Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation

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Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation

LAHTF is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, restoring and sustaining the operation of Southern California’s historic theatres.

11/02/2025

The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation congratulates the Dodgers on their thrilling Game 7 World Series victory over the formidable Toronto Blue Jays! ⚾

Flashing back to 1958 — here are scenes from the parade that welcomed the Dodgers to their new home in Los Angeles. Thousands lined Broadway on April 18, 1958, to cheer the team as they rode in a motorcade downtown ahead of their first game against the San Francisco Giants at the Coliseum.

Along the parade route, you can spot several of Broadway’s great movie palaces — including the Palace, Los Angeles, Cameo, Roxie, and Arcade Theatres — each a proud part of the city’s entertainment history.

(Photos courtesy of USC Libraries)

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation!

10/17/2025

We know it’s one county over, but in case you missed it here is a feature story on this week’s reopening of the California Theatre from yesterday’s CBS2 News. Nice work, San Bernardino!

09/20/2025

Today, LAHTF celebrates the 95th anniversary of the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

Opened on September 19, 1930 as the Fox Wilshire Theatre, this Art Deco landmark was designed by famed theatre architect S. Charles Lee. Its soaring tower with revolving “FOX” sign quickly became a Wilshire Boulevard beacon, while inside, audiences were dazzled by a bold silver, black, and coral décor, with a proscenium styled as a giant “mammoth horn” for perfect sound projection.

The opening day featured two premieres: an afternoon children’s matinee and, that evening, a gala screening of the Marx Brothers’ “Animal Crackers.” For decades, the Fox Wilshire was a showcase for roadshow attractions and long-run hits before its 1981 conversion to a legitimate stage house, renamed the Wilshire Theatre.

In 2009, following a major gift from Haim and Cheryl Saban, it became the Saban Theatre. Today it thrives as both a performance venue and a Beverly Hills cultural landmark, proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ninety-five years later, the lights still shine bright at Wilshire and Hamilton.

(Photos: LA Public Library, California State Library, Water and Power, Mott Studios and Hunter Kerhart)

09/18/2025

Robert Redford’s passing marks the loss of a towering figure whose influence reached far beyond the screen. His impact on the arts, his tireless advocacy for independent storytelling, and his lifelong commitment to the environment and social causes are impossible to overstate.

Here in Los Angeles, Redford’s legacy is woven directly into our theatre history.

In 1967, his first major starring role, “Barefoot in the Park,” wasn’t just a box office success — it was the opening attraction that launched the new Laemmle Plaza Theatre in Westwood Village. The Plaza became a cornerstone of the Laemmle circuit, joining the Los Feliz, Regent, and Esquire, and introducing a new community hub for cinema.

Decades later, Redford brought his Sundance vision directly into the L.A. theatre scene. In 2012, Sundance Cinemas reopened the former Sunset 5 in West Hollywood after a major renovation, aiming to revive the spirit of community moviegoing with independent programming and modern comforts. Though short-lived, it left a mark on the city’s exhibition history.

And in a video we share here (shot at Sundance 2015 by our board member during a conversation including Leonard Maltin and George Lucas), Redford himself recalls how going to the movies as a child in Los Angeles first sparked the passion that shaped his life’s work.

The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation salutes Robert Redford. His films, his advocacy, and the artists he championed will continue to inspire future generations.

09/16/2025

Flea Market Find! This is the Majestic Theatre, one of the earliest legitimate playhouses on downtown L.A.’s Broadway. At this weekend’s L.A. County Vintage Postcard & Paper Show, we found this original 20-page program from May 1909 — just six months after the Majestic opened its doors in November 1908.

Built by the Hamburger family (of Hamburger’s Department Store, later May Co.) and leased to impresario Oliver Morosco, the Majestic was a 1,600-seat Beaux-Arts theatre that quickly became a hub for touring Broadway productions. Early bills included comedy duo Kolb & Dill, seen here in “Playing the Ponies.”

Though first advertised as Hamburger’s Majestic, it was soon known simply as the Majestic Theatre. It stood directly between the Eastern Columbia Building site and the May Co., with the Orpheum Theatre right across the street (as seen in the first photo).

After only 25 years, the Majestic was demolished in 1933 during the Depression. Today its site is occupied by a parking structure with ground-floor retail — a far cry from the jewel box of 1909, but these pages are a reminder of Broadway’s earliest theatrical days.

(Photos courtesy of USC Library and LA Public Library)

09/05/2025

Cheers to the Alex Theatre — today celebrating a century as a beacon of art, architecture, and community.

