Tower Theater
The George Arthur and Lois Wilson
movie, “The Gingham Girl” was the
feature movie for the grand opening
of the Tower Theater in October 12,
1927.The Tower Theater is downtown
L.A.’s Broadway movie palace
district’s hidden gem because it is
a perfect location for movies.
Designed in 1927 by renowned
architect S. Charles Lee, the first
Tower premiered as the very first
movie palace in L.A.’s downtown
district. Wired for sound films, it
was here that audiences got a sneak
preview of the very first movie
musical, the Warner Brothers
classic, “The Jazz Singer”.
Built in a long and narrow fashion
to give way to its unusual real
estate design, the Tower’s
innovative design and exterior is
now ruined by street sellers. Its
once famous tower has been chopped
short and its marquee has been
change to a more modern look over
the years.
No longer functioning as a movie
theater since 1988, the Tower
theater is one of the great movie
theaters still standing in downtown
Los Angeles. It has been used as a
nightclub, a venue for English
speaking congregations of the UCKG
church, as well as a venue for
special events. It is also sometimes
used as a location for films. It has
reinvented itself as a rock concert
venue since the late 80s.. The Tower
Theatre is listed as a
Historic-Cultural Landmark as well
as the National Register of Historic
Places. |
