401 W. 7th St. Los Angeles, CA 90014 | map |
The Warner Downtown pages: history | vintage exterior views | recent exterior views | the interior
The Warner's marquee -- and a peek west on 7th St. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart for sharing his 2015 photo. Keep up with his recent explorations: hunterkerhart.com | on Flickr
The Warner Downtown pages: history | vintage exterior views | recent exterior views | the interior
The Warner's marquee -- and a peek west on 7th St. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart for sharing his 2015 photo. Keep up with his recent explorations: hunterkerhart.com | on Flickr
The marquee now has a diamond where the WB crest once was. Photo: Bill Counter - 2007
A bit of scraping and painting going on. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
A closer look at the remaining neon at the WB crest. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
Up to the cornice. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2015
We get some fine views of the top of the building near the beginning of The Artery's 2023 "Dronescape: 7th and Broadway." Thanks to Jeff Hamblin for spotting the eighteen minute piece on YouTube.
A corner view of B. Marcus Priteca's Italianate bon bon. Thanks
to Michelle Gerdes for this 2008 photo and the many others that appear
on these pages. For more fine work by this intrepid theatre explorer,
check out her various theatre photo sets on Flickr.
A c.2010 shot from Ken McIntyre.
A nice closeup showing the elaborate terracotta. The photo once appeared on the Cinema Treasures page about the theatre, which they list as the Warrens. It was a post by their former contributor Hollywood 90038.
A 2013 tree detail. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
A view from the top after a bit of repainting to cover graffitti at the base. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2023
Along 7th Street:
A look west from Broadway. Thanks to Paul Wright for sharing his 2024 photo as a post for the Downtown Los Angeles Photo Group on Facebook.
West on 7th St toward Hill. The photo by G. DeVerteuil appeared
on a now-vanished Downtown LA Walking Tour page from USC.
The top of the 7th St. facade. Photo: Bill Counter - 2007
Another "Warner Bros." cornice view along 7th. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2008
One of the muses of vaudeville still gracing the facade. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The terrazzo at the office building entrance on 7th St. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2008
Along Hill Street:
Looking north on Hill St. Before the theatre became a jewelry mart the "Diamonds" vertical signs used to say Warners, then Warrens. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2008
The Hill St. facade. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2015
South on Hill St. toward 7th. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2015
Looking in from Hill along the north side of the theatre. That building behind is the Los Angeles Athletic Club, dating from 1912. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
Another look at the house right side of the building. Take a look back at the stagehouse and note the floor of offices on top. The two windows down a floor lower on the north wall are at the level above the grid . Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
Around the back:
The stagehouse and north side of the building from behind. The 2015 photo was taken from the parking garage of the L.A. Athletic Club on Olive St. The club itself is just west of the theatre on 7th. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart for sharing this photo and the others appearing here. Keep up with his recent explorations: hunterkerhart.com | on Flickr
The building as seen from the roof deck of the Los Angeles Athletic club. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024
A closer look at the back of the dome. Thanks to Rusty Frank for her 2024 photo, included in Facebook post of 30 views of a September Art Deco Society event at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
The boxoffice area:
A closer look at the entrance. The boxoffice was once at the far right. The original wall with the entrance doors (in line with the column in the center of the photo) has been removed. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
The doors left of center (with the 655 number above) now get you onto the main floor. The doors at right (with the Mezzanine Offices lettering above) take you to what was the balcony lobby. The covered-over stairs down are not original.
The grand stair to the balcony. It's now an outside entrance to offices in the former balcony level lobby. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2012.
The ceiling of the entrance area. We're looking north from 7th. The main entrance is at the left. Straight ahead is the doorway up to the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The view above the area formerly the boxoffice. The boxoffice was between the two columns. The area below the lights once displayed signage for coming attractions, to be viewed by patrons as they left the theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
The added stairs in the middle of the entrance area. They went down to a now-defunct Burger King in what had been the theatre's basement area. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2008. Thanks, Michelle!
The cleaned up entrance to the Burger King. They've been trying to rent the 10,000 square foot space. Photo: Bill Counter - August 2019
The Warner Downtown pages: history | vintage exterior views | back to top - recent exterior views | interior views |
| Downtown: theatre district overview | Hill St. and farther west | Broadway theatres | Spring St. theatres | Main St. and farther east | downtown theatres by address | downtown theatres alphabetical list |
| Westside | Hollywood | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | theatres in movies | LA Theatres on facebook | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |
The boxoffice area:
The two pillars on the corner once flanked the boxoffice. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
A closer look at the entrance. The boxoffice was once at the far right. The original wall with the entrance doors (in line with the column in the center of the photo) has been removed. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
The doors left of center (with the 655 number above) now get you onto the main floor. The doors at right (with the Mezzanine Offices lettering above) take you to what was the balcony lobby. The covered-over stairs down are not original.
The grand stair to the balcony. It's now an outside entrance to offices in the former balcony level lobby. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2012.
The ceiling of the entrance area. We're looking north from 7th. The main entrance is at the left. Straight ahead is the doorway up to the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2014
The view above the area formerly the boxoffice. The boxoffice was between the two columns. The area below the lights once displayed signage for coming attractions, to be viewed by patrons as they left the theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
The added stairs in the middle of the entrance area. They went down to a now-defunct Burger King in what had been the theatre's basement area. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2008. Thanks, Michelle!
The cleaned up entrance to the Burger King. They've been trying to rent the 10,000 square foot space. Photo: Bill Counter - August 2019
The Warner Downtown pages: history | vintage exterior views | back to top - recent exterior views | interior views |
| Downtown: theatre district overview | Hill St. and farther west | Broadway theatres | Spring St. theatres | Main St. and farther east | downtown theatres by address | downtown theatres alphabetical list |
| Westside | Hollywood | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | theatres in movies | LA Theatres on facebook | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |
There was a time in the late 1940's and early '50's when, on the corner of 7th and Hill, several floors above the theatre entrance, there was a Trans-Lux Flashcast (no doubt in conjunction with its then-owned radio station, KFWB) that showed the latest news headlines, a companion to another such zipper mounted from 1946 to 1950 (at which point Warners' sold the station) on the Taft Building on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. Can anyone in the know say for sure how long that Flashcast was in operation at this theatre, and when was it taken down?
ReplyDeleteIf there's any evidence of it in the many still photos of the theatre taken in the 40s and 50s, that would be on the page of vintage exterior views, not on this page.
DeleteThat news ticker was actually at 6th and Hill, on the Metropolitan/Paramount Theatre.
Delete