This color photo was taken across the street from the Warner Bros. Theatre at 6433 Hollywood Blvd during the run of “This is Cinerama.” The game-changing widescreen format made its New York debut on September 30, 1952 with the movie “This is Cinerama.” The movie opened at this cinema on April 29, 1953. The marquee behind the people in the foreground says it was playing it’s “2nd record breaking year” so I’m putting this photo at 1953. But oh, look at the buffet of 1950s cars on Hollywood Blvd!
The Warner Bros Hollywood theater hasn’t been used in years, but at least it hasn’t been torn down. This image is from November 2021.
Ha, you’re looking at the cars, and I’m looking at the snazzy outfits on the trio posing in front. Grandma, daughter, and grandson I’m assuming.
Agreed. A lot of great vintage-ness to enjoy
Agreed. A lot of great vintage-ness to enjoy
Just more sad photographic evidence of the decline of Western civilization.
Time machine, where are you?!
During the 1920’s, Stanley Durwood’s (name change) family went into the theater operating business. With his father’s demise, Stanley converted it all into the American Multi-Cinema (AMC Theaters) concept. Unfortunately, multi-plexes are what killed cinemas like this. Now, just ten years after AMC introduced their retro-deco logo look, they handled a film called Memphis Belle which must have been important to Stanley as he had once been a navigator in the Army Air Forces (USAAF) during WWII. AMC even went so far as to produce a deck of playing cards with the movie poster shot and their logo superimposed beneath the title. (Can’t tell you if its’ an airplane spotter type deck as the pack I have is sealed/unopened mint.) Certainly, the film didn’t make big money and poor Stanley was gone in less than a decade at only 78 years old. Perhaps AMC might want to honor their own founder by spending some of that money they got in restoring this theater to its’ 1940’s look when Mr. Durwood was engaged with others in saving the world? Maybe even re-open with a special showing of Memphis Belle, one screen only of course. A commemorative plaque would be nice. (Remember how one of the guys in the crew was going to open up a chain of hamburger stands after the war…not unlike what Stanley did for movies, which actually did save the industry for many years.)