Tower Theatre
Introduction
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Images
A Black and white photo of the inside of the Theatre.
A shot of the exterior as it looks today.
A historical Black and white photo of the Theatre.
Backstory and Context
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The Tower was independently operated for the first few decades of its existence. In the 1940s and early 1950s, it became known as the Newsreel, as it often ran newsreel films (prior to the popularity of television news coverage). The theatre underwent a major renovation in the early 1960s. According to limited historic documentation, the renovation included the repainting of the theatre's interior which covered up much of the original ornate decorative painting by A.T. Heinsbergen & Co. as well as permanently removing the famous canvas ceiling dome murals (which featured clouds, angels and classic nude ladies).
In 2001 with the decline of local location filming business due to strikes and runaway production, the Tower’s use as a movie location was shuttered and the site became converted to a downtown store front church until mid-2003 when the church vacated and the theater was returned to its filming use. Aside from film location use, the Tower could possibly become a multi-purpose entertainment venue (nightclub, film screenings, auctions, weddings, corporate meetings, stand up comedy, jazz club, coffee house, etc.).
Sources
Tower Theatre. Cinema Treasures. Accessed July 02, 2017. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3.
Tower Theatre. LA Conservancy. Accessed July 02, 2017. https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/tower-theatre.