Los Angeles / Orpheum / Lyceum Theatre

227 S. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 | map |

Opened: December 17, 1888 as the Los Angeles Theatre. Harry C. Wyatt was the initial lessee and manager. Jeffreys Lewis was the star the first week "supported by an excellent company" in a repertoire of shows for the week including "Diplomacy," "La Belle Russe," "Forget Me Not" and "Clothilde." Prices ranged from 25 cents to $1.00.

This c.1890 view of the turreted theatre building was published as a souvenir card by J.B. Blanchard & Co. It's from the collection of the California State Library as their item #1384963. The theatre was on the west side of the street in the middle of the block between 2nd and 3rd. That's the 1887 Turnverein Hall on the left, just south of the theatre. It was later known as Lyceum Hall.

This is perhaps the earliest photo we have. Here the top of the building still says "Neal," reflecting the name of the original owner, real estate investor Juana A. Neal. The theatre was renamed the Orpheum in 1903 and the Lyceum in 1911.

The theatre is discussed in part one of the article "Spring St. Was Vaudeville Row...," an article by Bruce LaLanne that appeared in the Tom B'hend publication Greater L.A. Metro Newsreel. Thanks to Ron Mahan for scanning a copy. It's reproduced at the bottom of the page. 

Architects: F. J. Capitain and J. Lee Burton designed the building in an interesting Richardsonian Romanesque style. It has also been credited to John Paul Kremple. See "A History of California..." by James Miller Guinn on Google Books for more information on Kremple.

Seating: 1,488 originally with 532 on the main floor, 406 in the 1st balcony and 550 in the 2nd balcony, a level also known as the gallery. The data comes from page 193 of the 1897 edition of "Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide." It's on Google Books. In 1914 Moving Picture news reported that as J.A. Quinn had increased the capacity to 2,000. They were only using 800 during its last days as a movie theatre according to a 1941 Film Daily Yearbook listing located by Ken Roe.

Stage specifications:

Proscenium: 30' wide x 29' high

Depth: footlights to back wall: 35'   Curtain line to footlights: 4'

Wall to wall: 60' with the distance between fly girders 48'

Grid height: 72'

Traps: "3rd and 4th entr., center." Depth under the stage was 10'.

Power: 110V "Westinghouse," meaning A.C.

The data above appear in the 1897 edition of "Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide." It's also listed in the Cahn's 1900-1901 edition. It's in the 1907-1908 edition (as the Orpheum Theatre) but with somewhat different specs, including the mention that the theatre had both gas and electric illumination. All three editions are on Google Books. 

History: In a December 2, 1888 L.A. Times item headed "Mrs. Neal Wants a Rear Exit for Her Theater" it was reported that the Fire Commissioners granted her request "to use a portion of the City Hall lot for a rear exit for her theater, in case of emergency."  In a muddled December 9 item headed "The Neal Theater" it was reported a Mr. Gassaway once had the lease on the unopened theatre and was suing Mrs. Neal for damages. But his suit was evidently getting tossed as he had already sold the lease before the time of his filing the suit. 

The wonders (and deficiencies) of the new theatre were described in this L.A. Times article that appeared on December 16, 1888: 

 

The "T.G. Moses of Chicago" referenced in the article was Thomas Moses, a scenic artist in the employ of the noted studio Sosman & Landis. Thanks to Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett for mentioning the article in "Sosman & Landis: Shaping the Landscape of American Theatre - Employee No. 70 Jack Taylor," a post on the blog of her company Historic Stage Services. It's part of a series devoted to various employees of the studio. Moses, with Jack Taylor as his assistant, worked on both the Los Angeles Theatre and the 1888 renovations at the Grand Opera House. 

 

A December 18, 1888 review of the new house in the L.A. Times. 

A December 18, 1888 Times article detailing the method of remotely lighting the gas fixtures.

After encountering legal difficulties, Neal sold the building for $140,000 in August 1892 to William Hayes Perry and the building was then known as the Perry Building. Mr. Perry himself comments:

" I ... owned the 1st theater known as the Los Angeles Theater back in the 1890's. When my daughter Mamie (Mary Barker Modini-Wood) returned from her vocal lessons in Italy in 1881, she became an instant celebrity in the city. Her first opera performance was a sellout in just hours and she was commanded to make many performances throughout her life... Later when my daughter married Carlo Modini-Wood, he became manager of the opera house."

The quote appears in Floyd Bariscale's Big Orange Landmarks story about the current Los Angeles Theatre, 615 S. Broadway. Perry gave the house a remodel shortly after his purchase.

