In this 1931 shot, we’re looking at the Tower Theatre at 8th Street and Broadway, downtown Los Angeles. It opened on October 12, 1927 and a couple of months later it was where Warner Bros. previewed the “The Jazz Singer” before taking it to New York for their sensation-making premiere. Not only were audiences that night treated to an historical moment, but they also sitting in the first theater in L.A. to get air conditioning. This theater is still standing—but no longer functions as a theater. After a lengthy and meticulous renovation, it’s now home to an Apple Store.
Here’s a shot of the gorgeous interior. It might just be the angle but the screen looks awfully small, doesn’t it?
This is how the theater looked in September 2021:
Apple did great job repurposing the theater. More than I hoped for.
I haven’t seen it yet but the next time I venture downtown, it’s the first place I plan on going.
It’s so nice to see that not EVERYTHING has been torn down.
Elegant, respectful restoration – Anyone else notice Apple extended the corner Tower sign ever so slightly upward to incorporate their understated Apple logo? I guess when you’re the World’s most valuable company ($2 Trillion & counting) you don’t have to clobber people with you’re presence.
your, not you’re, presence. What can I say it’s early!
I refret that I never got to see a movie at the Tower as part of the LA Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats program. But I’m glad the buildings been saved and intelligently re-purposed.