Last Remaining Seats Returns For 2018, Featuring 'Roger Rabbit,' 'The Birds,' 'Joy Luck Club' and More

The Los Angeles Conservancy is back with the 32nd season of its “Last Remaining Seats” festival, and the full lineup for the event (which begins June 2) has been revealed. The seven films included cover a wide range of classic, more recent and Oscar-winning films, all screened at Los Angeles' historic theaters, particularly on Broadway, which is the first and largest historic theater district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The event will also return to downtown's historic State Theatre for the first time in 20 years, and will expand to San Gabriel, at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, for the first time ever. 

Here’s the full list, including dates and locations:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Saturday, June 2, 8 p.m.
State Theatre (1921), downtown L.A.

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
Saturday, June 9, 8 p.m.
Million Dollar Theatre (1918), downtown L.A.

In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Wednesday, June 13, 8 p.m.
The Theatre at Ace Hotel (1927), downtown L.A.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
Saturday, June 16, 2 p.m.
Los Angeles Theatre (1931), downtown L.A.

The Birds (1963)
Saturday, June 16, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Theatre (1931), downtown L.A.

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
Wednesday, June 20, 8 p.m.
Orpheum Theatre (1926), downtown L.A.

The Joy Luck Club (1993)
Saturday, June 23, 6 p.m.
San Gabriel Mission Playhouse (1927), San Gabriel

The proceeds will be put towards maintaining and preserving historical landmarks throughout L.A. So not only is it an excuse to watch some incredible films in some iconic theaters, but it’s also a good cause.

Tickets will go on sale to the public on April 11 for $22, while members can get them early on March 28 for a discounted price of $18. You can visit the official website here.

Top Gun, Some Like It Hot, Double Indemnity and More: LA Conservancy Picks Classics for Its 30th Last Remaining Seats

Our favorite event of the year is back! The Los Angeles Conservancy has announced the movie roster for this year's 30th Last Remaining Seats -- and to celebrate the anniversary, this year's movie roster contains several classic faves from years past!

The Last Remaining Seats, which takes place from June 4 – 25, 2016, celebrates downtown's historic Broadway movie palaces by showcasing classic movies, bringing those wonderful stages back to life. And as more of Broadway gets revitalized, there's even more reason to celebrate.

Tickets for the 2016 season of Last Remaining Seats go on sale March 30 to Conservancy members and April 13 to the general public. Tickets are $18 for L.A. Conservancy members and $22 for the general public. (Go to the LA Conservancy website for more info.) Read all of our posts about Last Remaining Seats here.

Meanwhile, here's what you've been waiting for, the list of this year's screenings:

2016 Schedule

Top Gun (1986)
Saturday, June 4, 2pm & 8pm
Los Angeles Theatre

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Wednesday, June 8, 8 pm
Million Dollar Theatre

Some Like It Hot (1959)
Saturday, June 11, 8pm
Los Angeles Theatre

Dos tipos de cuidado (Mexico, 1953)
Wednesday, June 15, 8 pm
Palace Theatre
Co-presented with Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Saturday, June 18, 2pm & 8pm
The Theatre at Ace Hotel

Double Indemnity (1944)
Wednesday, June 22, 8pm
The Theatre at Ace Hotel

Safety Last! (1923)
Saturday, June 25, 8 pm
Orpheum Theatre

"Psycho," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and More: The 2015 Last Remaining Seats Schedule Is Here

Our favorite event of the year is back! The Los Angeles Conservancy has announced the movie roster for this year's 29th Last Remaining Seats -- and it's the most diverse mix of movies I've seen on the roster that I can remember!

The Last Remaining Seats, which takes place from June 10 – 27, 2014, celebrates downtown's historic Broadway movie palaces by showcasing classic movies, bringing those wonderful stages back to life. And as more of Broadway gets revitalized (see the recent Night on Broadway event), there's even more reason to celebrate.