 

An ad for the theatre appearing in the October 4, 1894 issue of the L.A. Times.

The theatre was the venue for the first American performance of Puccini's "La Boheme" on October 14, 1897. It was a touring production from Del Conte Italian Grand Opera Company of Lima, Peru. Prior to the Los Angeles engagement they had played several stops in Mexico. This boxoffice statement showing a gross of $436.25 was printed with a 1947 L.A. Times article to settle arguments about the premiere's location and date. It was reproduced in a 2018 Daily Mirror post by Larry Harnisch. Thanks to Michael Hudson-Medina for the data.

The theatre's basement suffered a minor fire on October 21, 1899. In the 1900-1901 Henry's Theatrical Guide Harry C. Wyatt, later to move over to the Mason Opera House, was still listed as manager and business manager. Len E. Behymer was the press agent. The prices at the time ranged from $1.00 and $1.50 on the main floor to 25 cents in the 2nd balcony. They were running with a ten piece orchestra.

A portion of a 1900 vintage drawing of downtown that Ken McIntyre located while researching the Lyceum. The theatre and Lyceum Hall next door are visible in the upper left. In the lower right it's St. Vibiana Cathedral on the 200 block of Main St.

In January 1903 famed actor David Warfield appeared at the theatre in the play "The Auctioneer." Change was coming later that year. This June 29, 1903 article in the L.A. Evening Express announced the upcoming change of name and tenant for the theatre:

Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the article. He posted it as a comment on a thread about the theatre on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. 

On September 1, 1903 the Los Angeles became the Orpheum Theatre, the second home of Orpheum Circuit vaudeville in the city. The theatre at 110 S. Main St. that had been called the Orpheum reverted to its earlier name, the Grand Opera House.

 

The cover of the program for September 28, 1903. Many thanks to Will Doebler for finding it for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.  

 

 

 

The theatre is seen as the Orpheum in this detail from Image 9 of Volume 2 of the 1906 Sanborn Real Estate Map that's in the Library of Congress collection. That empty lot behind the theatre was just north of City Hall. The building to the left of the theatre, Elks Hall, was later known as Lyceum Hall. 

 

The two buildings were under common ownership at the time (as the "Perry Building") and there were fire doors backstage and at several other locations connecting the two. Note the prop room for the theatre that was in the north bay of the first floor of the Elks building. The big lodge hall was on the 2nd floor with a balcony on 3.

 

 An item from the March 8, 1907 issue of the Long Beach Press. Thanks to Ron Mahan for locating it. 

 

 

The Elks Hall and Orpheum can be seen in this detail from plate 002 of the 1910 Baist Real Estate Survey from Historic Map Works. The Douglas Building on the northwest corner of 3rd and Spring survives, everything else on the block is gone.

A 1910 Orpheum program cover widely used around the circuit. 

The rear of the program. The L.A. Orpheum is in the upper right. Thanks to Chris Treadway for finding the program.

A c.1910 postcard for Captain George Auger and his troupe in "Jack, the Giant Killer," a play he wrote that premiered on the Orpheum circuit and kicked around for about ten years. The October 4, 1910 Los Angeles Herald noted that the engagement then was his second time in L.A. He was about 7 1/2 feet tall, had been in Queen Victoria's guard, and had appeared with Barnum & Bailey. There's a page about him on the site The Human Marvels. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for finding this strange item.

The venue was renamed the Lyceum Theatre in June 1911 when the Orpheum circuit moved to a new theatre at 630 S. Broadway, a house now known as the Palace. The 1911 city directory lists it under the new name.

Oliver Morosco then tried his hand at running the theatre. Or at least he was booking shows into it. In a May 22, 1911 Times story headlined "Huge Combine Of Theaters" it was announced that Morosco had merged with his competitor John Blackwood, who had the Belasco and the lease on the yet-to-open Broadway house now called the Globe. In the article it was noted that while the Lyceum would continue to be controlled by Orpheum in association with its manager Clarence Drown, it would become the home of what were known as "dollar travelling shows" that Morosco was booking. Many of these had been skipping Los Angeles due to lack of a suitable theatre.

In a July 22, 1911 Times article about the Morosco-Blackwood Company's new theatre on Broadway it was noted that there had been a change of plans. Evidently things had soured and the "dollar shows" they had been booking into the Lyceum that season were now going to be booked into the Belasco instead. See the main page about the Globe Theatre for stories of Morosco's scheming during this period.

