We’re looking west along Hollywood Blvd toward the Warner Theater, which opened in 1928. The movie featured on the marquee is “Dead End” which was the United Artists picture that spawned the well-known “Dead End Kids.” Those two spotlights blazing into the night sky usually meant a premiere was taking place, but there is also a huge vertical banner proclaiming “Major Studio Picture Preview Tonight.” Perhaps the spotlights were to attract a large audience for a test screening of some other movie. At the very least we can say that “Dead End” came out in August 1937, so that helps us date the photograph. (Source: losangelestheatres.blogspot.com)
The Warner Theatre marquee is harder to see these days, but this is roughly how that view looked in June 2024.
I can see the beautiful street light is gone as well. Such a shame. When did LA start planting all of those trees? There seems to be way to many of them and they obscure the beauty of the buildings.
I believe having more trees in a heavily urban streetscape is better than less, or none at all, which used to be the case back when this photo was taken.
Yes, shade and oxygen are GOOD things.
Thanks, Martin. If you work at Warner Brothers, you know about that building. All us tour guides got a crash course! It opened in 1928, the first theatre equipped for sound movies. The building actually contained a mini hospital and was the site of radio station KFWB (the letters standing for Four Warner Brothers, get it?). Some sources say the station was also at the studio in Burbank. Conflicting stories. Safe to say it was at the Hollywood location, and check out the broadcast towers. The biggest story is Carol Burnett worked there in her teens as an usher and got fired! She later made sure her Hollywood Star on the Walk of Fame was placed in front of the building! About the DEAD END KIDS, later the Bowery Boys. Leo Gorcey told the story about Ronald Reagan, who at first, was afraid of the guys. He thought they’d mug him! Humphrey Bogart was their best friend; he smoked with them, played cards, told jokes. Gorcey says James Cagney had a short fuse and he punched Gorcey out. True story. These guys drove Jack Warner nuts, but their movies made a fortune. Gorcey had a lot of super stories, growing up in Hollywood. Warner Brothers also owns the Bowery Boys franchise, shown on TCM.
As a matter of fact, I did work at WB as a tour guide during the summer of 2001. We got woefully little training back then, so you’re lucky you came along when you did.
Martin, a Hollywood education. Loved it. It’s a job for someone who is into film history. Also depends on who your instructors are. If it’s in your heart it shows.
Didn’t the Dead End Kids, also known as the Bowery Boys, end up at Monogram studio? From what I have read and understood, that was kind of like the last stop studio for the stars? I was kind of shocked when I read that Kay Francis ended up at Monogram. Difficult to believe as she used to be the number 1 star at Warner Brothers. How things can change!