Tickets for the 2015 season of Last Remaining Seats go on sale March 25 to Conservancy members and April 8 to the general public. Tickets are $16 for L.A. Conservancy members and $20 for the general public. (Go to the LA Conservancy website for more info.) Read all of our posts about Last Remaining Seats here.

Meanwhile, here's what you've been waiting for, the list of this year's screenings:

Psycho (1960)
Wednesday, June 10, 8pm
Million Dollar Theatre

City Lights (1931)
Saturday, June 13, 8pm
Los Angeles Theatre

Dios se lo pague/God Bless You (1948)
Wednesday, June 17, 8pm
Palace Theatre

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Saturday, June 20, 8pm
The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)
Wednesday, June 24, 8pm
Orpheum Theatre

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Saturday, June 27, 2pm & 8pm
The Theatre at Ace Hotel

Back to the Future with the LA Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats

It's one of our favorite events of the year: The LA Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats. And this year, even more so: For the first time, we brought the Blogger Kids, in order to experience one of the most recent movies the festival has ever shown: 1985's Back to the Future. And almost as cool, this was our first chance to see Broadway's United Artists Theatre -- now known as the Theatre at the Ace Hotel.

The United Artist Theatre was closed to the public for years, and only open to members of Dr. Gene Scott's church. But after Scott died, his heirs sold the building -- and the Ace Hotel came along and started rehabbing it.

The United Artist was a part of the "Last Remaining Seats" theater rotation in the 1980s, but as it was always touch-and-go through the last second whether or not they could use it, the Conservancy gave up trying to work with Scott and his church. Now that it's a part of the Ace Hotel, this was the first "Last Remaining Seats" screening there in decades.

And there was no better movie to show there than "Back to the Future." There's even a bit of a preservation theme to the movie -- the whole reason that Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) knows about an impending lightning strike is because he holds on to a flyer from a group of preservationists trying to restore an old clock tower.



The Blogger Kids enjoyed the movie, as well as the souped-up DeLorean parked out front. I also enjoyed seeing just how elaborate the United Artists was decorated inside. One of the final theaters built during the heyday of downtown's Broadway Theatre movie palaces (opened in 1927), the United Artists was built by the studio and theatre chain found by Mary Pickford and others looking to break away from the studio system.



From the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation website:

The opening of the studio's F1agship premiere house in LA marked the beginning of a theatre chain that was one of the nation's largest. Mary Pickford herself selected the site and the architect spending so much money that the plaster cast molds had to be re-used in Detroit and Chicago to amortize their cost. Although C. Howard Crane of Detroit was engaged to design his only theatre west of Omaha (not counting Sydney, Australia), the 12 story office frontage for the complex was designed by the L.A. firm of Walker and Eisen for a long term lease by Texaco for their western regional offices. The UA Building was the tallest privately owned structure in LA until 1956, when the city finally repealed its Beaux Arts inspired "City Beautiful" concept of a 125foot height limit for everyone but City Hall. In fact, the tower on the roof exceeds that limit but squeezed through on a technicality since it was unoccupied space used to house elevator equipment, sprinkler system reservoir, and other equipment. The building permits described it as "signage."

More:

The style of the building was originally described as "Spanish Gothic," a rare combination for an auditorium. Much of the plaster decoration around the building entrances and in the auditorium are copies from the Cathedral at Segovia, although the Spaniards themselves never contemplated anything on this scale. The lobby of the UA is half a block long, separating the auditorium from an adjacent office building.

More:

The theatre was closed briefly during the depression, then reopened to spotty attendance, due to the relatively remote location it occupied too far south on Broadway. Saddled with a 50 year lease they couldn't break, UA decided in 1956 to day and- date first run with their Hollywood houses by remodeling the UA for 70mm Todd- AO wide screen projection. The booth was relocated from the second balcony to the main floor, a curtain and a screen were installed in front of the proscenium (necessitating the removal of some decorative elements), and the first balcony or "golden horseshoe" was removed to guarantee sightlines from the back corners of the orchestra level. The remodeling cost over $200,000. The theatre reopened with a first-run engagement of "Oklahoma," which soon closed, as did the theatre. After being dark for the next 10 years, the UA reopened as a Spanish language movie house, in surprisingly good condition as a result of the wear and tear it was spared in the early 60's.