On September 4, 1925, Glendale’s Alexander Theatre opened its doors for the very first time — a glittering new showplace from West Coast Theatres, designed by the firm of Lindley & Selkirk. The auditorium originally seated over 2,000 guests, making it one of the largest and most elegant neighborhood picture palaces in the region.

The opening attraction was Lightnin’, a popular silent comedy directed by John Ford, accompanied by a full orchestra and vaudeville acts.

Originally dubbed the “Alexander,” the theatre adopted its shorter “Alex” identity not long after opening. In 1940, the building’s iconic Art Deco marquee and neon spire — designed by famed architect S. Charles Lee — gave the Alex its signature look.

The theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, and today is owned by the City of Glendale. It continues to thrive as a cultural hub, hosting concerts, film screenings, comedy, civic events, and more. Among its longest-running resident companies is the Alex Film Society, the all-volunteer group dedicated to presenting classic cinema in the grand setting it was meant to be seen.

Here’s to 100 years — and the next 100 to come.

(Photos courtesy LA Public Library, Glendale Redevelopment Agency, Water and Power Associates, )

08/23/2025

August 23, 1963. That was the night the Los Angeles Theatre’s mighty Wurlitzer was heard publicly for the last time. In the years that followed, it vanished — launching one of Broadway’s enduring mysteries.

On this night, celebrated organist Ann Leaf gave a farewell concert on the theatre’s Wurlitzer Style 216, originally moved from the Tower Theatre for the Los Angeles’s 1931 opening (though not played that night during the premiere of Chaplin’s “City Lights”). The organ had been restored especially for this 1963 performance. That same week, the marquee billed Walt Disney’s “Summer Magic” and MGM’s “Drums of Africa” — the everyday fare on screen as Leaf gave her farewell performance.

At Leaf’s request, the concert itself was not recorded. The LPs many know today are re-creations of her program, performed on the Los Angeles Theatre’s Wurlitzer — likely the last time the instrument was ever heard inside the building. (We’ve included a snippet here: “Gaviota: A Peruvian Waltz.”)

Though the Los Angeles Theatre continued showing films for decades — ending daily operations in 1994 — the Ann Leaf concert marked the end of its live organ tradition. Sometime between the mid-1960s and late 1970s, the Wurlitzer vanished from the building, and its fate remains unknown.

Some say it was stolen and sold during the 1970s organ craze. Others believe it was broken up for parts or hidden away in a private collection. What other theories have you heard about the missing mighty Wurlitzer?

(And just for fun, we’ve included a short 1931 film clip of Ann Leaf playing an organ — the very same year the Los Angeles Theatre opened.)

08/15/2025

On this day in 1939, Hollywood Boulevard met the Yellow Brick Road.

August 15, 1939 — Grauman’s Chinese Theatre staged one of Sid Grauman’s most elaborate premieres to date for MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz.”

Searchlights swept Hollywood Boulevard, mounted police managed the crowds, and new bleachers seated 3,500 fans with a clear view of themed sets in the forecourt — from the Scarecrow’s cornfield to a shimmering Emerald City. Munchkin actors greeted guests as cameras flashed.

Among those photographed that night: Harold Lloyd with son Harold Jr., Wallace Beery with daughter Carol Ann, Billie Burke, and Ray Bolger posing with Fred Stone — the original Scarecrow from the 1903 Broadway production.

After the premiere, “Oz” opened the very next day for regular engagements at both the Chinese and Loew’s State downtown. Then, beginning August 23, the film shifted into an unusually broad release at two more Los Angeles first-run palaces — the Carthay Circle and the United Artists — ensuring it reached audiences across the city in record time.

(Audio from the June 29, 1939 NBC radio program Good News of 1939)

08/06/2025

Last week, Art House Convergence (AHC) held their annual AHC Convening in Chicago. For the first time, an LAHTF Board member attended the conference with April Wright representing our organization. April met up with Gardena Cinema owner Judy Kim, attending education sessions regarding the current state of independent cinemas, focusing on the now and the struggles that still exist in ramping up in a post-covid world, and to see some of the city’s historic theaters. Gardena Cinema supporter and Oscar winner Sean Baker spoke about how filmmakers, film lovers, and theatres all need to continue to work together to help get people and more films back into the theatres.

Want to learn more about LAHTF’s experience at conferences like AHC? Be sure to sign up for updates here... https://lahtf.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8f9353e9dceb949bbe829661f&id=33cb14a36b

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http://www.lahtf.org/

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