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Palace Theatre: booth

630 S. Broadway Los Angeles CA 90014 | map |

The Palace Theatre pages: history | vintage exterior views | recent exterior views | ticket lobby | lobbies and lounges | vintage auditorium views | recent auditorium views | booth | backstage | basement support areas | office building

The booth is at the back of the 1st balcony. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for this 2024 photo and the others appearing here. This was one of 32 she shared in a Facebook post that were taken at an April 13 Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation "all-about" tour.

There was a small booth in this location when the theatre opened in 1911 although films were only an incidental part of the two-a-day vaudeville format. The original booth was later expanded.
 
 

A look into what has become a three machine booth. The new addition is the Century machine in the #3 position. ORC model #4000 lamps on all three. No, that bit of platforming doesn't normally live in the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024 
 
 

Another look at the Century. It's a model MSA with a MTR3 soundhead. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024 
 
 

A port view. The chair arrangement was for a discussion with cast and director before the June 15, 2024 L.A. Conservancy screening of "Mi Vida Loca." Photo: Bill Counter 
 
 

The right sidewall. When they were using motorized autotransformers for house dimmers the voltmeters on this panel gave you a readout of the levels of various lighting groups. Those dimmers in the stage basement later got replaced by a rack of SCR dimmers. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2024 
 
 

Checking out the Zipper on that Century. Photo: Michelle Gerdes - 2024
 
 
 
The machines in the #1 and #2 positions are Simplex XLs with Simplex 5 Star analog optical soundheads and Dolby Digital soundheads on top. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024 
 


A fine assortment of paraphrernalia at the left end of the booth. Note that half-sized second exit door behind the ladder. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024
 
 
 
Looking over to the back of XL #2. Thanks to Kevin Segall for sharing this photo in a Facebook post with nine others he took at the April 13, 2024 LAHTF "all-about" tour.
 
 
 
The amp rack, on the back wall toward the left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024 
 
Equipment in the rack includes: 
-- a Component Engineering monitor amp with selector switches
-- a Model SDU4 Dolby Surround Decoder unit
-- a Component Engineering LS 30 frame with two LS-30-M LED power supplies 
-- a Dolby CP 500 processor
-- a Dolby DA20 digital processor
-- 3 QSC amps for the stage channela
-- a BGW 7500T amp for the subs
 
 
 
The niche in the middle of the back wall, evidently a remnant of the original 1911 booth, a much smaller configuration. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024 
 
 

A look toward the door. The larger switches were originally for DC to the lamps. At the far right is a sliver of the rewind bench, tucked into the back wall niche. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024
 
 
Earlier booth views: 


A look up toward the booth prior to the 2011 restoration work. Thanks to Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles for the photo. It's part of their September 2010 L.A. Historic Theatres Investigation album on Facebook that also includes many shots of the Tower and Los Angeles theatres.



The booth front wall in 2009. Thanks to Will Campbell for his 2009 photo on Flickr. It's one of 65 photos in his 65 photo album A Morning at the Palace Theater.



A back wall view before the cleanup. Photo: Will Campbell - Flickr - 2009



Reels and rectifiers. Photo: Will Campbell - Flickr - 2009. Thanks, Will!
 
 

A 2011 peek inside. Note the platter in the machine #3 position. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for this photo. See her Palace Theatre set on Flickr for many more views.


Another 2011 view. At the time of the photo they were getting the film on the platter for three shows of "Sunset Boulevard" on June 26, the Palace Theatre's 100th birthday. Photo: Michelle Gerdes



A look in the door in 2012, after the platter system had been removed. Thanks to Sandi Hemmerlein for the photo. Don't miss her Avoiding Regret photo essay about the July 2012 LAHTF tour to see the rest of her set of 28 photos: "Downtown LA's Palace Theatre, Restored (But Not Completely)."



A front wall view. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page - 2012



A closer look at one of the XLs and Simplex soundhead. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page - 2012



The control panel on the south wall. The meters gave you a reading of the voltage on the various house light circuits. Photo: Wendell Benedetti - LAHTF Facebook page - 2012. Thanks, Wendell!

An October 2018 view as the booth was getting tweaked up for a 30th anniversary screening of "Die Hard" sponsored by the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. Note the addition of a Dolby Digital soundhead. Thanks to Mike Hume for his photo.
 


"Die Hard" on the screen in October 2018. Thanks to Mike Hume for the photo. His Historic Theatre Photography site has a terrific page on the Palace. 

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