More:

Several notable features of the UA include the auditorium murals depicting the history of the film industry, featuring UA players, of course. The fire curtain bears an adaptation of the Shakespeare quote "The Picture's The Thing" implying the ultimate triumph of the motion picture over performing arts. The theatre also contains one of the most ambitious lighting systems of its time, controlled by an immense 35 foot, pre-set control board. All ceiling fan vaulting is backlit, as are organ screens, illuminated in layers. The ceiling dome is indirectly floodlit, and can be adjusted to contrasting and changing color combinations. The 4 manual Wurlitzer was removed in 1955, but an orchestra pit lift still functions (outliving those at the Hollywood Pantages and downtown Paramount.)

The Gene Scott era kept the theatre intact, leading us to today's rehab. Some more pics from our visit on Saturday:

"Back to the Future," "Citizen Kane," More: The Last Remaining Seats 2014 Schedule Is Here!

Our favorite event of the year is back! The Los Angeles Conservancy has announced the movie roster for this year's 28th Last Remaining Seats -- and I think it may be the best yet.

The Last Remaining Seats, which takes place from June 11 – 28, 2014, celebrates downtown's historic Broadway movie palaces. And these days, there's a lot to celebrate, as more of the theaters get long-needed makeovers. This year, for the first time since 1990, the United Artists Theatre -- now The Theatre at Ace Hotel -- will be a part of the rotation. (And even better: "Back to the Future" is screening there!)

Tickets for the 2014 season of Last Remaining Seats go on sale March 26 to Conservancy members and April 9 to the general public. Tickets are $16 for L.A. Conservancy members and $20 for the general public. (Go to the LA Conservancy website for more info.) Read all of our posts about Last Remaining Seats here.

Meanwhile, here's what you've been waiting for, the list of this year's screenings:

Wednesday, June 11, 8 PM
The Lady Eve (1941)
Los Angeles Theatre (1931)
615 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.

Saturday, June 14, 8 PM
West Side Story (1961)
The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (1964)
135 N. Grand Avenue, Downtown L.A.

Wednesday, June 18, 8 PM
Footlight Parade (1933)
Orpheum Theatre (1926)
842 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.

Saturday June 21, 2 PM & 8 PM
Back to the Future (1985)
The Theatre at Ace Hotel (former United Artists Theatre, 1927)
933 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.

Wednesday, June 25, 8 PM
El Gran Calavera [English translation: The Great Madcap] (1949)
Palace Theatre (1911)
630 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
Co-presented with the Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles

Saturday, June 28 2 PM & 8 PM
Citizen Kane (1941)
Orpheum Theatre (1926)
842 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.

An Evening With the LA Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats

Our annual pilgrimage to the LA Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats was another winner. Neither Maria nor I had seen the Bette Davis classic "All About Eve" (1950), and the grand, historic Los Angeles Theatre seemed like the place to do it.

After a drink at The Association and a quick bite straight off a taco truck parked on 7th, we found our seats up in the balcony and settled in. To kick things off, LA Conservancy leader Linda Dishman gave the crowd a status report on the Wyvernwood Garden Apartments (1939) in Boyle Heights, which is in very real danger of being demolished. (Separate post to come.) Leonard Maltin then introduced the film, offering a few trivia tidbits.

