The TCM Movie Locations Bus Tour: Los Angeles Movie Palaces

A few days ago I enjoyed the Turner Classic Movies Los Angeles Movie Locations Tour.

The tour covered multiple aspects of Los Angeles film history, driving past movie studios, film locations, and several of the city's oldest movie theaters, particularly the movie palaces of Downtown Los Angeles. Follow the links below to sites describing the very interesting history of these great old theaters.

The Million Dollar Theater was opened by Sid Grauman in 1918. A couple of years ago I had the rare opportunity to see a double bill at the Million Dollar Theater, consisting of THE BIG COMBO (1955) and PITFALL (1948). The interior is incredibly ornate, and I wish it would be possible to restore it to its former glory, just as Disney has done with the 1926 El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

The Orpheum Theatre dates from 1926.

The Rialto opened in 1917:

The Palace is over a century old, having opened in 1911:

The Tower Theater, which opened in 1927, was the first in Los Angeles to have air conditioning.

And here's a couple of theaters outside the Downtown area. The Westlake Theatre opened in 1926.

The Vista Theatre on Sunset originally opened under another name in 1923.

Here's a couple more great links on the Vista and its history, with wonderful photos, at Cinema Sightlines and Los Angeles Theatres.

The Los Angeles Conservancy will be hosting its 28th annual Last Remaining Seats film series this June, providing the opportunity to see classic titles such as FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933), THE LADY EVE (1941), and CITIZEN KANE (1941) in some of the oldest theaters in the city, including the Orpheum and the Palace.