The Pantages Theater--Hollywood, CA

If you are planning on going to a play while visiting the Los Angeles area, check out what is going on at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. If the Theatre is dark or if you are not interested in seeing a play, go and take a look at it anyway. It is an incredible piece of Art Deco architecture. Besides, Howard Hughes is supposed to be haunting the place.

The Pantages Theater opened as movie theater in 1930, part of the Fox chain. Actually, it was more than just a movie theater then. Patrons of the Pantages during the early years were treated to movies and live theater during a show. The Pantages was also a ground breaker. Opening shortly after the introduction of “talking” movies, the Pantages had a world class sound system.

In 1949, Howard Hughes’ RKO Pictures bought the Pantages Theater to be part of its chain. The RKO years were wonderful years for the Pantages. The Academy Awards Ceremonies started using the Theatre in 1950 and continued to patronize the Pantages until 1959. The first televised showing of the Awards occurred in 1953, giving the Pantages additional publicity. The Academy Awards moved to another location when the Theater agreed to reduce the number of available seats in return for a long-term booking of Universal Studio’s “Spartacus.”

By 1967, when Pacific Theaters bought the Pantages from RKO, the Pantages Theater was a getting a little old. Pacific Theaters spent some money and gave the Pantages a general facelift. The Theatre continued to show both movies and hold special events, including the May, 1974 Emmy Awards, hosted by Johnny Carson. The Theatre, however, ran on hard times and closed, at least for movies, in 1977.

But the Pantages Theater still had legs. One month after closing, Pacific Theatres and their new partner, the Nederlander Organization, reopened the Theater with a mission. The Pantages was going to be a premier host of live theater in California. Management increased the number of seats and then debuted their first big live show, “Bubbling Brown Sugar.”

In the late 1990’s, the Pantages Theater was restored a last time to its original Art Deco glory, to the tune of as much as $12,000,000. Today, the Pantages stands as both an architectural marvel and a terrific place to watch theater. So what is the deal with Howard Hughes?

Hughes sold all of his RKO Theater stock in 1953 in order to settle an anti-trust suit. He then bought the remaining shares of RKO Pictures, only to sell them all off in early 1955. When Hughes took control of RKO in 1948, RKO had experienced a series of ups and downs, but by the early 1950’s, whatever hopes there had been for a strong company had been dashed by Hughes’ bizarre management style. The years between 1953 and 1955 for all intents and purposes marked the end of Howard Hughes’ Hollywood endeavors.

Perhaps Hughes is haunting the Pantages’ second floor, where he used to keep his offices, because it reminds him of times when he had not completely succumbed to the mental demons that pushed him into insanity during the last years of his life. Who knows? You can ask him if you see him there….

For more about the ghosts who haunt the Pantages Theater and a view of the Theatre, please see:

http://www.hauntedhouses.com/states/ca/house14.htm

For another Southern California Ghost Story, please visit:

http://www.california.allinfoabout.com/History/katemorgan.html

For more about movies, please click:

http://www.gardenandhearth.com/Movie-Reviews.htm