Globe, Los Angeles
Globe, 744 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014 United States.
This theater has had four names: The Morosco, The President (in the 1930's), The Newsreel (in the 1940's) and The Globe. It was opened in 1913 by producer Oliver Morosco. Architects of the Garland Building were Morgan, Walls & Morgan; A.F. Rosenheim designed the theatre. Morosco conceived his theatre not as a vaudeville house or nickelodeon, but as an elegant dramatic play house, which, among other special touches, included special rows of seats that accomodated portly patrons who weighed more than 200 pounds. Morosco also filled the orchestra pit with foliage rather than rather than having patrons yell over loud intermission music, which Morosco deemed an intrusion. The Morosco initially changed bills every week. Performers here included Eddie Cantor, Edward Everett Horton and Leo Carillo.
By 1928, the theatre was known as the President, operating under the banner of Henry Duffy Players, who also had the El Capitan and the Hollywood Playhouse. During the Depression, newsreels took over, lasting throughout WWII. In 1947 the theatre became the Globe. In 1958, a Mexican wax museum opened in the basement to abet the Spanish-language programming upstairs. In 1987, concrete was used to level the floor from the lobby to the stage, so that a permanent indoor swap meet could supplant what had once been the first serious playhouse in Los Angeles. The former theater currently houses a nightclub. The seating was 1300 originally. Later only 782 were used. The second balcony had been closed for decades. And now the seats have been removed for club use.
Sources: cinema treasures and downtown los angeles theatres.
Globe, Los Angeles
Globe, 744 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014 United States.
This theater has had four names: The Morosco, The President (in the 1930's), The Newsreel (in the 1940's) and The Globe. It was opened in 1913 by producer Oliver Morosco. Architects of the Garland Building were Morgan, Walls & Morgan; A.F. Rosenheim designed the theatre. Morosco conceived his theatre not as a vaudeville house or nickelodeon, but as an elegant dramatic play house, which, among other special touches, included special rows of seats that accomodated portly patrons who weighed more than 200 pounds. Morosco also filled the orchestra pit with foliage rather than rather than having patrons yell over loud intermission music, which Morosco deemed an intrusion. The Morosco initially changed bills every week. Performers here included Eddie Cantor, Edward Everett Horton and Leo Carillo.
By 1928, the theatre was known as the President, operating under the banner of Henry Duffy Players, who also had the El Capitan and the Hollywood Playhouse. During the Depression, newsreels took over, lasting throughout WWII. In 1947 the theatre became the Globe. In 1958, a Mexican wax museum opened in the basement to abet the Spanish-language programming upstairs. In 1987, concrete was used to level the floor from the lobby to the stage, so that a permanent indoor swap meet could supplant what had once been the first serious playhouse in Los Angeles. The former theater currently houses a nightclub. The seating was 1300 originally. Later only 782 were used. The second balcony had been closed for decades. And now the seats have been removed for club use.
Sources: cinema treasures and downtown los angeles theatres.