Hollywood Pacific Theatre

Hollywood Pacific Theatre is a historic former movie theater and mixed-use entertainment building at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Although the cinema is no longer in regular operation, the building remains associated with several important phases in American exhibition history, including the transition from silent pictures to sound, the rise of widescreen formats, the presentation of Cinerama and 70 mm film, and early experiments in digital cinema. Designed by theater architect G. Albert Lansburgh, the building was constructed on the former site of the residence of artist Paul de Longpré. Its Spanish Renaissance exterior incorporates reinforced concrete, cast-concrete ornament, elaborate grillwork, Churrigueresque detailing, and tall window bays framed by ornamental pilasters. The project included substantially more than an auditorium: the complex contained retail and office areas, a nursery, an emergency hospital, a lounge, and a radio studio. KFWB used the radio facilities, and radio masts were installed shortly after the building opened. The theater opened on April 26, 1928, under the Warner Bros. Theatre or Warner Hollywood name. It was intended to support Warner Bros.' move into theatrical exhibition in California and was among the first Hollywood theaters specifically designed for sound films. The opening presentation was Glorious Betsy, with Al Jolson serving as master of ceremonies. The auditorium originally accommodated more than 2,700 people and was positioned to compete with Hollywood's major movie palaces, including Grauman's Chinese and Egyptian theaters. The venue's ownership and identity changed after the United States Supreme Court's 1948 Paramount decision restricted the ability of major film studios to own theater chains. Warner Bros. transferred the theater to Stanley Warner Theatres in 1953; that organization later became associated with RKO Stanley Warner Theatres. The building was substantially remodeled for Cinerama and reopened as Warner Cinerama on April 29, 1953. Its new deeply curved screen and altered seating configuration enabled the theater to present large-format spectaculars at a time when exhibitors were responding to television competition with wider screens and more immersive presentation systems. Cinerama engagements became a defining part of the venue's history. This is Cinerama, Cinerama Holiday, Seven Wonders of the World, South Seas Adventure, Search for Paradise, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, and How the West Was Won all received extended or notable presentations there. The theater was also equipped for 70 mm film in 1961. Pacific Theatres acquired the venue in 1968 and renamed it Hollywood Pacific Theatre. Later long-running presentations included 2001: A Space Odyssey, which received its West Coast premiere at the theater, and A Clockwork Orange. In 1978, the auditorium was closed temporarily so its balcony could be converted into two additional screens. It reopened as Pacific 1-2-3, reflecting the multiplexing of the original movie palace. The full-time cinema operation ended on August 15, 1994, after the building sustained structural damage associated with the Northridge earthquake and water damage connected with construction of the B Line subway. The balcony areas remained closed because of safety concerns. The building subsequently served a different role in cinema history. From 2000 through 2006, the University of Southern California Entertainment Technology Center operated the ETC Digital Cinema Lab there, using the site for demonstrations, technical tests, meetings, and discussions concerning digital projection. These activities are widely regarded as part of the practical development of digital cinema exhibition. Ecclesia Hollywood Church occupied the building from 2008 until 2013. It has reportedly remained vacant since then, with the owner indicating that restoration would require work whose cost makes the project financially difficult. The property is recognized for both its architectural and cultural importance. The Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, with the Warner Theatre identified as a contributing property. Los Angeles designated the building a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1993. Its public legacy also includes a connection to Carol Burnett, who worked there as a young usherette; decades later, she requested that her Hollywood Walk of Fame star be placed near the former theater entrance.

The Hollywood Pacific Theatre was developed by Warner Bros. as a major Hollywood exhibition venue during the industry's transition to synchronized sound. Designed by G. Albert Lansburgh, the building occupied the former site of Paul de Longpré's residence and combined an ornate Spanish Renaissance exterior with a large auditorium and a broad range of ancillary uses. Its facilities included commercial and office areas, a nursery, an emergency hospital, a lounge, and a radio studio used by KFWB. The building's radio masts soon became prominent elements of its identity. The theater opened on April 26, 1928, after construction delays and the death of Sam Warner prevented the planned opening with The Jazz Singer. Instead, Glorious Betsy served as the inaugural presentation, with Al Jolson participating in the ceremony. The auditorium seated more than 2,700 people and was designed as a direct competitor to Hollywood's prominent movie palaces. Its opening represented Warner Bros.' entry into California theater exhibition as well as the growing commercial importance of purpose-built sound cinemas. A major change came after the Supreme Court's Paramount decision, which challenged the vertical integration of film production, distribution, and exhibition. Warner Bros. transferred the theater to Stanley Warner Theatres in 1953. That year the venue underwent a significant conversion for Cinerama, a format that used a very wide curved screen and multiple-image projection to create an immersive spectacle. Reopening as Warner Cinerama, it became an important site for extended engagements of travelogues, scenic films, and widescreen epics. The venue later supported 70 mm exhibition, further reflecting the industry's efforts to make theatrical presentation more compelling in the television era. Pacific Theatres acquired the building in 1968 and renamed it Hollywood Pacific Theatre. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, it hosted long runs of major films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange. In 1978, the operator reconfigured the balcony into two additional auditoriums, reopening the complex as Pacific 1-2-3. This intervention preserved part of the original building while adapting the large single-screen venue to the multiplex business model. The cinema closed permanently as a full-time operation on August 15, 1994. Structural problems related to the Northridge earthquake and water intrusion associated with nearby subway construction contributed to the closure, and the balcony portions remained unavailable because of safety issues. The building nevertheless continued to have a role in exhibition technology. USC's Entertainment Technology Center established the ETC Digital Cinema Lab there between 2000 and 2006, using the site for tests, demonstrations, meetings, and technical discussions that helped advance the adoption of digital projection. From early 2008 until 2013, the building was occupied by Ecclesia Hollywood Church. It has subsequently been vacant. Robertson Properties Group, identified as the owner, has stated that restoration is not financially viable given the extent of work required. The building's historic status remains significant: the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District, which includes the property as a contributing resource, entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and Los Angeles designated the theater a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1993. The site also has a place in entertainment folklore through Carol Burnett. As a young usherette, Burnett reportedly instructed late-arriving patrons to wait for the next screening rather than have the ending of Strangers on a Train spoiled. After a manager allowed the patrons into the auditorium and dismissed her, the incident became part of her later recollections. When she received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star decades afterward, she requested a location near the former Warner Brothers Theatre, and the star was installed outside the building.

