Preservation News Update

Pantages Theater: Moving ahead for a mid-September re-opening, this restoration/renovation has covered the entire theater literally and figuratively. Late June saw the theater encased in giant plastic Cristo-like wrapping as the exterior is cleaned, stripped, and repainted to original colors and restored storefronts.

There has been some controversy around the plan to remove the original Frolic Room neon sign (from the 1940s), prominently seen in L.A. Confidential among other movies. Hollywood Heritage opposes such a plan as the Frolic Room is staying put and any new sign would never match the ’40s style of the original, which has been faithfully maintained by the owners. The sign’s historic status is now being reviewed by the Cultural Affairs Department, and such status is fully supported by Hollywood Heritage.

Otherwise, the false 1960s bottom of the 1930 marquee was recently removed to reveal the location of exterior lighting and a wonderful art deco treatment around the base. All of this is now being restored, to go along with the restoration of the dramatic exterior entryway and its 400+ lights. Famed theater architect S. Charles Lee’s statement "The show starts on the sidewalk" will definitely hold true as Pantages’ architect B. Marcus Priteca’s designs come back to life after over 40 years of being buried alive.

For the interior, the three massive art deco lobby chandeliers are being rebuilt from the original plans. They were removed in the mid ’50s to be cleaned, and were never heard from again. Several murals in the lobby areas have been restored and relit, as well as those over the proscenium. The theater has a new electrical system that can handle the demands of any upcoming production as well as the marquee’s new neon. The 40' x 40' drop stage has been completed along with new dressing rooms (the stage needs to rise for The Lion King necessitating the relocation of rooms below it).

A collection of projector and special effects equipment found in the projection booth from the Pantages and the Hollywood Warner (Pacific) Theaters (including items from the 1928 theater’s Brenograph atmospheric system) were donated to the Hollywood Heritage Museum by the Nederlander Organization (who own the Pantages and are footing the $10-$12 million renovation bill). These artifacts are currently at the museum where some are now on display. Hollywood Heritage thanks Wayne McWorter and Susan Bredau of the Nederlander Organization for coordinating this donation and Marc Wannamaker who helped identify and move the several hundred pounds of equipment that was obtained.

Screen Cartoonists Building: Located at Yucca and Vine streets next to Capitol Records, this 1931 art deco building by H.L. Gogerty (Baine Building, Hollywood Playhouse/Palace Theater, etc.) was to have been demolished for a parking lot. Hollywood Heritage intervened and threatened to file a lawsuit against the city, the owner of the building, as it was protected under the Hollywood Redevelopment Plan.

The city backed off and will now restore the building as office space for Capitol Records. Federal funds obtained to demolish the structure are now being transferred to be used for its restoration. The first home of the Screen Cartoonists Guild in 1941, it still has one interior area with its original art deco designs intact. It is in the capable hands of architect, and Hollywood Heritage board member, Barry Milofsky, who is also doing the same for the Equitable Building a block away, completing the triumvirate restoration of three landmark art deco structures on the north-east block of Hollywood and Vine. Work should start in the late Fall, for a re-opening on its 70^th anniversary as, once again, Hollywood Heritage has saved a part of the Hollywood entertainment industry, so that it is not a lost opportunity that ended up in a landfill site.

The Cinerama Dome Theater Development: The Dome will close on July 31 after a 3-day celebration of 70mm film screenings of Lawrence of Arabia and Terminator 2, plus screenings of Ben-Hur and archival Cinerama footage (tickets are only $3.50!). Rehabilitation of the theater will then begin, along with the construction of 14 new theaters, retail/ restaurant space, a health club, and a parking structure. The new project would open, hopefully, by Labor Day 2001.

Plans are still moving forward to bring 3-projector Cinerama to the theater for its re-opening. There is also encouraging talk from Pacific Theaters’ Michael Forman that Pacific’s six Cinerama films (This is Cinerama, Cinerama Holiday, etc.) will be properly protected for the future, including their use in the 3-projector format (later screenings used an anamorphic print to show on single projector systems). This is especially important, not just for showings at the restored Cinerama Dome, but for other theaters in the future (only Paul Allen’s restored 1963 Seattle Cinerama can currently screen 3-projector Cinerama), and because there have been no new Cinerama prints struck since 1962 (costs are high as 3 prints are made, plus a separate magnetic soundtrack). All prints must be done, in essence, by hand so that the colors match on all three prints, thereby making automated high-speed printing impossible. Thus the cost of new Cinerama prints is about 8-10 times that of a regular release. But, it is worth it once you see this still amazing system, as you will be able to next year thanks to Pacific Theaters and the tenacity of Hollywood Heritage and Doug Haines’ Friends of the Cinerama.

Chinese Theater: Seismic upgrading, $2 million worth, will begin this month for the world’s most famous theater. Two more phases of work will start in the Fall, first with the building’s exterior, then the interior.

Though the theater still looks spectacular, it has a way to go to return to its former architectural glory. Mann Theaters’ new CEO, Barry Reardon, has made the theater’s restoration a priority, and numerous plans are being developed, using historic photos and some surviving plans. Many improvements are small or simply details, but their cumulative impact will bring back the theater’s full majesty and the importance of Sid Grauman’s beloved palace of cinema.

One promise is that the original lighting system in the auditorium will be restored. This created a type of light-show during intermission with almost 1500 hidden ceiling and cove lights, that have not been seen in decades. All that functions now are about 25 of these lights, so one can only imagine what this one change alone will do. The light show will also highlight the auditorium’s detailed architecture, which is now, more or less, in the dark.

Hollywood Heritage thanks Barry Reardon and Mann Theaters for this important work. Their openness in keeping Hollywood Heritage informed of this project shows a continuing commitment to our agreement with the TrizecHahn Company, which is developing the surrounding property, for which the restoration of the Chinese Theater was a condition of our approval of the project.

Schwab’s Men’s Store Building: Recent travelers down Hollywood Boulevard will have noticed that an old façade has returned at the southwest corner of Hollywood and Ivar. Covered with stucco since the late 1940s, this 1921 building was stripped to its original Gladding, McBean & Co. terra cotta façade by its new owners, Jose Malagon and David Gajda.

After many discussions with Hollywood Heritage and the building’s project manager, Randy Van Ausdall (who has been contracting our work at Wattles Mansion and the Hollywood Heritage Museum), they agreed to restore the façade by repairing the existing terra cotta tiles and rebuilding the missing elements from historic photos (supplied by Hollywood Heritage board member Greg Williams). This will take about four months, under the direction of Douglas Turner, and will cost more than was originally budgeted by the new owners, but Mr. Malagon and Mr. Gajda realized that they had a diamond-in-the-rough and polishing it would pay off, aesthetically and financially.

The building was known for its 1926 tenant, Schwab’s Men’s Store that remained there through the 1930s. It was one of the finest men’s haberdasheries in Los Angeles, and was typical of the type of business that made Hollywood "the style center of the world," as ads at that time rightly proclaimed. Schwab’s may be gone, but the wonderful façade will live on thanks to the efforts of Jose Malagon and David Gajda.