"Hit Man"

Bernie Casey, playing a guy just arrived from Oakland and pissed that nobody picked him up at LAX, goes for a drive up Main St. in "Hit Man" (MGM, 1972). On the right it's the dark marquee of the Burbank Theatre, 548 S. Main St. See the  pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building and many photos and ads. It opened in 1893 as a legit house and much later in life was the premiere burlesque house in L.A. It had closed before the film's shooting and was demolished in 1974. 

That little red vertical just beyond the theatre entrance was for the dance hall upstairs. The red vertical farther up the block was for the Galway Theatre at 514 S. Main. Over on the left it's a view of the Optic Theatre, 533 S. Main. The small red neon sign at the top of the facade says "Open All Night." The Rosslyn Hotel vertical we see is on the southwest corner of 5th and Main.  After this drive on Main St. we cut to Sunset Blvd. and check into the Hollywood Center Motel. 

 

Bernie goes with Pam Grier to the Banner Theatre, 458. S. Main. She wants to show him something. On the far left we see "Open Soon" on the marquee of the Regent, 448 S. Main. That was overly optimistic. See see it still on the marquee in the 1974 film "Uptown Saturday Night." The Regent survives as a music venue and has appeared in many films. See the Regent Theatre pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for many photos.  

 

Heading in to the Banner.

 

 

At the boxoffice. They're just waved in. The manager knows her.

 

At the back of the house. Pam want's Bernie to see something. He's in town because his brother was killed and he wants to find out why. The plot deepens when Pam tells him that his brother's daughter acted in a porno film.   

 

The film they're at the Banner to see is called "Youngblood."  And there's the girl, in an early scene. In the background it's the Royal Theatre, on Santa Monica Blvd. a few blocks west of the 405. They were running the 1969 Spanish film "The Green Wall." It got a U.S. release in late 1970. 

 

After a couple of scenes Bernie has seen enough and drags Pam out the back door of the Banner. He goes on a hunt to find out who was responsible for making the film. 

 

Later we're back at the Banner and get a signage shot.  

 

 

In the lobby. On the right it's one of the thugs working for the owner sent in to see what's wrong.  

 

Heading down the aisle. 

 

More of the team coming in. And they're not looking at the screen. Note the area on the left that was walled-off to create more retail space for the storefront south of the theatre entrance. 

 

 

The manager.  

 

 

The phone in the lobby is ringing. When the guy answers it the message is "Get out of the porno business." 

 The theatre opened in 1910 and was running into the 80s. It later got demolished -- there's a new building on the site. See the page on the Banner Theatre for more information.

The film uses many other interesting locations including the Watts Towers and a wild animal park in Fillmore called Africa America. Late in the movie Pam Grier gets dropped off there and meets her end after being chased by a lion. Also featured are Lisa Moore,  Sam Laws, Don Diamond, Ed Cambridge, Roger E. Mosley and Bhetty Waldron. George Armitage directed. The cinematography was by Andrew Davis. 

On IMDb: "Hit Man"

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"Induction"

Ray Manzarek and a girlfriend head to a show at the Dorothy Chandler in "Induction," his 15 minute UCLA student film from 1965. The Film and Television Archive notes: 

"A UCLA student film by Ray Manczarek (Manzarek), future member of The Doors. A film student (played by Ray Manzarek) loses one girlfriend and then finds another (played by Manzarek's future wife, Dorothy Fujikawa). Some scenes were shot in the Venice Beach apartment Ray shared with Dorothy. In an extended party sequence, Jim Morrison can be seen briefly."

 

 Another shot at the Dorothy Chandler.  

 

 

 

Heading to the Royal Theatre in West L.A. for "Banana Peel" and "Contempt." At the time the theatre was known as the Tivoli Plaza.  

 

 

 

Checking out a poster. 

 

 

Heading to the bar at the Royal. 

 

 

Decisions. 

 Getting that popcorn.

Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the theatres in the film. See the pages on the Dorothy Chandler and the Royal Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of these two theatres..   

On Imdb: "Induction"  The film can be seen on YouTube from the UCLA Film and Television Archive. 

"Only In Theaters"

This 2022 film by Rafael Sbarge explores the history of the Laemmle Theatres circuit. We spend lots of time at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, a venue no longer part of the circuit. Distribution of the film is by Wishing Well Entertainment. 

 

 

There's also quite a bit of focus devoted to the Royal Theatre on Santa Monica Blvd., including many shots of the satirical use of film titles on the marquee during the Covid shutdown. 

See the pages about the Fine Arts and the Royal on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of these houses. The film also offers brief glimpses of or discussions about many more theatres that are now, or once were, in the circuit including the Franklin, Playhouse 7, Music Hall, Monica and Los Feliz.  

Website: onlyintheaters.com  On IMDb: "Only In Theaters"

"Annette"

 

"So, May We Start?" The strange and moody musical "Annette" (Amazon, 2021) begins with a terrific number in a recording studio that has Ron and Russell Mael of the duo Sparks leaving the studio, picking up cast members along the way, and morphing into a parade down Santa Monica Blvd. Here the group poses in an alley with a bit of the Royal Theatre seen in the upper left. 

 

In the front are Simon Helberg as a conductor/accompanist, Marion Cotillard as an opera singer and Adam Driver as an unfunny stand up comedian. Ron and Russell Mael are seen behind. Marion and Adam have a very unusual daughter, Annette, who develops a curious gift. It's a film by Leos Carax. The cinematography is by Caroline Champetier. 

 

 

Adam puts on his coat, ready to go downtown to do a show at the Orpheum. Across the street it's the Royal Theatre, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd. 

 

 

On the bike heading to the Orpheum. In the center of the shot is the Rialto Theatre, now an Urban Outfitters store at 812 S. Broadway. The Tower Theatre is in the darkness beyond. 

 

 

Henry McHenry, Adam's character, is on the marquee at the Orpheum, 842 S. Broadway. Although set in Los Angeles, most of the film was shot in Belgium and Germany, including theatre interiors.

 

 

Advertising for an opera performance by Marion's character projected on Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave. That's her SUV turning the corner. We see a lot of the performance and a scene outside the theatre afterward, all shot elsewhere.

 

 

 

In this view showing off the signage of the Palace (630 S. Broadway) and the Los Angeles Theatre (615 S. Broadway) Adam is heading home on his motorcycle after the performance, supposedly given at the Orpheum.

See the pages about the Royal, Rialto, Orpheum, Palace and Los Angeles theaters as well as Disney Hall on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a full history of the buildings along with hundreds of photos.

On IMDb: "Annette" 

"The Long Goodbye"

We get an ambulance ride by the Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., an hour and 39 minutes into Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye" (United Artists, 1973). Elliott Gould stars as Philip Marlowe. Also featured are Nina van Palandt, Henry Gibson, Sterling Hayden and Mark Rydell. Leigh Brackett wrote the screenplay based on Raymond Chandler's novel. The film's cinematography was by Vilmos Zsigmond.

 

 

Then several blocks later we get the reflection of the Royal Theatre's marquee on the other side of the street at 11523 Santa Monica Blvd.

Thanks to Tommy Bernard for spotting the theatres in the movie and getting the screenshots. See the pages on the Nuart and the Royal on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of these two vintage Sawtelle neighborhood movie houses. 

On IMDb: "The Long Goodbye"