We've been to the Los Angeles Theatre countless times -- it's the venue we always seek out during the Last Remaining Seats -- but it still thrills. There's nothing like seeing a classic film in such an ornate movie palace. A few pics from this visit:









Read all of our Last Remaining Seats posts here. Also, your last chance to take part in this year's event happens tonight or this weekend. More details from the Conservancy:

The Los Angeles Conservancy will wrap up its twenty-seventh season of Last Remaining Seats this week with screenings at the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown L.A. and Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
Wednesday, June 26, 8 p.m.
Orpheum Theatre (1926), 842 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
The June 26 screening of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ will be hosted by historian Mark A. Viera and feature live accompaniment by Clark Wilson on the Orpheum’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ.

Casablanca (1942)
Saturday, June 29, two shows – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Saban Theatre (1930), 8440 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
KPCC’s “Off-Ramp” creator and host John Rabe will host the 2 p.m. matinee, and film historian, writer, and director of the Film Noir Foundation Alan K. Rode will host the 8 p.m. evening screening.

Tickets for all three screenings are still available at laconservancy.org. Advance tickets are $16 for L.A. Conservancy members and $20 for the general public. Any tickets remaining at show time will be $20 at the door.

Opening Night at Last Remaining Seats

On Wednesday night the L.A. Conservancy opened up its annual Last Remaining Seats screening series -- one of our favorite events of the year -- with Peter Bogdanovich's 1973 classic "Paper Moon" at the even-more-classic 1932 Los Angeles Theatre on Broadway. Starring 8-year-old Tatum O'Neal in the role that won her an Oscar, the tale of 1930s scam artist and the even more cunning kid he finds in Kansas still holds up.

Before the screening, Bodganovich opened the evening by telling a few stories (about how "Paper Moon" was made, how the O'Neals were cast, and how the title even came about) and offering a few spot-on impersonations (of Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart and others).

Of all the movie palaces on Broadway, the Los Angeles remains the most grand -- even though it's still in need of a complete overhaul. You've seen the Los Angeles lobby in countless features and TV shows. It's always a treat to see something in the Los Angeles. And what's great is that after years of mostly talk, the long-awaited Broadway revival is finally starting to take place, thanks to the opening of new spots like the Umamicatessan, the Los Angeles Brewing Company, the renovation of Clifton's, and more.

More pics from our evening:











Tickets remain for most of this year's other Last Remaining Seats screenings; go here for more info.

Last Remaining Seats Starts Next Week; Tickets Still Available

The L.A. Conservancy's 26th Annual Last Remaining Seats event begins next weekend, and good news: There are still some tickets left for most of the screenings.

Here's what's on tap:

Wednesday, May 30 - Paper Moon (1973)
Los Angeles Theatre (1931), 615 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
Introduced by director Peter Bogdanovich

Wednesday, June 6 - Tootsie (1982)
Orpheum Theatre (1926), 842 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
Former Los Angeles Times film critic Kevin Thomas interviews Geena Davis

Wednesday, June 13 - The Big Sleep (1946) [SOLD OUT]
Los Angeles Theatre
Introduced by Alan Rode, director of the Film Noir Foundation

Wednesday, June 20 - Cantinflas in Los tres mosqueteros (The Three Musketeers) (Mexico, 1942)
Million Dollar Theatre (1918), 307 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
co-presented with the Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles
Pre-show panel discussion moderated by Laura Isabel Serna, USC Professor of Film and Critical Studies

Wednesday, June 27 - Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood (1922)
Orpheum Theatre
Introduced by film critic Leonard Maltin; accompanied live by Robert Israel on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ On display in the Orpheum will be costumes from the 2012 Best Picture Oscar winner The Artist, which was filmed at the Orpheum and whose Oscar-winning Best Actor performance by Jean Dujardin was based on Fairbanks.

Saturday, June 30 - The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Saban Theatre (1930), 8440 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
Matinee and evening screenings
Vintage costume show and vintage theatre stage curtains
Special guest Aljean Harmetz, author of The Making of The Wizard of Oz at matinee screening Last Remaining Seats makes its first-ever visit to the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, which opened as the Fox Wilshire in 1930 and has been beautifully renovated.

Advance tickets cost $20 ($16 for Conservancy members).

