BACKSTORY: The Broadway Historic Theatre District tour explores the social, cinematic, and architectural history of the largest National Register Historic Theatre District in the country. The Broadway Historic Theatre District between Third Street & Olympic Boulevard is home to twelve movie palaces built from 1910–1931. Erected during Broadway’s heyday as the entertainment epicenter of Los Angeles, most of these elaborate theatres could handle crowds of 2,000 people+. The exteriors as well as the interiors of these grand structures reflect the flamboyance and imagination of the entertainment industry. Variously built to showcase vaudeville, film, or stage plays, the theatres today have a variety of uses, including churches, retail, a dance club, filming, and special events.
The Million Dollar Theater was built in 1918 for Sid Grauman on Broadway and featured Spanish Baroque architecture.
Grauman followed up next with The Rialto, The Metropolitan (1923), The Egyptian, and The Chinese. The following photos were taken while on this tour. I highly recommend it to film & architecture buffs; visit the LA Conservancy at their website for reservations. |
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