How to see classic films in LA's Broadway Theater District this month

The Los Angeles Conservancy — which works to preserve L.A. County's historic places — isn’t letting up on its longtime mission of celebrating downtown’s rich history and driving people to the area, particularly the historic theatres.

From the Mary Poppins Sing-a-Long, noir style thrillers like LA Confidential, and all-time classics like North by Northwest, the organization is screening classic films through its Last Remaining Seats program starting this weekend through through June.

The distinct style of LA’s Broadway Theater District

The Broadway Theater District, which is officially recognized in the National Register of Historic Places, was developed between 1894 and 1931 as a flood of new residents arrived in the city.

One of the most notable buildings, the Los Angeles Theatre, has been preserved in its original French Baroque-style structures.

Sarah Lann, director of education at the Los Angeles Conservancy, joined AirTalk, LAist’s daily news program, and said visitors entering the Los Angeles Theatre are met with a “jaw-dropping” 50-foot ceiling when they first walk in.

“There are crystal chandeliers, and  there's silk damask on the walls,” Lann said. “ It was literally meant to remind folks of the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles.”

The grand staircase at the historic Los Angeles Theatre is the centerpiece of French Baroque architecture.

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Mike Hume

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Los Angeles Conservancy

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The ladies' powder room in the Los Angeles Theatre, modeled after the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles

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Mike Hume

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Los Angeles Conservancy

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The interior of the Los Angeles theatre is five stories, decorated with massive columns and accented with urns, angels and vines.

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Mike Hume

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Los Angeles Conservancy

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The Broadway district represents several styles distinct to the period — including California Churrigueresque, Art Deco and Beaux-Arts.

Theaters today

While no Broadway District theaters remain in daily use, the Orpheum and the Million Dollar Theater both host screenings, and other theaters have been refurbished into retail spaces.

A number of movies have been shot in buildings on Broadway, including Blade Runner, The Neon Demon, and The Prestige.

The Orpheum during the 2024 Last Remaining Seats season.

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Courtesy L.A. Conservancy

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Last Remaining Seats

It all began in the 1980s as an education program to draw attention to the overlooked and underused theaters in the Broadway district, but it soon became the L.A. Conservancy’s mission to bring people back downtown.

“ Downtown was really something of a no-go zone for many people in the '80s," Lann said. “Folks who were around then talk about it literally being dark…no open businesses once the sun went down.”

The Los Angeles Conservancy started the Last Remaining Seats program in 1987. Now, almost 40 years later, Lann said the program continues its work to keep downtown theaters alive and well, celebrating the “incredible legacy of movie palaces that is so unique to L.A.”

You can get tickets to this year’s selection of Last Remaining Seats screenings at https://www.laconservancy.org/.