Soon the theatre was renamed Fischer's Lyceum and operated by Ernest A. Fischer, who had been running Fischer's Theatre at 121 W. 1st., a house renamed the Princess when he left in 1909. Here in this 1911 ad located by Ken McIntyre we get the listings for both theatres. From February through August of 1912 Lon Chaney was appearing with Fischer's Follies. In addition to performing, he also choreographed the dance numbers and served as stage manager.

Fischer was known around town for producing musical shows in a number of different theatres. In 1908 he had opened the Chronophone Theatre at 423 S. Spring, a venue later known as Horne's Big Show. There was also a Fischer's Theatre in Pasadena (later called the Oaks) at about the same time. At various times he also ran theatres in San Francisco including the pre-quake Fischer's Theatre on O'Farrell St. The 1912 city directory listed the theatre as Fischer's Lyceum.

The theatre had a fire causing $10,000 worth of damage on May 2, 1913. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the May 3 Times article headlined "Lyceum Theater Blaze Creates Cafe Panic." The report:

"Fire in the Lyceum Theater building at 225-227-229 South Spring Street, between 11 o'clock and midnight last night resulted in a loss of approximately $10,000, caused a panic in the Rathskeller Cafe and blocked traffic for an hour and a half. Flames shooting to the top of the building illuminated the sky for blocks downtown and thousands of late pedestrians and throngs from the theaters gave the police a lot of trouble crowding beyond the fire lines. The Lyceum building is a four-story stone structure containing offices of the theater and several art and musical studios, among them the Marceau photographic gallery on the top floor. Water, which caused most of the damage, deluged the interior of the theater proper. Attaches of the theater announced at midnight, however, that no real damage has been done to the interior of the playhouse.

"Damage totaling several thousand dollars was done to the Majestic Bar at no. 225 S. Spring Street, the O.L. Wuerker jewelry house at No. 229 and offices in the Theater Mechanics Association building at No. 231. Dick Ferris, the theatrical manager and promoter, created a furor in saving manuscript and valuable papers from his office facing South Spring Street on the second floor. The building was for years known as the Orpheum Theater building and the name was changed when the Orpheum sought new quarters. Scores of merrymakers were dining in the Rathskeller at No. 235½ South Spring Street, when proprietor Matthewson quietly announced that there was a fire in the theater building and that the diners might leave the restaurant without paying their checks if they wished. There was a rush for the door and in less than half a minute the restaurant was cleared. No damage was done there, however, and many of the guests returned to complete their midnight dinners after the fire lines were withdrawn."

When the theatre reopened it was not as a vaudeville or legit operation but as a film house, Quinn's Lyceum, under the management of John A. Quinn. Thomas Ince's June release "The Battle of Gettysburg" was the initial attraction. A July 3, 1913 L.A.Times article (online via the Times blog) devoted to listing the theatre attractions then in town noted:

"Lyceum Opens With 'Movies' - Popular Playhouse Takes Unique Place Here. Tomorrow afternoon will mark the re-opening of the Lyceum Theater, ending a brief period of darkness, and with the re-opening it will mark the establishing in Los Angeles of a real feature picture theater of the better class devoted exclusively to the showing of the biggest and most attractive feature films now being produced in the American and foreign markets. Particularly timely and appropriate are the opening pictures [sic] "The Battle of Gettysburg," for it was just fifty years ago that this great three day battle came to an end..."

The theatre had a period of success under Quinn. A nice article about Quinn and his theatres was in the Moving Picture World issue of March 28, 1914. It's on Internet Archive. After talking about the Bijou (553 S. Main) and the Garrick (8th & Broadway) the article discusses Quinn's management of this theatre:

"The next step in Mr. Quinn's ascension to the limelight of picture theater proprietors was the leasing of the old Orpheum, on Spring Street, from Ollie Morosco. He had the entire house redecorated and had the seating capacity increased to two thousand. Three thousand additional incandescent lights were added to the front illumination, and the name was changed to Quinn's Lyceum. The admission price to this house is five cents, and we learn from the Quinn company that it is the biggest and best five-cent picture theater in the world. Heavy newspaper and billboard advertising brought to the yes of the public that Quinn is doing things on a phenomenal scale.

"Business is exceedingly good at this house. Big feature reels are constantly introduced as additional attractions, and according to a representative of the Quinn company, concerns with meritorious special features go to Quinn first as he spares no money to gives [sic] his patrons the best. It is said that prior to the leasing of the old Orpheum Theater, the house had had a career of almost incessant failures. It was known as a theatrical graveyard, but in spite of all this Mr. Quinn leased the house, converted it into a big picture theater, and has been reaping a harvest of greenbacks ever since."