• 2000

  ETC Digital Cinema Lab begins operation

  [1]Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  USC's Entertainment Technology Center began using the former theater for digital-cinema testing and demonstrations.

• 1994

  Full-time cinema closes

  [1]Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  Regular movie exhibition ended following earthquake-related structural damage and water damage connected with subway construction.

• 1993

  Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument designation

  [1]Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  Los Angeles designated the building a Historic-Cultural Monument.

• 1985

  Historic-district recognition

  [1]Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The building was listed as a contributing property in the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District on the National Register of Historic Places.

• 1978

  Conversion into Pacific 1-2-3

  [1]Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The balcony was converted into two additional screens, and the building reopened as a three-screen complex.

• 1968

  Pacific Theatres acquisition and renaming

  [1]Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  Pacific Theatres acquired the theater and renamed it Hollywood Pacific Theatre.

• 1961

  70 mm capability added

  [1]Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The venue was equipped to present 70 mm films.

• 1953

  Conversion to Cinerama

  [1]Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The auditorium reopened as Warner Cinerama after installation of a large curved screen and extensive seating changes.

• 1928

  Warner Hollywood opens

  [1]Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The theater opened on April 26 with Glorious Betsy and became one of Hollywood's purpose-built sound-film venues.

A landmark Hollywood movie palace that evolved from a Warner Bros. sound-film showcase into a Cinerama and 70 mm venue, later a multiplex, and eventually a site for digital-cinema experimentation.

• Sound-film exhibition · 1928

  Warner Hollywood movie theater

  The original theater was a large Warner Bros. exhibition venue designed specifically for the sound era. It opened in 1928 with a spacious auditorium, supporting facilities, and a prominent Hollywood Boulevard location intended to compete with the district's best-known movie palaces.

• Cinerama exhibition · 1953

  Warner Cinerama

  Warner Cinerama was the theater's widescreen presentation configuration introduced in 1953. The conversion installed a deeply curved screen and changed the seating arrangement to accommodate large-format spectacle films, including travelogues and widescreen epics that often received unusually long engagements.

• Multiplex cinema · 1978

  Pacific 1-2-3

  Pacific 1-2-3 was the multiplex configuration created when the theater's balcony was divided into two additional auditoriums. The 1978 conversion adapted the historic single-screen building to changing exhibition economics while retaining its principal architectural shell.

• Digital projection research and demonstration · 2000

  ETC Digital Cinema Lab

  Operated by USC's Entertainment Technology Center from 2000 to 2006, the lab used the former theater for projection experiments, equipment demonstrations, technical meetings, and discussions concerning the practical future of digital cinema exhibition.

• 1994

  End of full-time film exhibitionOther

  Background

  Earthquake-related structural damage and water intrusion connected with subway construction affected the property.

  Action taken

  Regular cinema operations ended on August 15, 1994.

  Aftermath

  The building later hosted digital-cinema research and a church, but did not return to regular movie-theater operation.

  Source

• 1978

  Conversion to a three-screen complexGeneration change

  Background

  The single-screen movie-palace model was being adapted to the growing multiplex format.

  Action taken

  The balcony was converted into two additional auditoriums, and the venue reopened as Pacific 1-2-3.

  Aftermath

  The building could show several films at once, but the balcony areas later became unavailable because of safety concerns.

  Source

• 1953

  Transfer to Stanley Warner Theatres after the Paramount decisionStrategy

  Background

  Federal antitrust action against studio control of exhibition required Warner Bros. to separate its theater interests from the studio.

  Action taken

  The theater was transferred to Stanley Warner Theatres, later associated with RKO Stanley Warner Theatres.

  Aftermath

  The ownership change was followed by the venue's conversion into a Cinerama theater.

  Source

• 1953

  Adoption of CineramaGeneration change

  Background

  Hollywood exhibitors were responding to television competition by introducing wider and more immersive formats.

  Action taken

  The auditorium was remodeled with a large curved Cinerama screen and a substantially revised seating layout.

  Aftermath

  The theater became a major venue for extended engagements of large-format films.

  Source

1. 1Hollywood Pacific Theatreen.wikipedia.org