"Chinatown" Screening at the Orpheum This Saturday

What's better than seeing the classic film "Chinatown" in the theater? Seeing it in one of L.A.'s grand downtown Broadway theaters. Separate from its Last Remaining Seats festival (you know we're big fans), the L.A. Conservancy has partnered with American Planning Association's 2012 National Planning Conference to present "Chinatown" this Saturday in downtown's fabulous Orpheum Theatre. It's the way movies were meant to be seen -- in a grand movie palace.

And there's more:

The special program includes a pre-show performance by Robert Salisbury on the Orpheum's original Mighty Wurlitzer organ. A former protege of legendary theatre organist Gaylord Carter (he started studying with him at age 13!), Salisbury is one of a rare breed of organists who specialize in the art of silent movie accompaniment.

We'll also show the 1932 short film Hollywood, City of Celluloid. This great glimpse into Old Hollywood journeys through time and place, with glimpses of early Sunset Boulevard, Greta Garbo's home, and more.

Tickets for this Saturday's event are $20. Doors open at 7; movie is at 8. The Orpheum is located at 842 S. Broadway. Go here for tickets.

Last Remaining Seats 2012 Schedule Announced

One of our favorite events of the year, the Los Angeles Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats, is back this summer for its 26th season of classic films in historic L.A. movie palaces.

Here's the lineup, subject to change:

2012 Last Remaining Seats Schedule

Wednesday, May 30 - Paper Moon (1973)
Los Angeles Theatre (1931), 615 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, this recent classic stars father and daughter Ryan and Tatum O'Neal as a Depression-era con man and the street-smart girl who may or may not be his daughter. At the spectacular Los Angeles Theatre, the last and largest of the great movie palaces built on Broadway.

Wednesday, June 6 - Tootsie (1982)
Orpheum Theatre (1926), 842 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of this endlessly quotable, beloved tale of a New York actor who goes to great lengths to nab a big role. Sydney Pollack directed and joins the all-star cast led by Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange. At the magnificent, beautifully renovated Orpheum Theatre.

Wednesday, June 13 - The Big Sleep (1946)
Los Angeles Theatre
It doesn't get better than Bogey and Bacall, directed here by the great Howard Hawks with a screenplay co-written by William Faulkner. As private detective Philip Marlowe, Humphrey Bogart encounters a heap of trouble and a stunningly beautiful Lauren Bacall.

Wednesday, June 20 - Los tres mosqueteros (Mexico, 1942)
Million Dollar Theatre (1918), 307 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
co-presented with the Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles
Mexican icon Cantinflas stars in this parody of Alexander Dumas' "The Three Musketeers." In Spanish with English subtitles. At the beautiful Million Dollar Theatre, built as Sid Grauman's first Los Angeles venue.

Wednesday, June 27 - Robin Hood (1922)
Orpheum Theatre
This silent version of the timeless classic stars Douglas Fairbanks at his acrobatic best. With live accompaniment on the Orpheum's original 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer organ.

Saturday, June 30 - The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Saban Theatre (1930), 8440 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
Matinee and evening screenings
L.A. Conservancy members voted this gem as their Fan Favorite film. Judy Garland leads an impeccable cast through an unforgettable journey down the Yellow Brick Road. With these two weekend screenings, Last Remaining Seats makes its first-ever visit to the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, which opened as the Fox Wilshire in 1930 and has been beautifully renovated.

Tickets go on sale to Conservancy members at 10 a.m. on March 28 and to the general public on April 11. Advance tickets cost $20 ($16 for Conservancy members). Read our past coverage of Last Remaining Seats here.

LA Conservancy Brings a Miracle to Broadway

It's always a treat when the Los Angeles Conservancy unlocks the doors on downtown's classic Broadway movie palaces for its annual Last Remaining Seats. But if you can't wait until June for the return of that great event, the Conservancy is decking the Broadway halls on Sunday, December 4, at the Million Dollar Theatre.