See the Los Angeles Theatres page on Quinn's Superba for more about J.A. Quinn and his other theatre adventures. After Quinn left, the theatre was just known as the Lyceum Theatre. It's listed as the Lyceum from the 1916 city directory onward.

A 1922 ad listed all the titles the theatre would be running during "Paramount Week"

Closing: The Lyceum closed in late 1940. Edwin Schallert mourned the demise of the theatre in a L.A. Times article on page 1 of the March 17, 1941 issue:

"The Lyceum Theater, on Spring Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets, is to be torn down to make way for a parking station. To a modern generation of showgoers this may mean less than nothing, but to old timers who remember, it is an event to be chronicled in letters huge as life itself, because this marks the passing of a landmark in the world of entertainment. This is the theater which in the Gay Nineties housed the road shows in Los Angeles, and catered to a glittering carriage trade that was, perhaps, like none other.

"It later became the home of vaudeville, when vaudeville was grand, as the old Orpheum. Still farther along in its history where were cradled the talents of Texas Guinan, Lon Chaney and others in musical shows of that day under the aegis of an impresario of such attractions known as Pop Fischer. In later times the Lyceum, which was originally called the Los Angeles Theater, became a grind movie house, one of the string controlled by the Gore Bros. But even that activity ceased and suspended about four months ago.

"Tenants in the building have been given their notice, and the business of demolishing the famous old showhouse with its tower and circular windows in the upper stories will commence about mid-April. Meanwhile the Lyceum is the home of ghosts of other golden days in the theater -- the ghosts of Nat Goodwin, Richard Mansfield, James A. Herne, Viola Allen, E.H. Sothern, Mme. Modjeska, Louis James, Kathryn Kidder, and a throng of others who so dazzlingly contributed to the building of a heritage of the drama in America. Their immortal words are probably still engraved in some mysterious way upon the dingy walls which have long since failed to echo the art of Thespis as expressed in the voice and presence of actors who took part in plays -- without photography.

"The history of the Lyceum is linked inevitably with a period of flowing champagne, lobster suppers, handlebar mustaches and hourglass figures. Actually it was built during the late '80's, and the original owner of the property was Juana Neil, mother of Juana Neal Levy, the former society editor of The Times. About the time of completion it was taken over by William H. Perry, the great-grandfather of Robert Stack, who is today a screen actor. For years it was managed by C. Modini Wood, the same Stack's grandfather, while Harry Wyatt (his son, Will Wyatt followed him later at the Mason) was the actual lessee. L.E. Beyhmer, impresario of musical and other attractions today, was with the organization..."

A March 23, 1941 L.A. Times article. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it.  

Status: The building was demolished in 1941. There's now a big parking garage on the site.

Interior views:  

The proscenium and part of the box area. The image is in the collection of the L.A. County Natural History Museum. 

The house right box area seen in 1941 after demolition had begun. It's a Los Angeles Public Library photo.

Looking toward house left in the first balcony in 1941. It's a Los Angeles Public Library photo.  

 

 

A view from onstage toward the house left boxes that appeared with "Death knell of Lyceum theater stirs poignant L.A. memories," a March 15, 1941 article in the Los Angeles Daily News by Darr Smith. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the article and posting many items from it on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.  

 

 

 

"Under Lyceum stage, one time Los Angeles water supply. Lee shows where citizens once filled their buckets." It's a Daily News photo appearing with the March 15, 1941 article. 

 

 

 

A studio space in the building. "Leandro Reveles and his friends must move. Too bad. Studio has 'the best north light in the city.'" It's a Daily News photo appearing with the March 15, 1941 article.

More exterior views: 

 

1895 - A photo of the Turnverein Hall, here renamed the Music Hall, and the Los Angeles Theatre. It's from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. By this time the top of the building was identified with the name "Perry."

c.1896 - This image with "New Los Angeles Theatre" on the side of the building appeared on page 75 of "Los Angeles: Then and Now," a 200 page book edited by Atchison & Eshelman "Historians, etc." and published by George Rice & Sons in 1897. It's in the Library of Congress collection and can be viewed on the site HathiTrust. Thanks to David Kimbrough for locating the photo for inclusion in a post on the DTLA Facebook page.

c.1900 - An entrance detail from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Note the row of light bulbs added under the edge of the marquee. 

