house left organ grille. Photo: Jim Kohat - February 2014
Another house left view with a nice view of the balcony soffit. It's an
Elizabeth Daniels photo that had once appeared with the February 2014 Curbed L.A. article.
A look up during the 2nd "Night on Broadway," January 30, 2016. Thanks to Bringing Back Broadway for the photo. It's included in their Facebook page Night On Broadway photo album.
The dome and the house right organ grille. It's another Elizabeth Daniels photo that appearing with "Inside the New Ace Hotel's Dazzling Old United Artists Theatre," the February 2014 Curbed L.A. article by Pauline O'Connor.
Another look to house right. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014
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 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
Recent photos up in the balcony:
A look down during setup for the June 28, 2025 L.A. Conservancy "Last Remaining
Seats" screenings of "The 39 Steps" and "The Lady Vanishes." Photo: Bill Counter
A wider view before 2025 Conservancy screenings. Thanks
to Mike Hume for his photo. See his event archive for 17 photos and don't miss the page about the UA on his Historic Theatre Photography site.
The view over the rail. Photo: John Hough - 2016
The house right organ grille. Photo: John Hough - 2016
The organ grille in more of a purple mood. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014
The theatre in a blue mood during the 2nd "Night On Broadway." Photo: Mike Hume - January 2016
A look along the rail in June 2025. Photo: Bill Counter
A closer view of the organ grille. Thanks to Jim Kohat for the February 2014 photo. It's another that appears in his UA Theater Ace Hotel set on Flickr.
At the crossaisle with "Wings" running for a Los Angeles Conservancy "Last Remaining Seats" audience. Photo: Mike Hume - LAHTF Facebook page - June 2017
The house left wall. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014
Along the crossaisle to house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025
Another view on the crossaisle. It's one of the 22 lovely photos by Elizabeth Daniels once with "Inside the New Ace Hotel...," a February 2014 Curbed L.A. article by Pauline O'Connor.
The balcony murals are attributed to Vsevolod Uhlianoff, an artist who was born
in 1880 in Russia and died in 1940 in Los Angeles. The work is mentioned as being by Ulianoff in
"Take Your Olympic Guest on a Mural-Paintings Tour," a May 29, 1932 L.A.
Times article by Arthur Millier that was located by Lisa Kouza Braddock. The site AskArt
has a page about Uhlianoff. The late Tony Valdez had noted that José Rivas was on the Heinsbergen crew that executed the work.
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
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
Some of the starburst plasterwork outside the dome. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014
An upper section view at the time of the theatre's reopening. It's an Elizabeth Daniels photo that once appeared with the February 2014 Curbed L.A. article.
The
view down in 2014. Thanks
to Elizabeth Daniels for her photo.
Up in the upper section on election night 2016. Photo: Mike Hume
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.
A look to the booth. It occasionally gets used for followspots. Photo: Bill Counter - 2025
A view revealing more of the painted detail under the booth. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - February 2014
The mysterious corner house right. Photo: Jim Kohat - February 2014
A view from the top at the time of the reopening. Thanks to Elizabeth Daniels for the photo, another that once appeared with Pauline O'Connor's February 2014 Curbed L.A. article "Inside the New Ace Hotel's Dazzling Old United Artists Theatre."
A terrific look down during a 2015 show. Thanks to Joshua Gardner for his photo, originally appearing on the Bringing Back Broadway Facebook page.
Showing off the new red curtain and legs that mask the 1955 proscenium damage. Thanks to John Hough for sharing his 2016 photo.
Up in the house left corner before the June 28, 2025 L.A. Conservancy "Last Remaining
Seats" screening of "The 39 Steps" and "The Lady Vanishes." Photo: Bill Counter - 2025
A last shot from the top. The booth was locked up or Mike Hume would have taken this shot from there. He was the Conservancy's official photographer for the June 28 "Last Remaining Seats" event. See his event archive for 17 photos and don't miss the page about the UA on his Historic Theatre Photography site.
The pages on the United Artists: history | vintage exterior views | recent exterior views | outer lobby | inner lobby | lounges | upper lobby areas | earlier auditorium views | back to top - recent auditorium views | projection | stage and stage basement | other basement areas | attic | office building/hotel interior | roof |
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What was accomplished by the removal of the mezzanine?
ReplyDeleteBetter sightlines from the back of the main floor to the top of the big TODD-AO screen they were installing in 1955. And perhaps they needed clearance for the height of the new main floor projection booth.
Delete