The 96th Academy Awards saw the return of the red carpet in front of Hollywood’s high-tech Dolby Theatre. But while all eyes today were on the celebrities on that crimson runway, the original red carpet “night of nights” put the spotlight on the theater too.
Just down the street from the Dolby, the Egyptian Theatre was where the red carpet movie premiere was invented on October 18, 1922. With its hieroglyphics and faux limestone columns, showman Sid Grauman’s Hollywood Egyptian Theatre (as it was known then) was just as newsworthy as the silent screen stars attending the premiere of Robin Hood, Douglas Fairbanks’ stunt-filled, men-in-tights dramatization of the legendary bandit.
The Egyptian represents a golden age of cinema, when themed and elaborately decorated movie showplaces anchored Main Streets from coast to coast, promising far-off adventures for a couple dimes. With the influx of multiplexes and streaming, many have closed. But Los Angeles is seeing a revival.
In an ironic twist worthy of a box office hit, Netflix bought the Egyptian in 2020. Then the former movie rental service turned streaming company spent an undisclosed amount restoring it to its 1920s glory. Across town, several theaters have been brought back to life or are undergoing massive renovations. One of the most highly anticipated is the Cinerama Dome, the 1963 architectural stunner slated to reopen in 2025 with restaurants and bars.
Why so much attention when streaming is just as popular as ever? It’s thanks to filmmakers’ passion to keep theaters alive and a new generation of fans, says Ken Scherer, executive director of the nonprofit American Cinematheque, which runs programming at the Egyptian and other theaters.
“New voices coming to the screen, new stories being told—all of that is playing into the cultural sense of [this] generation coming into its own,” he says, noting a membership uptick in his organization since the pandemic. “And yes, they’re seeing clips on YouTube or TikTok. [But] people have discovered sitting in a movie theater is really cool.”
“Boutique theaters will actually thrive in this time,” predicted Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino on Dax Shepherd’s Armchair Expert podcast in 2021, where he announced he had bought the Vista Theatre in Los Feliz, his second after the New Beverly Cinema in the Fairfax district.
Whatever the impetus, locals appreciate that these relics from another era seem to be coming back. “You feel like you’re a part of history,” says filmmaker Edgar Pablos, about visiting old-school theaters in Westwood Village, near the University of California, Los Angeles.
In this sprawling metropolis, these classics provide travelers with a roadmap to the birthplace of the modern movie business. Here are a few of our favorites.
The Aero, Santa Monica
Located on Montana Avenue and 14th Street, the Aero is a single-screen beauty, opened in 1940 by Douglas Aircraft founder Donald Wills Douglas. Designed by R.M. Woolpert in the Streamline Moderne style, it originally showed movies 24/7 to accommodate Douglas Aircraft manufacturing schedules.
The now 425-seat theater has undergone a few redos since 2005. Besides showing new and classic films, it hosts events such as an annual All-Night Horrorthon and filmmaker talks (Celine Song, Oscar-nominated director of Past Lives, headlined days before the 2024 Academy Awards).
North of crowded 3rd Street Promenade and the boardwalk, this breezy corner of Santa Monica exudes a locals-only vibe. Check out sunny La La Land Kind Cafe (not affiliated with the film) and Father’s Office for its famous Office Burger. Nearby, Annenberg Community Beach House was once the sprawling mansion that newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst built for actress Marion Davies. It’s now a free-to-the-public beach club with a swimming pool (open seasonally) and standup paddleboard rentals. A few miles north, Will Rogers State Beach (named for the vaudeville star) is a three-mile stretch of golden sand with volleyball courts and picnic tables.
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The Vista, Los Feliz/Silverlake
The Vista reopened earlier this year under the care of its new owner, Quentin Tarantino. Though it debuted in 1923 as Lou Bard’s Hollywood Theater, this Spanish Mission-style icon had gone from a place of “refined entertainment” to one for adult entertainment by the 1960s.
Tarantino ripped out half the seats (no knee knocking here), brought the sound system into the 21st century, and replaced the projection equipment to show film prints. Tarantino fans will appreciate references like costumes and posters in the lobby and in just opened Pam’s Coffy, the adjoining café that pays homage to the star of many of his movies, Pam Grier.
With its many shops, bars, and restaurants, the Los Feliz and Silverlake area is popular with locals and visitors. Don’t miss Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House, L.A.’s first UNESCO World Heritage site. Thai Town is a pocket along Hollywood Boulevard known for mom-and-pop restaurants. Browse Wacko’s mashup of kitschy tchotchkes (think a Prince devotional candle), books on topics from cinema to the occult, and handmade Soap Plant soaps. There’s also a gallery displaying works by local artists.
Fox Theatre/Regency Village, Westwood
Located on a busy corner, the Fox Theatre (now known as the Regency Village Theatre) opened in 1931 with a predominantly Mediterranean style and co-ed details at one time (school sports, students dancing) nodding to UCLA at the neighborhood’s north end. Don’t be surprised if you happen upon a glitzy premiere. With its art deco spire, neon sign, and 1,400-seat capacity, it’s popular for debuts, from 1948’s Adventures of Casanova to 2024’s Madame Web. Look for more programming to come from the new owners, a collective of more than 30 marquee directors, among them Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Chloe Zhao, and Denis Villeneuve.
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Stroll over to the free Hammer Museum for multicultural exhibits and lectures. Chateau-esque Geffen Playhouse puts on top-notch live productions, uncommonly seen in Tinsel Town. UCLA’s Planetarium makes an under-the-radar alternative to the Griffith Observatory across town. Around Westwood and Wilshire Boulevards, the vibrant Iranian community known as “Tehrangeles” is dotted with shops and restaurants like Taste of Tehran serving juicy kebabs and saffron-scented rice.
The Orpheum Theatre, Downtown
Opened on Broadway in 1926, the Orpheum was part of a circuit of vaudeville venues starring the likes of Duke Ellington and a young Judy Garland. These days, the lavishly decorated theater, with its sweeping balcony and glorious stage, is popular for concerts and standup comics.
The Orpheum is one of the highlights on the Los Angeles Conservancy walking tour of the Broadway Historic Theater District. Built between 1910 and 1931, these sites (at one time numbering 50) were a key part of L.A. history and still are, says Bill Counter, founder of the in-depth archive Los Angeles Theatres blog.
“It’s important because it’s still pretty much intact,” he says, even though it wasn’t the first theater district in the city. “After 1910, Broadway became more and more prominent. It became the theater exhibition street in Los Angeles. When movies opened, they’d open on Broadway, and [then] they’d go out to the suburbs.”
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While downtown, explore other popular camera-ready settings like Angel’s Flight and Grand Central Market. But don’t miss less traveled smaller pockets, including Little Tokyo’s Japanese American National Museum, East West Players, and the nearby Arts District.
Anne Kim-Dannibale is a senior digital editor at National Geographic, who scooped popcorn at the Fox Theatre in Westwood as a UCLA undergrad. Follow her on Instagram.
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