"The Replacement Killers"

We get a nice walkabout on the main floor of the Mayan Theatre, 1038 S. Hill St., during the opening credits of Antoine Fuqua's "The Replacement Killers" (Columbia, 1998).  It ends with some mayhem featuring Chow Yun-Fat.  Here we're looking up toward the auditorium ceiling.

A look back at the rear of the Mayan auditorium during the opening sequence of "The Replacement Killers." Check out the Los Angeles Theatres site's pages about the Mayan Theatre, a former 1927 vintage legit house, for photos of various areas of this stunning building.

Mira Sorvino has an office across from the Million Dollar at Broadway and 3rd St. All hell breaks loose when Chow Yun-Fat comes to see her about getting some forged papers. Here's some carnage about to happen on the fire escape.

Looking north on 3rd toward the Million Dollar. Chow Yun-Fat and Mira Sorvino are in the car. That's the Bradbury Building on our left.  See the many pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the various areas of the Million Dollar Theatre. It's a 1918 vintage theatre first operated by Sid Grauman. 

A look up at the Tower Theatre marquee and vertical sign in "The Replacement Killers." The Tower is at 8th & Broadway. When we go inside for the cartoons, however, we're still on the same block but down the street at the Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway.

 

The crowd is lined up outside the Tower waiting to see the Cartoon Festival. Note we get a bit of the Rialto marquee with Esther Williams in "La Sirena de Millon Dolares" ("Million Dollar Mermaid," 1952) displayed. The Rialto was closed -- that marquee copy had evidently been up there since the filming of "Mambo Kings" at the Tower.  

The Tower Theatre, at 802 S. Broadway, is a 1927 design of S. Charles Lee -- his first theatre commission. See the Los Angeles Theatres site's Tower Theatre pages for a history of the building along with many photos.

The Cartoon festival interiors were done at the Orpheum Theatre. Here all is well as we watch the show. Trouble arrives soon.

The bad guys are waiting in the theatre but here comes Chow Yun-Fat down the aisle to save the evening.

Taking a look around at the rear of the auditorium.

One of the people to avoid at the Orpheum is up in a proscenium box. Mr. Magoo is dodging bombs and bullets in the cartoon onscreen while we get a shootout in the auditorium.

The end of this one -- dropping over the edge of the proscenium box.

Looking across the glorious Orpheum auditorium near the end of "The Replacement Killers." Michael Rooker and his kid are being hunted by the bad guys. Mira Sorvino is about to hop into the frame and save them.

The Orpheum opened in 1926, a design of G. Albert Lansburgh. It's alive and well (and looking splendid) as a venue for concerts and special events. See the Orpheum Theatre pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for photos of all areas of the building.

 
A Tower facade view at the end of "The Replacement Killers" with Michael Rooker relating the terrible time he had at the Cartoon Festival. 

On IMDB: "The Replacement Killers"