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Take Two

Watching the Oscars at the Million Dollar Theatre

By Take Two Staff
Published Feb 28, 2014
Million Dollar Theatre, 307 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013, United States. Sid Grauman's first major theatre was named Grauman's Theatre when it opened in 1918 with William S. Hart in &quot;The Silent Man&quot; Following the hype over its price tag, it soon became known as Grauman's Million Dollar Theatre, although it was not officially named this until 1922. The auditorium was built behind the twelve story Edison office building, the exterior is a magnificent example, of a variation of Spanish Rococo style, known as Churrigueresque. Deeply molded features decorate the theatre entrance and higher up on the facade are heroic figures of the arts, with symbols of western Americana, such as bison head, eagles and longhorn steer skulls, all the work of sculptor Joseph Mora. Architect William Lee Woollett is credited with the design of the interior. The proscenium, with its flanking columns, and the coffered ceiling, foreshadowed the later design by Woollett for Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre (later Paramount) which was his most fantastical achievement in movie palace design. The eclectic, fantasy design of the Million Dollar Theatre in 1918 contrasted with the more conventional, neoclassic look of most movie palaces at that time. By the end of the 1920's, exotic themes and atmospherics were the rage in movie palace design, and many early movie palaces looked dated, but the Million Dollar Theatre still looked fresh (and almost a century later, still wows. From 1975 the Million Dollar Theatre was showing new general release films, dubbed into Spanish and live Mexican vaudeville shows one week in every month. Metropolitan Theatres closed the Million Dollar Theatre in 1993. The theatre was immediately taken over by a church and damage was done by painting over chandeliers and original wall murals with white paint. The name 'Million Dollar' was removed from the marquee at this time. In 1998, the church moved out and along Broadway to the former (Loews) State Theatre and the Million Dollar Theatre was shuttered. In 2005, it was leased by former nightclub owner Robert Voskanian and work soon began on a restoration of the theatre. As of the end of February 2008, one million plus dollars had been spent to refurbish the Million Dollar Theatre. New marble flooring was installed, the proscenium's stone archway was refurbished, and the theatre was redecorated with a new red and gold paint scheme. The Million Dollar Theatre reopened in 2008. Source: <a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theater/15/" rel="nofollow">Cinema Treasures</a>.
Million Dollar Theatre, 307 South Broadway
(
Truus, Bob & Jan too!/flickr Creative Commons
)
Still from the 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner. The film featured the famed Million Dollar Theatre in many scenes ...
Still from the 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner. The film featured the famed Million Dollar Theatre in many scenes ...

Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.

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Watching the Oscars at the Million Dollar Theatre

The Oscars are this Sunday, and its safe to say that millions of people all over the world will tune into to see the winners, the losers and what people wore on the red carpet.

But if you're looking for a cool venue to watch the awards, you might want to go downtown to the venerable Million Dollar Movie Theatre.

The theatre, which opened in 1918, will be the main star in its first ever Oscar viewing party. 

Take Two contributor and Los Angeles Magazine editor Chris Nichols will be hosting the event, and he stopped by recently to give Alex Cohen a preview of what's in store.

This weekend's Oscars viewing party at the Million Dollar Theatre is a benefit for the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. For more details, click here.