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 interior | roof |
A look south several days after Ace was replaced as the hotel operator by a company called Kasa, offering "tech-enabled hospitality." The property was getting a cleanup and refresh. The theatre got a new name: The United Theatre on Broadway. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2, 2024
The hotel entrance getting pressure washed. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2, 2024
A noirish view north on a rainy December evening in 2023. Thanks to Bíæ Cháo Bélla for sharing this one as part of a post on the Lost Angeles Facebook group.
Broadway views 2002 to 2020:
2002 - A photo taken by Betty Sword from the collection of Cezar
Del Valle, a Brooklyn-based theatre historian. Check in with him at his Theatre Talks blog.
2005 - A photo by Carol Highsmith in the Library of Congress collection.
Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting it there. On the LOC site there's
an index page for Highsmith photos of L.A. buildings.
2007 - The UA building as we look south. Photo: Bill Counter
2007 - Another look south toward the entrance. There was once a second vertical
plus signage on top for Texaco when they were the office building
tenant. Photo: Bill Counter
2007 - The facade as seen from Main St. Photo: Bill Counter
2007 - Another entrance view. Photo: Bill Counter
2008 - A look up along the vertical sign. Photo: Michelle Gerdes. More 2008 photos in her collection on Flickr: column capital - the cinematographer | arch keystone - lady with earrings | terracotta detail | Thanks, Michelle!
2009 - An entrance view from Pat Lile, at the time working as a
broker at Coldwell Banker Pasadena. Ms. Lile was a friend of the United
Artists project and was the broker for the church group's 2011 sale of
the building to
Greenfield Partners and their operating partner Ace Hotels.
2009 - Above the former office building entrance -- it's between the two cyan
pillars. Photo: Pat Lile
2009 - A look at the details above the office building entrance. Photo: Pat Lile
2010 - One of the medieval scholars. Photo: Bill Counter
2010 - The boxoffice area. The tile probably dated from the 70s.
The basic configuration was a result of the 1955 TODD-AO remodel. Photo:
Bill Counter
The boxoffice in 1929. Photo: Los Angeles Public Library
2010 - One of the display cases. Photo: Bill Counter
2010 - Looking north toward the theatre along the abandoned Broadway Place, the angled street that connected Broadway and Main. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor GS Jansen for sharing his photo on Noirish post #1734.
2011 - The 2nd floor at the south end of the building. Photo: Google Maps
2011 - The 2nd and 3rd floor window treatment on the north end of the building. Photo: Google Maps
2011 - The north bays of the building pre-renovation. Photo: Google Maps
The theatre entrance and storefronts in 1939. It's a detail from a much larger Dick Whittington Studio photo in the USC Digital Library collection.
2012 - Looking south on Broadway toward the United Artists in October. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - An October view down the street from the Orpheum. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - Another view of the north side. Note the demo chute and construction elevator in place for the Ace remodel. It's an October shot. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - An October view skyward along the facade. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2012 - The terracotta above the marquee. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - The theatre's entrance prior to the Ace renovations beginning. Photo: Ken McIntyre. Also check out Ken's 2012 shot looking up the vertical on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
2012 - Terracotta detailing in a second floor column capital. Perhaps representing an actress and her costumer. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - The "before" view of the office building entrance in October. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2012 - A peek into one of the storefront spaces in October. This would become the restaurant. Note the ghetto gates still on the storefront. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - The storefronts north of the theatre entrance in October, before the renovations. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2012 - Second and third floor window treatment. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - The elaborate north fire escape. The platforms became balconies for the new hotel rooms. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - Looking west toward the United Artists in November. It's a photo by Yasmin Elming that she shared on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group. Thanks, Yasmin!
2013 - The storefronts north of the theatre entrance still in their cyan period in February. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - The bay south of the office building entrance in February. Through the arch we're looking north into the former office building lobby. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - The storefront spaces north of the office building entrance in February, on their way to becoming the restaurant space. Note the addition of a mezzanine floor. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - Looking south along the storefronts in February. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - A strange earring-bedecked lady as the keystone of a second floor arch. Thanks to Yasmin Elming for sharing her February shot on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
2013 - A second floor column capital featuring a gentleman with a movie camera. It's a photo from Yasmin Elming on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group. Also on that group see Yasmin's detail of the sculptural elements above the office building entrance and the actress and costumer column capital.
