Review: Long live the arthouse — ‘Only in Theaters’ celebrates the legacy of Laemmle Theaters.
The Laemmle Theaters, more commonly referred to as the Paramount theaters, are considered to be some of the greatest theatres in the world. They were built in 1912 and were known for their lavish opulent productions with no expense spared to the creative arts.
The Paramount theaters had several incarnations, the first being constructed by James J. Hill in 1889. These original Paramount stands were constructed using a cast-iron frame and were not enclosed. They were designed to withstand fire for up to five hours.
The new Paramount stand, which was constructed in 1905, was still cast from iron and had an enclosed balcony. Despite being built to withstand fire, it was destroyed in a fire in 1924.
After the 1921 Paramount fire, the new Paramount was constructed using steel and steel beams and was enclosed. It is considered to be a masterpiece of engineering. This new Paramount is still operational and is considered to be one of two surviving original metal structures that were located on La Brea Avenue by the Burbank train station.
The Laemmle Theatre chain originated in 1912 with two theatres in America. They first operated out of a one-story building on the corner of La Brea and Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles.
In 1933, the Laemmle company began construction of a new theatre located at the corner of La Brea and Hollywood Boulevard. The first Laemmle Theatre opened its doors in 1933 and quickly became a staple of film industry culture.
The company would often have over 100 films in its program and presented popular and award-winning performances with big names including John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, John Barrymore, Fredric March, and Fredric March and Ethel Barrymore. These performances helped to define the Laemmle Theatre and Hollywood for years to come.
In the 1960s, a third Laemmle Theatre stood in the Downtown Los Angeles area. The third theatre would see the opening of the Hollywood Christmas Parade on December 24, 1965.
The downtown Laemmle Theatre would close in 1970 when the three theatres merged under the Laemmle Theaters, Inc. in the form of
