Pacific 1-2-3

The Pacific is still leased to Entertainment Technology Center as a Digital Projection testing theatre.

I saw both HOW THE WEST WAS WON and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY here in their original roadshow engagement. I had a special connection to the film, as my junior high school English teacher, Clara Smith, was the mother of the choral director for the film. Clara taught at Lincoln Junior High in Santa Monica and talked endlessly about her son’s accomplishments, which included playing Jesus at an annual production of the Last Supper or something like that held at a local theater. Her son, Academy Award winner Ken Darby, was a long-time collaborator and friend of the renowned composer Alfred Newman, and produced and directed the choral arrangements for THE ROBE, THE EGYPTIAN (I think, which was co-scored by Bernard Hermann), and THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD. Much of the fine choral arrangements and folk songs in HTWWW were the work of Darby, and Darby conducted and wrote much of the original music for the film in conjunction with Newman. Indeed, Darby had more to do with the score than Newman himself, who wrote only limited original themes.

Although I never met Ken Darby, his ghost in a sense has dogged me the rest of my life.

In any event, after recently viewing photographs of the interior of the Warner Hollywood I was struck with an instant flood of memories about the day I saw the show. I remember the exterior and interior of the theater, but not the lobby, although I vaguely recollect buying popcorn there. I believe I sat in the second or third row just left of center as you face the screen—a practice I repeated when I saw IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD and THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD at the Cinerama dome. This allowed for maximum stereo effect and for the giant curved screen to wrap almost as far around the viewer as the corner of their vision. This effect diminishes as you sit farther back in the theater, and when you reach the back seats the cinerama effect is nearly insignificant. At least that’s what I thought when I was 11!

That is a great point, Manwithnoname!

I was fascinated by the marquee’s alternation between WARNER and CINERAMA. I hadn’t even realized that there was also a change from WARNERS to WARNER at some point.

In the 1961 “Back Street” picture at View link it’s WARNER. Back in the 1940s http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014800.jpg it was WARNERS.

However, while this change was made on the marquee and the vertical (notice how on the 1961 vertical there’s clearly a space that the final S formerly occupied), the radio towers on top of the building continued to say WARNERS.

And with respect to the Warner Bros. Downtown, didn’t its blades say WARNERS right up to the time it was taken over by Metropolitan? I’m guessing that is so because afterward the letters were rearranged to spell WARRENS rather than WARREN.

I guess it’s proof that I’m a true movie palace geek that I should be interested in such arcane details. But, obviously, the change from Warners to Warner on the Hollywood theater was intentional. It would be very interesting to know the reason behind it. Did the houses in Beverly Hills, San Pedro, Huntington Park or elsewhere nationwide change in the same way?

Hi William and sonke … Here is a photo of the marquee of the “Egyptian Theater” just down the block in 1955. As you can see, the movie “Oklahoma” was the feature, and, as William says, the film title is in NEON and looks almost permanent. Since this was expensive to do, it was reserved for features the studios and theaters thought were monumental and would play at the theater for a while.

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014528.jpg

In the new film “The Aviator”, there is a scene at the 1929 premier of “Hells Angels” and there are huge neon signs of the film title on the 2 sides at the entrance of Graumans Chinese. This is not fiction. There truly were huge signs made and installed just as shown at the entrance of the forecourt (By the way, the film “Hells Angels” is amazing for it’s time and is well worth a look). Here is a photo of those signs…

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014682.jpg

Nice picture. Is it possible that they put whole new marquees on the sides? On the Back Street picture there is standard black lettering on a backlit white panel, but the Grimm marquee seems to have red neon letters and the horizontal stripes that usually hold letters (as can be seen on the 1943 picture and at the top of this page) are gone. That’ll also explain my doubts about (not) inconsistent “Cinerama” and “Holiday” signs.

PS: New street lights on Hollywood Blvd every decade :)

Well during that time the Warner Hollywood Theatre was part of the Stanley Warner Management Corporation chain. But it was listed under their Stanley Warner Cinerama Corporation. So those were part of the original theatres that the Stanley Warner chain converted to Cinerama under the original deal. So the Warner Hollywood Thetare was the Warner Cinerama. In 1963, Pacific Theatres opened the Cinerama Dome. So at that time there was two Cinerama equipped theatres in Los Angeles, not including the Forum Theatre. That Cinerama lettering on the marquee was still up in 1971. At that time the verical blade sign said Pacific.

Soenke, you are incorrect in your supposition that “wood letters” spelling Cinerama Holiday were placed over the Warner sign, and that they fit into that same space that “WARNER” otherwise occupied.

The letters that spelled CINERAMA were lighted, and were in the same exact position as the letters that spelled WARNER and that currently spell PACIFIC. In the Cinerama Holiday picture, the word “Holiday” is on the marquee proper, NOT above the marquee.

re stevebob’s observation: That is odd, and I hadn’t noticed it. But the Susan Hayward remake of “Back Street” did indeed come out in 1961, and the cars in the photo are certainly of that era. I visited Hollywood Boulevard a few times in those days, but never noticed the change in the Warner’s marquee. Maybe they had some sort of modular system, to make the changeout easier.

Here is the marquee on April 18, 1935…

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics34/00036960.jpg

Los Angeles is overrun with closed movie palaces; thankfully many of them have not been demolished. Probably the only way to get many of them operating again is either to have them run by a non-profit organziation, in the mold of the American Cinematheque, or converting them to host legitimate theatre productions, which generally take in a lot more money than film screenings ever do (except for the latest Star Wars installment possibly…) So, how about it? Someone step up to the plate and get an NPO together…

This is all hypothetical but the L.A. Conservancy may well require the return of the theater to a full live stage with orchestra pit, etc., which moves the venue to something other than a strictly cinema theater. A performing stage has to look to different kinds of bookings and the success of the Pantages, for example, was predicated on shows like “The Lion King” to justify a major restoration. The Pantages is 4 blocks away. What comparable stage events or shows, can compete and draw audiences that aren’t being served right now.

On the other hand Arclight has 14 movie screens, the Chinese has 7, the El Capitan has one, and the Egyptian has 2 – all with a few blocks of here. There are additionally several other closed-up movie houses on the Boulevard. So movie screens are pretty saturated in this neighborhood.

That’s why I doubt the return on investment looks very attractive to potential buyers of the building. With Pantages so close, and Hollywood and Highland’s Kodak Theater a stone’s throw in the other direction, and the other movie screens nearby, what new shows will draw a crowd?

The Red Car doesn’t run here anymore, the subway is 4-7 blocks away in either direction, and everyone drives in L.A. Hence the parking problem.

What this town needs is another Paul Allen with a big heart for “theater” and “deep pockets” for changing and rebuilding. Until someone like that comes along, I’m afraid this place. will still be “the treasure that once laid within”.

pmiller…. thanks for the insight. When these great theaters were built, we did not have television and these showplaces were a central feature to entertain the masses. In my opinion, we also had better mass transit in Hollywood. My mom did not have a car, but we were able to get everywhere on the red car line and streetcars. It was relatively safe and fun. When we went out, we always hired a nice taxicab. That was the way to go. Today we have huge home entertainment systems and classic films have become part of our domestic life as never before. So now I wonder what we can show in the great theaters that will bring the crowds back? Many of the cinemas that are still intact theaters have become cultural art centers, symphony halls, opera houses, churches and live stage venues. What other uses can we give them to save them? Your point that they have a practical use is quite valid.

Sorry, that last comment was intended for pmiller.