Tuesday, October 1, 2024

"Aloha, Bobby and Rose"

Footage used for the title sequence of "Aloha, Bobby and Rose" (Columbia Pictures, 1975) includes this view of the Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. On the marquee it's "Don't Look in the Basement" along with "The Last House on the Left." This bill opened November 7, 1973 at the Pantages as well as over 30 other theatres in the area.  
 
The film features Paul Le Mat, Dianne Hull, Tim McIntyre, Leigh French, Noble Willingham, Martine Bartlett and Robert Carradine. Floyd Mutrux directed. The cinematography was by William A. Fraker.  
 
 

We get this shot when they zoom in during the credits. Way down the street it's the vertical for Loew's, 6838 Hollywood Blvd. It's the theatre that opened in 1926 as the El Capitan. Loew's got it in 1967 but at the time this footage was shot it was run by General Cinema Corporation. They never got around to re-doing the vertical although they were calling the theatre the Cinema on Hollywood Blvd. or the Hollywood Cinema. Before and after Loew's and General Cinema had the theatre it was called the Paramount. 
 
 
 
Paul Le Mat owes some guys money from a game of pool that didn't go his way. Hoping to borrow $75, he stops in to see a relative working at a used car lot at Hollywood Blvd. and Gower. The brown building on the left is the east side of the Pix Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd. The Pantages is a bit farther down the street.
 
 

Paul works at a car repair place in the Valley where he fixes the Volkswagon of a girl played by Dianne Hull. Later they go out on a date and take a drive east on Hollywood Blvd. We get this shot as they approach the Egyptian I-II-III, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.  
 
The panel below the marquee is advertising "Hello, Dolly!" It was on the bottom half of a double bill that opened October 31, 1973 at the Egyptian as well as 30 other area theatres. "Cabaret" was on the top of the bill. The initial 40 week 70mm roadshow engagement of "Hello, Dolly!" had been at the Chinese from December 19, 1969 until September 24, 1970.  
 
 

Continuing east we get a quick look down Las Palmas Ave. toward the pizza sign of Micelli's Restaurant and, just beyond, the Las Palmas Theatre.  
 


In the next block we get a murky glimpse of the New-View Theatre at 6656 Hollywood Blvd. It opened in 1940 as a newsreel house called the News-View. Later it was the Pussycat Theatre and then became a revival house called the Ritz.  

Paul and Dianne stop at a convenience store and, not being the sharpest guy, he plays around pretending to hold up the store. It ends badly and they go on the run.  

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Pantages, Loew's/El Capitan, Music Box/Pix, Egyptian, Las Palmas and New View/Pussycat/Ritz for more information about these historic Hollywood show houses.

On IMDb: "Aloha, Bobby and Rose"

No comments:

Post a Comment