2013 - An August view of the facade after cleaning. Note that at the time there was still some scaffolding in place and the tower had repairs and a fresh coat of paint. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page. Thanks, Wendell! Other 2013 photos on the LAHTF page from him include: street level view | theatre entrance | terracotta above entrance | statue details |
2013 - A look across toward the building in August. Photo: John Grimshaw - LAHTF Facebook page. Thanks, John!
2013 - The top of the office building entrance in August after removal of the church's cyan paint. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page
2013 - A montage of various column capitals on the facade. Photo: Wendell Benedetti. The photo originally appeared on the LAHTF Facebook page where there's a nice discussion about the significance. Upper left we have a gentleman with a movie camera, music on the upper right, perhaps Ben Franklin and the printed word in the lower left. Lower right is perhaps drama or costuming.
2013 - A few of the strange figures on the facade. Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page
2013 - More strange faces on the facade. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page
2013 - Exploration of the marquee soffit in September. It would
have been nice to discover an elaborate coffered ceiling but, alas,
whatever was there for this marquee when it was installed in the 30s is
mostly gone. The lower layer of stucco is flat.
The layer above it showed the remains of the many light bulb sockets
that once adorned the area. But no decorative moldings remained -- all
chopped off at some time in the past. Above the stucco is space and then
the underside of the concrete decking. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - Looking south along the storefronts in September. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - A September view north during the storefront construction. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - A storefront detail from September. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - A ghostly October view under high pressure sodium lights at night during construction. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The marquee stripped down and ready for work in October. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
The marquee in 1939. The new marquee evidently went on the building
around 1936. It's a detail from a much larger Dick Whittington Studio
photo in the USC Digital Library collection.
2013 - Work on the north side of the marquee in November. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The marquee's rehab in progress showing a trial run of some paint colors in November. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The newly painted north side of the building in November. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - A November view of the south side. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The newly painted north side of the building in November. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - A November peek into the former office building entrance. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The boxoffice construction progressing in December. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The vertical sign. No, it doesn't light up anymore. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - Looking up along the vertical in December. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - A detail of the facade in December. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - A view from across Broadway in December. That's the former Western Costume Co. building at the left. Note the sign guy at work on the marquee. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The marquee with a new coat of paint and the readerboard
faces reinstalled in December. But no neon yet at this point. Photo:
Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The view up as the rest of the blue trim gets painted atop the north readerboard in December. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - Neon tubing reinstalled in December on the United Artists letters above the north readerboard. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - A south readerboard closeup in December. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - South toward the entrance in December. Photo: Hunter Kerhart. Head to his Flickr album for more facade details. Start with this photo and you can page through 20 high-resolution views from late 2013.
2013 - The almost completed storefronts in December. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The United Artists lit again for its first event. It was a launch party for the Swedish retailer Acne Studios, just opened in the nearby Eastern Columbia Building. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - December 17
2014 - Looking north on the hotel's opening day. Note that here work still remained to be done on the marquee, theatre entrance and new boxoffice. Photo: Bill Counter - January 6
2014 - The storefronts on January 6 following the opening of the hotel and the Chapter L.A. restaurant. In 2017 the restaurant changed hands and was renamed "Best Girl Bistro," a nod to the Mary Pickford film that opened the theatre. Photo: Hunter Kerhart.
