Hollywood Pacific Theatre
Encyclopedia
Hollywood Pacific Theatre is a movie theatre located at 6433 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California on Hollywood's famous Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
with approximately 2,700 seats. It opened on April 26, 1928, showcasing the studio's early Vitaphone
talking film Glorious Betsy
, starring Conrad Nagel
and Dolores Costello
.
Warner Bros. owned radio station KFWB positioned their radio transmitter tower on top of the building, which still is erected today displaying the Warner name.
, the venue was one of the few in Hollywood large enough to convert to Cinerama
. It was renovated and on April 29, 1953 reopened as the Warner Cinerama. The new screen was 28'x76' with a 146 degree arc and seating was reduced to approximately 1,500 to accommodate the new screen size. This revamp only lasted 133 weeks.
In 1961 the theatre was equipped to run 70mm films
and showed both 70 and 35mm films
. The last of the 3-strip Cinerama presentations was the American premiere run of How the West Was Won
for 93 weeks in 1963 and 64. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, two Stanley Kubrick
films had long runs at the theatre: 2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968) played for 80 weeks, and A Clockwork Orange
(1971) also had a long run.
In 1968, Stanley Warner sold the theatre to Pacific Theatres
, which renamed it the present day Hollywood Pacific Theatre.
On January 31, 1978, two screens were added by converting the balcony section into two 550 seat areas.
church services at 9:30am and 11:15am. The theatre has since been designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
was working as an usherette when the theater was showing Alfred Hitchcock
's Strangers on a Train
(1951). Having already seen the film and loving it, she advised two patrons arriving during the last ten minutes of a showing to wait until the beginning of the next showing to avoid spoiling the ending for them. The manager observed Burnett, let the couple in, then callously fired her, stripping the epaulette
s from her uniform. Years later in the 1970s after achieving TV stardom, when the Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce
offered her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
, they asked her where she wanted it. She replied "Right in front of where the old Warner Brothers Theater was, at Hollywood and Wilcox", which is where it was placed, at 6439 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
Beginnings
Originally known as the Warner Bros. Theatre or Warner Hollywood Theatre, the Italianate beaux arts building was designed by architect G. Albert LansburghG. Albert Lansburgh
Gustave Albert Lansburgh was an American architect, largely known for his work on luxury cinemas and theatres. He was the principal architect of theaters on the West Coast from 1900 - 1930.-Life and career:...
with approximately 2,700 seats. It opened on April 26, 1928, showcasing the studio's early Vitaphone
Vitaphone
Vitaphone was a sound film process used on feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects produced by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1930. Vitaphone was the last, but most successful, of the sound-on-disc processes...
talking film Glorious Betsy
Glorious Betsy
Glorious Betsy is a 1928 mostly-silent film with talking sequences, based on a play of the same name by Rida Johnson Young and starring Dolores Costello. It was produced by Warner Brothers and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Adaptation in 1929. The film was directed by Alan...
, starring Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel was an American screen actor and matinee idol of the silent film era and beyond. He was also a well-known television actor and radio performer.-Biography:...
and Dolores Costello
Dolores Costello
Dolores Costello was an American film actress who achieved her greatest success during the era of silent movies. She was nicknamed "The Goddess of the Silent Screen"...
.
Warner Bros. owned radio station KFWB positioned their radio transmitter tower on top of the building, which still is erected today displaying the Warner name.
Renovation for widescreen
In an era when theatres were forced to compete with television by introducing widescreenWidescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
, the venue was one of the few in Hollywood large enough to convert to Cinerama
Cinerama
Cinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it...
. It was renovated and on April 29, 1953 reopened as the Warner Cinerama. The new screen was 28'x76' with a 146 degree arc and seating was reduced to approximately 1,500 to accommodate the new screen size. This revamp only lasted 133 weeks.
In 1961 the theatre was equipped to run 70mm films
70 mm film
70mm film is a wide high-resolution film gauge, with higher resolution than standard 35mm motion picture film format. As used in camera, the film is wide. For projection, the original 65mm film is printed on film. The additional 5mm are for magnetic strips holding four of the six tracks of sound...
and showed both 70 and 35mm films
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
. The last of the 3-strip Cinerama presentations was the American premiere run of How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won (film)
How the West Was Won is a 1962 American epic Western film. The picture was one of the last "old-fashioned" epic films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to enjoy great success. It follows four generations of a family as they move ever westward, from western New York state to the Pacific Ocean...
for 93 weeks in 1963 and 64. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, two Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
films had long runs at the theatre: 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
(1968) played for 80 weeks, and A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
(1971) also had a long run.
In 1968, Stanley Warner sold the theatre to Pacific Theatres
Pacific Theatres
Pacific Theatres is a chain of movie theaters in the Los Angeles area of California. Pacific Theatres is owned by Decurion Corporation which also owns ArcLight Cinema Company .- Developments : The company has some 300 movie screens in California...
, which renamed it the present day Hollywood Pacific Theatre.
On January 31, 1978, two screens were added by converting the balcony section into two 550 seat areas.
End of use for exhibiting films
The theatre finally closed its doors as a full-time cinema on August 15, 1994. This was mostly due to water damage to the basement caused by the construction of the Hollywood Subway Red Line and structural damage caused by the 1994 Northridge earthquake. To date the balcony sections remain closed off due to structure safety issues. The theatre does open for local Sunday EcclesiaEcclesia
-Ecclesia:* the Christian Church**See Church militant and church triumphant for ecclesia militans, ecclesia penitens, ecclesia triumphans* Congregation among many English-speaking Christadelphians....
church services at 9:30am and 11:15am. The theatre has since been designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
Influence on Carol Burnett's star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
In the 1950s, a young Carol BurnettCarol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
was working as an usherette when the theater was showing Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's Strangers on a Train
Strangers on a Train (film)
Strangers on a Train is an American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. It was shot in the autumn of 1950 and released by Warner Bros. on June 30, 1951. The film stars Farley Granger, Ruth Roman,...
(1951). Having already seen the film and loving it, she advised two patrons arriving during the last ten minutes of a showing to wait until the beginning of the next showing to avoid spoiling the ending for them. The manager observed Burnett, let the couple in, then callously fired her, stripping the epaulette
Epaulette
Epaulette is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations.Epaulettes are fastened to the shoulder by a shoulder strap or "passant", a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam, and the button near the collar, or by laces on the...
s from her uniform. Years later in the 1970s after achieving TV stardom, when the Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
offered her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
, they asked her where she wanted it. She replied "Right in front of where the old Warner Brothers Theater was, at Hollywood and Wilcox", which is where it was placed, at 6439 Hollywood Blvd.