Orpheum Theatre

Although the historic Orpheum Theatre opened in 1926 as part of a local and national grand theatre boom, its roots as part of the Orpheum vaudeville circuit date back to the 1880s. Indeed, the Orpheum Theatre opened as the circuit's fourth (and final) location. The Orpheum is one of the dozen remaining theaters and movie palaces in the broader, historic Broadway Theater District. The Orpheum enjoys a Beaux Arts design on its exterior, a French Renaissance interior style, and has a Wurlitzer organ, one of three pipe organs remaining in Southern California venues. The Orpheum name is derived from Orpheus, the Greek god of music and poetry. The historic theatre became a popular venue for burlesque queen Sally Rand, the Marx Brothers, Will Rogers, Judy Garland, Jack Benny, Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington. An expansive restoration in 2003 gave new life to the landmark location, and it now serves as the home to live concerts, movie premieres, and location shoots.

The Orpheum opened during a national and local boom in theatre openings, with more than 3,000 grand theatres opening nationwide between 1925 and 1930 (and moviegoers doubled during that period.) The luxurious theatres speak to the economic freedom and concurrent rise in consumer culture experienced by a significant portion of the population during the "Roaring '20s."

The Orpheum Theatre sits within the broader historic Broadway Theater and Commercial District, a six-block thoroughfare containing the vestiges of the Los Angeles theater and commercial center developed from the early 1890s to the early part of the Great Depression of the 1930s; one can find around a dozen historic theatres in the district. Theatres along Broadway grew larger and more extravagant between World War I and the Great Depression despite a shift in the city's theater and movie industry district to Hollywood, partly because the historic Broadway community sat as the western terminus of celebrated Route 66 between 1926 and 1936.

The Orpheum Theatre opened on February 15, 1926, as the fourth and final Orpheum Theatre, serving as the final chapter of the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. The Orpheum circuit in L.A. began in 1884 at the Grand Opera House/Grand Theater, followed by a move to the Los Angeles Theatre/Orpheum Theatre/Lyceum Theatre and then the Orpheum Theatre (now known as the historic Palace Theatre) in 1911.

G. Albert Lansburgh, architect of many Orpheum theatres, designed the 1926 Theatre. While the 12-story office building fronting the theatre includes few ornate features, it does support the enormous roof sign, which proved highly visible from a great distance at the time as it pre-dated the arrival of most of the tall downtown buildings. The 2,350-seat theatre and lobby enjoyed a French Renaissance design with several lavish details such as decorated ceilings, luxurious balconies and seating, stained glass, chandeliers, white marble walls, bronze and gold detailing, statues, fireplaces, and plush furniture.

The Orpheum Theatre was opened as a two-a-day vaudeville house and featured top stars of the day. The opening bill included a stage presentation of The Conflict starring Ruth Chatterton along with comedy from British comics Nervo & Knox. It was the fourth and final Orpheum Theatre to be opened in downtown Los Angeles. Just over two years after the theatre was opened, a Wurlitzer 3 manual 13 ranks organ was installed. However, by 1929, full-length motion pictures grew exceptionally popular, rendering vaudeville nearly obsolete. The Orpheum installed equipment to show movies in 1929 and, on Christmas Day of that year, presented the World Premiere Hit the Deck starring Jack Oakie, effectively ending its association with the Orpheum vaudeville circuit that had begun in the 1880s.

The transition from vaudeville to motion pictures came after the 1929 stock market crash and the start of the Great Depression. The economic downturn forced the theatre to close in 1932. Sherrill Corwin purchased the empty theatre in September 1933 and established the "Metropolitan Theatres" company with the goal of offering high-class stage shows with films. The new group had success, attracting such entertainers as Duke Ellington, Jack Benny, Will Rodgers, the Marx Brothers, Red Skelton, and Lena Horne & Sammy Davies Jr.

The dual stage show and movie concept lasted until 1952 when the company decided to focus solely on motion pictures, notably double features. During the 1950s and 1960s, some "rock & roll" performers took to the stage, including Little Richard, Aretha Franklin and Little Stevie Wonder. However, the theatre increasingly grew less popular, notably due to competition from modern movie multiplexes and movie theatres in malls. Indeed, the Wurlitzer organ became unplayable from its lack of use and the Metropolitan Theatres ceased operating the Orpheum in 1964.

However, the Los Angeles Theatre Organ Society in 1979 began restoring the historic organ, allowing it to be re-dedicated on February 21, 1982, with a concert by organist John Ledwon, which set in motion a slow progress to instill new life into the old, historic venue. The Friends of the Orpheum Theatre was formed in 1989 to promote the theatre, book shows, organize events, and maintain the building. As part of their efforts, the Orpheum Theatre developed into a popular location for movie shoots and can be seen in many films such as Funny Lady, starring Barbra Streisand; The Doors, starring Val Kilmer; and Austin Powers: Goldmember, starring Mike Myers. Additionally, the Orpheum Stage again hosted shows including performances by The Joffrey II Ballet and chamber orchestras from Vienna, Amsterdam, and Prague.  

A multi-million dollar restoration project from 2001-2003 helped restore the theatre to its original grandeur, and patrons can again listen to performances accompanied by the sounds of the Wurlitzer organ, the only one in Los Angeles still playable in its original location. More notably, as the Orpheum Theatre approaches its 100th anniversary, it is again a thriving entertainment venue with a full calendar of live performances, not unlike its start as a vaudeville hot-spot. 

Eschner, Kat. "Movie Palaces Let Everyday Americans Be Royalty." Smithsonian Magazine. smithsonianmag.com. April 12, 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/movie-palaces-let-everyday-americans-be-royalty-180962824.

"History." LA Orpheum. Accessed April 17, 2025. http://laorpheum.com/history/.

Roe, Ken. "Orpheum Theatre." Cinema Treasures. Accessed April 17, 2025. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/13.

Sitton, Tom. "Nomination Form: Broadway Theatre and Commercial District." National Register of Historic Places. nps.gov. 1979. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/d41bca98-3f44-45c2-b049-ad3bce5f4c01/.