The event is a matinee screening of the 1947 holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street." It sounds like the perfect centerpiece to a full holiday-themed day downtown. The movie starts at 2 p.m. and is $10 for Conservancy members (with $5 for kids under 12). More details:

Kick off the holiday season with the Los Angeles Conservancy's sixth annual holiday film matinee. On Sunday, December 4, we’ll present a 2 p.m. screening of Miracle on 34th Street (1947), starring Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and a very skeptical nine-year-old Natalie Wood.

Bring family and friends, come early or stay late, do some holiday shopping, go ice-skating at Pershing Square, dine at some delicious downtown restaurants, and enjoy a special discount from nearby Grand Central Market!

Part of the Broadway Historic Theatre District, the Million Dollar Theatre was built in 1918 for theatre impresario Sid Grauman. The ornate Spanish Baroque interior was designed by William Woollett and originally seated 2,300 people. The building housing the theatre was designed by Albert C. Martin, with ornate terra-cotta sculptures by Jo Mora.

L.A. Conservancy Holiday Matinee
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Sunday, December 4, 2 p.m.
Million Dollar Theatre
307 South Broadway, Downtown L.A.
$15 general public; $10 Conservancy members; $5 for children 12 and under
Tickets available at laconservancy.org .

In Like Flynn at the Last Remaining Seats

As you are probably well aware (given our volume of posts about the event over the years), we love the Los Angeles Conservancy's annual Last Remaining Seats festival. Not only have we caught a wide range of old films -- from Harold Lloyd silents to musicals ("An American in Paris") and "The Graduate" -- but we've seen a lot of old movie palaces up close and personal, including the grand Los Angeles and the beautifully restored Orpheum.

But we had never visited the Million Dollar Theatre. Until Wednesday night, that is, when we attended the Last Remaining Seats screening of Errol Flynn's 1935 swashbuckler classic "Captain Blood."

Built by Sid Grauman in 1918, the Million Dollar Theatre earned its name because of its then-hefty pricetag. More from Cinema Treasures:

The auditorium was built behind the twelve story Edison office building, the exterior is a magnificent example, of a variation of Spanish Rococo style, known as Churrigueresque. Deeply molded features decorate the theatre entrance and higher up on the facade are heroic figures of the arts, with symbols of western Americana, such as bison head, eagles and longhorn steer skulls, all the work of sculptor Joseph Mora.

Shuttered in the early 1990s, the Million Dollar Theatre was recently renovated and given a new lease on life by Robert Voskanian, who reopened it in 2008. It may not be as huge as the Los Angeles, but the Million Dollar offers up its own charms.

As for "Captain Blood," the 1935 feature (starring Flynn and the still-alive Olivia de Haviland) remains a fun tale and well-done 119-minute affair. (Most of it was filmed at The Prospect Studios, just off Franklin Avenue in Los Feliz -- and right behind our old home!)

The screening came with two additional treats. Unveiled was the first-ever public display of the large movie curtain seen in 1927's "The Jazz Singer," famously the first talkie film. And in a surprise, Errol Flynn's widow, Patrice Wymore, flew all the way in from her Jamaica home (at the age of 85!) to recount tales of her wild marriage to Flynn. (Their relationship was cut short by Flynn's death in 1959, when he was just 50.)

Wymore, who was 25 years younger than Flynn, met the actor when co-starring with him in the 1950 movie "Rocky Mountain." She was a contract performer at Warner Bros., and he was one of its biggest stars. Wymore meant to spend just a few years putting Flynn's Jamaica estate in shape -- but it turned into more than 40 years. She's still there, raising cattle and overseeing the estate. Wymore has the sly personality and quick wit of someone half her age.