2014 - The restaurant in the north storefronts. Photo: Bill Counter
2014 - The Ace Hotel reception area (in the left bays) and the arched entrance. The decorative grillework above the storefront awnings is the original in most bays. In several it's a reproduction in fiberglass as pieces were missing. Photo: Bill Counter
2014 - The United Artists marquee coming back to life as more and more tubing was reinstalled in January. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2014 - A wider view in January showing sign work still in progress on the side readerboards. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2014 - The coffered ceiling outside the entrance doors before touchup painting. Photo: Bill Counter - January 7
2014 - The coffered area after touchup painting. Photo: Bill Counter - January 25
2014 - The Theatre at Ace Hotel celebrating the "Day on
Broadway," January 25. The hotel had reopened but the theatre didn't see
its first show until February. The celebration that day was the 6th
anniversary of Jose Huizar's decade-long Bringing Back Broadway initiative. Photo:
Hunter Kerhart
2014 - The north readerboard with its newly installed neon trim on top. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - January 25
2014 - A view north during the "Day on Broadway." Work at this
point was still continuing on the new boxoffice. Photo: Bill Counter -
January 25
2014 - The windows on the north side of the new boxoffice. Note
the lit cove area above -- newly repainted. It's a February photo from
Hunter Kerhart. Thanks for all the great photos on these pages! Keep up
with his explorations: hunterkerhart.com
2014 - The entrance as viewed by a drone. Ian Wood spent several months shooting downtown theatres and other historic buildings from a drone that resembled "a mutant chicken" for his "Downtown Los Angeles" piece on Vimeo. It's four minutes and forty five seconds of wonder that's not to be missed.
2014 - The soffit of the refurbished marquee in June. The nice
starburst array replaced some pedestrian 4' fluorescents used
previously. Photo: Stephen Russo. Thanks, Stephen!
2014 - The theatre's entrance in August, six months after reopening. Photo: Bill Counter
2014 - An August look up at the facade. Photo: Cap Equity Locations. Thanks to Rebecca Reynoso for the photo. The firm brokers deals between property owners and those looking for filming locations or other special uses.
2015 - A bit of Halloween advice in a photo from the folks at Ace. Thanks to the Bringing Back Broadway team -- the photo appeared in October on the BBB Facebook page.
2016 - A stunning full height view of the UA building. Photo: DTLA Everyday. Thanks to Bringing Back Broadway for the March post of the photo on the BBB Facebook page. Note the construction in the lower left -- with the retail and apartment project now there a view like is no longer possible.
The
top 50 ft. of latticework was officially considered a "sign support" to
meet LA height limitations. For years this was the tallest non-public
building in downtown Los Angeles. See the more views of the top of the
tower lower on this page and head to the "on the roof" page for views of it from up there.
2016 - An entrance view on Election night. Photo: Mike Hume - November 8. Thanks, Mike! See his full election night set on the LAHTF Facebook page.
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
2017 - The crowd starting to gather for the 3rd "Night On Broadway" in January Photo: Mike Hume. For a year earlier see his 2016 "Night On Broadway" set on Flickr. And don't miss the Theatre at Ace Hotel page on his Historic Theatre Photography site.
2019 - A look north on Broadway from the rooftop bar of the newly opened Hoxton Hotel. They debuted in October. Photo: Kevin Roderick - Instagram
2020 - The theatre taking a break due to the Coronavirus lockdown. Thanks to Jerry R. Fleury for sharing his photo in a post with the Lost Angeles Facebook group. It's from his 2024 book "Lonely LA: Echoes of Silence." His work can be seen on the site imagesofthesoul.org. You can also find him on Facebook. Also check out his "Lonely LA" video on YouTube.
2020
- On the
right, workmen were constructing a wall to board up the entrance to the
Ace Hotel during the shutdown. The boxoffice and other windows along the facade had already
been covered. Photo: Bill Counter - April 8
From the top:
2012 - Looking at the tower top from 9th St. Photo: Bill Counter
2011 - Thanks to Steve Shriver for this tower view he shared on Flickr. The photo is part of his terrific "Belasco Theatre & Downtown Walkabout" set.
2012
- A pre-renovation look at the UA tower from the pool deck of the
Eastern Columbia Building. Thanks to Yasmin Elming for sharing her
photo.