 

1902 - Looking north with Lyceum Hall in the middle of the 200 block with the turret of the Los Angeles Theatre beyond. It was a post of Murray Cohen on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. Thanks to Deanna Bayless for spotting the post on Facebook. The USC Digital Library has a fuzzier version of this photo with no writing on the bottom from the California Historical Society. They date it as c.1905.

 

 

c.1905 -  In this photo from the Herald Examiner collection at the Los Angeles Public Library note the Orpheum signage and their flag drawn in at the top of the turret.

c.1905 - Looking south on Spring St. from 2nd. Note the Orpheum signage on the side of the theatre. On the right it's the Hollenbeck Hotel. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

c.1905 - A look at the facade with Orpheum lettering. Thanks to John Bosko for the image from his collection.

 

1914 - The theatre all in lights after it became a film house called Quinn's Lyceum. The photo is from an article about John A. Quinn and his theatres that was in the Moving Picture World issue of March 28, 1914. It's on Internet Archive.

 

1914 - A lovely shot looking north taken by Warren C. Dickerson. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it in the L.A. County Natural History Museum collection for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

1919 - A view to the northeast from the roof of the Million Dollar Theatre building. It's a photo taken by G. Haven Bishop for Southern California Edison -- they were the tenants of the building housing the Million Dollar, then known as the Edison Building. The photo is in the Huntington Library collection.

1919 - A detail from the G. Haven Bishop photo. Note the Orpheum signage on the theatre's back wall. By this time they hadn't been a tenant there for eight years. The building this side of the theatre is Lyceum Hall.

1919 - "Biggest and Best Show in the City." It's a photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. 

c.1920 - Looking south from 2nd St. with the theatre down in the middle of the block on the right. It's a photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. They note that the building on the left, on the southeast corner of 2nd and Spring, is the Wilcox Building.

1920 - A photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1922 - The Armistice Day Parade passes the Lyceum. It's a George Watson photo for the L.A. Times. William Noviello posted it on the Facebook page America in the 20s. Thanks to Harriet Neal for spotting it. 

c.1929 - The theatre's back wall, long after the Orpheum circuit had left. One of the posters is for John C. Porter who served as mayor from 1929 until 1933. It's a Los Angeles Public Library photo.

c.1930 - The Lyceum Theatre has installed equipment for talkies. It's a Los Angeles Public Library photo.

c.1935 - Here the end panel of the marquee is advertising "Best Programs Ten Cents." Times were tough. Earlier they had been charging fifteen cents, as we see on the billboard in the parking lot next door where the Lyceum Hall had been. It's a photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

c.1935 - "Hear Every Word." On the side of the theatre note the outlines remaining from Lyceum Hall. Over on the far left we get a glimpse of Broadway including the Mason Theatre, 127 S. Broadway. The signage reads "Erlanger's Mason." The photo from the California Historical Society appears on the USC Digital Library website.

1939 - "Best Sound on Earth" "Best Programs 10 cents." This view north toward the Times building from the Dick Whittington Studio is in the USC Digital Library collection.

1939 - A detail from the Dick Whittington photo.

1941 - A photo from the Herald Examiner collection of the Los Angeles Public Library collection. On the marquee: "Best Programs Ten Cents." They were running "Meet Dr. Christian" with Jean Hersholt and "Down The Wyoming Trail" with Tex Ritter. The photo was published January 15 with this caption:

"Street view of the Lyceum Theatre, located at 227 South Spring Street, is the second oldest showhouse built in the city. Originally known as the Los Angeles Theater, where stars of yesteryear appeared, the theater will be razed to become a parking lot. Beneath it is one of the original springs from which Spring Street derived its name."

1954 - Looking south toward 3rd St. with just the Douglas Building and several that had been north of the Lyceum remaining on the block. It's a Palmer Connor photo in the Huntington Library collection. 

2019 - The 213 Spring parking garage now occupies the center of the west side of the 200 block. We're looking south toward the Douglas Building (Weeks & Day, 1898) on the northwest corner of 3rd and Spring. Photo: Bill Counter


"Spring St. Was Vaudeville Row," an article from the February 1993 issue of Metro Newsreel:

The issue with the article is in the Ronald W. Mahan Collection. Thanks to Ron for scanning it. 

More information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Lyceum for a great discussion. The Pacific Coast Architecture Database has a page on the building.

Other theatres called the Los Angeles: From 1907 until 1911 the theatre at 340 S. Spring St. was called the Los Angeles. It was later known as the Empress and ended up as the Capitol Theatre. The current Los Angeles Theatre on Broadway opened in January 1931.

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