Los Angeles has many glorious movie palaces scattered throughout, one incredible theatre is the El Capitan, located in the heart of Hollywood. Recently Patrick and I got to go behind the scenes of this historic theatre, and just a few days later returned to see Deadpool & Wolverine, so it should be noted that this post combines those two visits.
Opening on May 3, 1926, the El Capitan served as a live performance theatre, amid the growing movie palaces and movie making industry. Constructed by real estate developer Charles E. Toberman, the theatre combines two different aesthetics. While the exterior, designed by Morgan, Walls, and Clements, is Spanish Baroque in style, the interior, designed by G. Albert Lansburgh, is done with an Indian motif.
The auditorium sat 1,550 theatre goers, and even offered a cigar lounge on its lower level. The lounge features rich wood paneled walls, iron chandeliers, and a fireplace. Over its first few decades, the theatre showcased over 120 plays, but as the film industry grew, the appetite for live performance began to wane.
Meanwhile Orson Welles had written, directed, starred in, and produced his controversial epic Citizen Kane. Due to issues surrounding the film, it had a difficult time securing a theatre to screen it. The El Capitan offered to show the film, setting up a temporary screen. Citizen Kane debuted to Los Angeles audiences on May 8, 1941, and with its success the El Capitan decided to transition from a live performance venue to a movie theatre. By this time the grandiose style that the El Capitan had been done in was little rundown, so in preparation to become a movie theatre it received many changes, both inside and out. With drapes and false walls in side, and a modern looking facade along with new neon marquee, the El Capitan’s previous look was masked, and on March 18, 1942 it reopened as the Paramount Theatre with a Streamline Moderne look. After changing hands several times, the Paramount shuttered in 1988.
Enter the Walt Disney Company. Looking for a landmark theatre to showcase their films, they purchased the theatre and started planning. Initially there were plans to split the massive theatre into two screens (akin to the Hollywood in Portland, which is split into three screens), but as work was being done, they discovered the original architectural elements preserved behind the walls of the 1940s alterations, and they decided to restore the El Capitan to its former glory and remain a single screen theatre.
After a lengthy restoration, the El Capitan reopened with the premiere of Disney’s The Rocketeer on Jun 19, 1991. Today the El Capitan seats 998, due to the shifting of the projection booth and wheelchair accessible seating. Other changes were made as well, including the addition of the now beloved Wurlitzer organ that rises from the stage and is played before screenings. The massive and detailed organ, fondly nicknamed Ethyl, features a crest of an “F” and two foxes, as it hails from San Fransisco’s defunct Fox Theatre.
The theatre also has a stunning curtain show before every screening, offering theatre goers an experience unlike anywhere else. Another unique element is what became of the former cigar lounge. Oftentimes visitors can go downstairs and gaze upon costumes, props, original artwork, and more, from the movie they came to see. Although sometimes, like our visit for Deadpool & Wolverine, the items are set up in the lobby.
Our tour included a peak at Ethyl in her home under the stage, as well as stepping into the wings (while Inside Out 2 was showing!), inside the dressing rooms, green room, and the party/training room, plus gazing upon the autograph wall that showcases the signatures from many visiting celebrities.
See a movie at the incredible and ornate El Capitan Theatre, located at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. For details, including movie tickets and tour tickets, please visit their website.
What’s Nearby?
Various Hollywood Boulevard Attractions
Sources
Bernabe, Danielle. “El Capitan Theatre: The Story of an L.A. Icon.” Discover Los Angeles, 10 May 2023.
“El Capitan Theatre and Office Building.” Los Angeles Conservancy.
“El Capitan Theatre’s Vibrant History Over the Years.” The El Capitan Theatre.