2012 - Looking at the tower top from 9th St. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - Up at the top during construction in August. Note the freshly painted tower and the rooftop construction. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - A photo taken by a fashion district tipster appearing with "Ace Hotel Scrubs The Tower..," an August 5 Curbed L.A. article by Adrian Glick Kudler. The renovation actually involved much more than scrubbing. Paint was involved as well.
2013 - An August look up at the newly restored and painted tower. It's a Jason Deibler photo on the LAHTF Facebook page. Mr. Deibler was the initial manager of the Ace Hotel.
2013 - The top of the building newly re-lit. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - December 23
2013 - The newly re-lit tower from the west. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - December 23
2014 - The tower from the Eastern Columbia building after the interior backlight was added. Photo: Bill Counter - January 6
2014 - A drone's-eye view of the tower. It's a shot from "Downtown Los Angeles," Ian Wood's great video of downtown theatres and other historic buildings. It's on Vimeo and not to be missed.
2014 - The United Artists Theatre and Ace Hotel from above. The
Jesus sign is atop the UA stagehouse. The building to the right is the
former Western Costume Co. building. It's a February photo by Hunter
Kerhart.
2014 - The view down from a 6th floor hotel room in January. We're looking down into the open breezeway nestled in between the west wall of the office building (now the hotel) and the east wall of the auditorium. Here we're looking south. The theatre is on the right. Photo: Bill Counter
2014 - Looking down from a house right balcony exit. The windows we see are those of hotel rooms. The lower blocked ones were theatre dressing rooms, now kitchen areas for the restaurant. Photo: Bill Counter
2014 - On the ground looking north up toward hotel room windows. Photo: Bill Counter
2014 - On the ground looking south. The theatre lobby is straight ahead. Take a left beyond the stairs and you're at the back of the hotel lobby. Photo: Bill Counter
2014 - On the ground looking north. The doorway leads to the hall backstage left. From there you can go onstage or up to former dressing room areas, now kitchen space on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Stairs also lead down to the basement. Photo: Bill Counter
Around the back:
2012 - Thanks to Dave Lessig for this view of the theatre in its
double Jesus days. He added it as a comment to another 2012 photo of
this side of the building that Ken McIntyre had posted on the private
Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
2012 - In the alley looking north. The three sets of double doors are at the west end of the lobby. The lower fire escape is the mezzanine level exit. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - The loading door. That's the northwest corner of the building at the left edge of the frame. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - The UA from Hill St. The stage is at left. Here the fading United Artists sign was still visible on the building. The previous attraction at the theatre was Jesus. Note the fan room back on top of the booth at far right. The second Jesus Saves sign on the fan room was removed in 2012. Ace decided to keep the one on the stagehouse. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - A last look at the ghost sign on the west side of the building. Photo: Bill Counter
2013 - The west side of the tower and the stagehouse covered with scaffolding in July. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page. Thanks, Wendell!
2013 - The back of the building freshly painted in September. Photo: Bill Counter
2013
- A closer look at the back of the tower from Hill St. after its rehab.
The Jesus Saves sign and new HVAC equipment seen at right are on top of
the stagehouse roof. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart for sharing this
September photo.
2013 - A September
look at the north side of the building during construction. The beige
area at the right is the backstage wall. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - The west side of the building in December. The tower had been newly relit. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2013 - Down the alley toward the Eastern Columbia. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2014 - On the west fire escape working on exit lighting circuits in January. Photo: Bill Counter
2014 - The alley side -- at the time of this September photo with an improvised AC system that looked like something out of the film "Brazil." Much of the theatre's support space was sacrificed during the Ace renovation to provide facilities for the hotel operation. At the time of the photo they hadn't integrated the theatre's existing HVAC equipment into their new systems.
You can see the fan room at the back end of the building, above the projection booth. Chillers were originally in the basement with chilled water pumped up to spray booths associated with the supply fans upstairs. The area under the main floor (now hotel offices) and inside the balcony were return air plenums. They've now got chillers working for the theatre and cut some new vents to make up for the lack of a main floor plenum. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart for sharing his photo. Keep up with his explorations: hunterkerhart.com
The pages on the United Artists: history | vintage exterior views | back to top - 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 interior | roof |
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