The Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles.

• The Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles was a movie palace opened in January 1923 as Grauman’s Metropolitan Theatre.

• Elvis Presley appeared in person at the Paramount. Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood on the gigantic screen in “The Girl I Left Behind.”
• It was built by impresario Sid Grauman, who had already built the Million Dollar Theatre a few blocks away, but who is best remembered today for his two Hollywood movie palaces, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre.

• It was also home to variety acts. In 1941, Fats Waller, Rochester and Kitty Murray were all on the bill together. The theater became famous as the birthplace of “All That Meat and No Potatoes” – a Waller onstage wisecrack about the “brick house” physique of singer-dancer Murray.
• The largest movie theater ever built in Los Angeles, the Metropolitan was acquired by the exhibition arm of Paramount Pictures in 1929 and renamed.
• The building had been designed by architect William Woolett, and the massive six-floor commercial and office block in which it was encased was a major landmark across from Pershing Square for several decades.
• Paramount operated the venue through the 1950s.
• It was closed in 1960 and demolished the following year to make way for a high-rise office building which was never built.
• After the site served as a parking lot for many years, a building from the wholesale jewelry trade was erected on there in the late 1970s and remains today.

• The Paramount was demolished in 1962.
• Common to most of Los Angeles, regarding any building over fifty years old that was torn down – it was replaced with a parking lot. Los Angeles has a major history of corruption when it comes to development with politicians accepting large handouts from developers.

Theatre is demolished in 1962

Stage of the Paramount Theatre Los Angeles.

Artisans are painting murals.

The Metropolitan would be the largest movie theatre ever built in Los Angeles.  Grauman spent many more millions to create his new theatre.

Orchestra and balcony.

• The huge auditorium had a seating capacity of over 3,387 seats.
• It was the largest movie theatre in Southern California, followed by the RKO Hillstreet with 2,890 in downtown Los Angeles.
• The Hillstreet theatre met the same fate as the Paramount and was torn down.
• The third largest movie theatre to be built in Southern California was the Fox Theatre in San Diego with 2,883.  It is still operating as a concert hall.
• The fourth largest was the Pantages in Hollywood.  Its capacity as a movie theatre was 2,812 seats.  As a legit house, the Pantages capacity is smaller.
• The largest theatre to be built in the West was the Fox Theater in San Francisco.  Torn down in the early 60s, this spectacular movie palace had 4,651 seats.

Interior views of the theatre.

Grauman spared no expense in constructing the ornate movie palace.

Lobby area and modernized stage in the 1950s.

• (Fats Waller, Glenn Miller, Spike Jones)

With the advent of “talkies” – the Paramount-Publix theatre chain was interested in purchasing the Metropolitan to be used as their flagship theatre. The deal was made in 1929 and the Metropolitan was renamed the Paramount Theatre.

From the 1930s until the 1950s, the Metropolitan was a first run house, mainly featuring Paramount movies. The theatre also had stage shows featuring major vaudeville acts, bands, and singers.

In 1941, Fats Waller, Rochester, and Kitty Murray were all on the bill together. The theater became famous as the birthplace of “All That Meat and No Potatoes” – a Waller onstage wisecrack about the “brick house” physique of singer-dancer Murray. Such acts as big bands, major stars and comic acts like Spike Jones And His City Slickers played the Paramount.

The building had been designed by architect William Woolett, and the massive six-floor commercial and office block in which it was encased was a major landmark across from Pershing Square for several decades.

A famous gay bar occupied the basement of the building.

Artists conception of the 1950s marque.

In the mid 50’s the exterior was remodeled to reflect the modern style of the day.