Thanks to Cindy Olnick at the Conservancy for inviting Franklin Avenue to the wonderful screening. More pics from Wednesday night:







It's the 25th anniversary of the event, one of our favorite in all of L.A. Upcoming Last Remaining Seats events include "King Kong" at the Los Angeles Theatre (June 15); "Zoot Suit" at the Million Dollar (June 22); "Sunset Boulevard" at the Palace Theatre (June 26); and "Safety Last!" at the Orpheum (June 29). Most shows are sold out, but there are still tickets available for "Zoot Suit."

L.A. Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats Starts Tonight

One of our favorite events of the entire year, the Los Angeles Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats, kicks off on Wednesday night at the Orpheum Theatre.

Last Remaining Seats opens the doors to some of downtown's most glorious old movie palaces -- and for one night, they're once again used to screen classic films as they were intended. And this year, the event (whch started in 1987) is celebrating its 25th year.

Tonight's screening,the 1954 Hitchcock classic "Rear Window," is already sold out. More details:

The season opens with a sold-out screening of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Rear Window (1954), starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Renowned film critic and historian Leonard Maltin will host the evening and introduce the film. Robert York will perform before the screening on the Orpheum’s 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer organ, the last remaining theatre organ on Broadway. Nearly two thousand people will fill the beautifully restored 1926 Orpheum Theatre to kick off this special anniversary season, which runs through June 29 in the Broadway Historic Theatre District.

Read our post from last year's Last Remaining Seats (in which we caught the screening of "The Graduate" at the beautiful Los Angeles Theatre) here.

There are still tickets remaining for many of the screenings. Here's a list:

May 25
Rear Window (1954) - SOLD OUT!
Orpheum Theatre
June 1

The Music Man (1962)
Los Angeles Theatre

June 8
Captain Blood (1935)
Million Dollar Theatre

June 15
King Kong (1933)
Los Angeles Theatre

June 22
Zoot Suit (1981)
Co-presented with the
Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles
Million Dollar Theatre

June 26
Sunset Boulevard (1950) - SOLD OUT!
Palace Theatre

June 29
Safety Last! (1923)
Orpheum Theatre

"Last Remaining Seats" Highlights the Beautiful Los Angeles Theatre

One of my favorite L.A. events of the year -- the Los Angeles Conservancy's "Last Remaining Seats" screenings -- came to the beautiful (but still in need of a rehab) Los Angeles Theatre last Wednesday.

"Last Remaining Seats" was a tradition for Maria and me -- well, until the kids came. It's been a few years since we last visited L.A.'s historic Broadway theatres for the event (although we've been to the restored Orpheum many times for other shows). This year, however, we decided to make the effort.

We've been to the Los Angeles Theatre for past "Last Remaining Seats" events, but it's always a treat to return. The last of Broadway's movie palaces, Los Angeles Theatre stopped regularly showing movies in the early 1990s -- but remains a popular film and TV shoot location. (We love spotting the Los Angeles Theatre on screen, where it frequently makes a cameo.) A primer:

The Los Angeles Theatre was designed by architect S. Charles Lee in the Baroque style. Lee filled the theatre with glamour, glitz, technical innovations and sumptuous audience conveniences. With a construction cost of over $1.5 million, the Los Angeles was the most expensive theatre built up to that time on a per seat basis. On opening night in 1931, the theatre hosted the premier gala screening of Charles Chaplin's City Lights. Among celebrities of the era in attendance that evening was Mr. Albert Einstein.

The Mike Nichols classic "The Graduate" (1967) screened last Thursday. Maria and I had never seen the Dustin Hoffman/Anne Bancroft starrer, and it was a great choice (although fully dated, of course). As a bonus, our beloved Ambassador Hotel was a location in the movie, doubling as the fictional "Taft Hotel."

A few more pics from the Los Angeles:














High-tech for the 1930s: This allowed ushers to figure out where seats were still available.





"Last Remaining Seats" continues through the end of the month, with "Flor silvestre (Wild Flower)" at the Million Dollar Theatre this Wednesday, and "Peter Pan" (1924 version) at the Orpheum Theatre on June 30. Tickets are still available for both.