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Warner Downtown: recent exterior views

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 marquee - now with 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.
 
 
The dome: 
 

A c.2000 view looking north. The photo appeared on a now-vanished iNet Tours page.
 
 
 
A fine 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 view west. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for the photo.  



A nice closeup showing the elaborate design work. 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 view west on 7th. On the right is the former Bullock's department store building. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2013
 


A closer look at the tree growing out of the top of the dome in 2013. Photo: Hunter Kerhart 
 
 

A fine look down on the dome. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2023.
 
 
Along 7th St. 


West on 7th St toward Hill. The photo by G. DeVerteuil appears on the Jewelry District page in the Historic Core section of a USC Downtown LA Walking Tour.
 


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 St: 
 

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 St. 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



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 boxoffice area:


The corner of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016



A closer look at the entrance. The boxoffice was once between the two pillars 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 |  

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3 comments:

  1. 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?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If 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.

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    2. That news ticker was actually at 6th and Hill, on the Metropolitan/Paramount Theatre.

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