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First Opened: 15th February 1926 (94 years ago)
Website: www.laorpheum.com 
Telephone: (877) 677-4386
OverviewThe Orpheum Theatre, named for the Greek mythological figure Orpheus, opened in 1926 as the fourth and final Los Angeles venue for the Orpheum circuit, and the second Orpheum Theatre to be built on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. The theatre is home to a 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer organ which is still in service today. Architect G. Albert Lansburgh designed the theatre and it remains one of his most elaborate examples.
Opened mid-February 1926, the Orpheum originally showcased both vaudeville and movies. The theatre was designed in a French Baroque style by Lansburgh, who also designed the interior of the Shrine Auditorium, the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, and The Wiltern in Koreatown.
The elaborately-detailed proscenium gives way to a series of stepped opera boxes on each side, with the organ chambers located above. The boxes are seemingly supported from below on fanned supports rising from the orchestra floor. The ceiling plasterwork is elaborate and is lit by hidden cove lighting. A pair of over-sized chandeliers hang from central points in the ceiling. The balcony cross-aisle handrail still bears a scar from when one of the chandeliers hit the handrail when being lowered for cleaning/relamping. The lobby features marble throughout and wows audiences with its opulence and gallery views.
A 3-manual, 14-rank Wurlitzer organ (Style 240 Special, Opus 1821) was installed in early 1928, replacing an earlier organ. The Wurlitzer is still in-situ and used for special screenings. Also of note are the theatre’s annunciators: small windows positioned at either side of the proscenium arch containing a series of moving cards indicating the current performing act. Most vaudeville theatres have removed or re-purposed these areas for loudspeakers, however the Orpheum has retained them. It may be the only theatre in North America to have done so.
In 1927 the Orpheum circuit (generally West Coast) merged with the Keith-Albee circuit (generally East Coast) forming KAO (Keith-Albee-Orpheum). In late 1928 KAO was merged into a new entity called RKO, the ‘R’ standing for Radio Corporation of America.
By the start of the 1930s the Orpheum changed its main programming from vaudeville to movies, and by 1932 business was so bad that the theatre was closed. It re-opened in 1933 with wider programming, re-introducing vaudeville, and maintained a solid calendar until 1947. Throughout the 1950s and beyond the Orpheum reacted to changes in popular live entertainment, and in addition to screening movies it hosted vaudeville, comedy, theatre and music concerts of all varieties.
The current marquee dates from 1941 when RKO updated the original late 1920s version.
The Needleman family has owned the building since 1964, and in 2001 a major refurbishment was undertaken such that the Orpheum is now arguably the best-preserved theatre of its era in Los Angeles. Its refurbishment has led to other managers realizing there is an audience on Broadway. Original features were retained and of particular note are the theatre’s annunciators: small windows positioned at either side of the Proscenium Arch containing cards indicating the current performing act. Very few vaudeville theatres have retained their annunciators, might the Orpheum be the only such example on the west coast of the US?
The Orpheum has hosted some of the most famous names in show business including burlesque queen Sally Rand, the Marx Brothers, Judy Garland, Will Rogers, plus jazz greats Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington.
Movie, TV & Music Video Appearances. The Orpheum features as Town Hall interiors.. The Orpheum features as NYC’s Belasco Theatre.. The Orpheum features as the movie theatre into which Jerry Fletcher goes to hide.. The theatre (both exterior and interior) where the world premiere of “Dolemite” is shown.. The Orpheum appears as the interior of the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York.. The theatre features as Minsky’s burlesque theatre at the end of the movie.. The Orpheum makes an appearance as the Ed Sullivan Theatre.. The Orpheum plays the Pandora Theatre.. The Orpheum features as the interior of The Savoy, New Orleans.. The Orpheum features as the New Haven concert venue. Filming also took place at the Shrine Auditorium.. Used as the interior of the movie theatre near the end of the movie.. The Orpheum appears as NYC’s Carnegie Hall.. Episode: The Abduction (2002).. Episode: Waiting in the Wings (2002).. Episode: Chuck Versus the Fat Lady (2008).. Episode: Unlike a Virgin (2008), as the location of a music video.. Episode 7: “A Hollywood Ending”. The theatre’s auditorium hosts the Academy Awards ceremony. The basement lounge is used as the Green Room. The theatre’s exterior and lobby also depicts the theatre where “Meg” is screening (the interior is the Westwood Village Theater).. Episode: Danse Diabolique (1992).. Episode: EscApe from New York (2014), as the Fitzgerald Theatre.. Episode: DOA: Delirious on Arrival (1985).. Episode: Training Dazed (2007).. Scenes were also shot at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Video from our YouTube channel:
Listed/Landmark Building Status (added 12th September 1978)
How do I visit the Orpheum Theatre?The Orpheum does not offer its own tours however below are some options for potentially seeing a bit more of the theatre than by simply attending one of the many and varied commercial events it hosts:
for schedule and more details. offer tours of The Orpheum as part of their Downtown LA tour. for schedule and more information. for more details.Information correct as of March 2017.
Further Reading has lots of information on The Orpheum with a huge amount of photographs and history spanning many years. about The Orpheum include additional history and some splendid exterior photos. will keep you informed of current and future events.., by Suzanne Tarbell Cooper, Amy Ronnebeck Hall, and Marc Wanamaker, published by Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738555799. (originally published as two volumes in 1927 and 1930; reissued as a single volume in 2009 by the Theatre Historical Society of America), by R. W. Sexton and B. F. Betts, published by Liber Apertus Press. ISBN 0978588169., by David Naylor, published by Preservation Press. ISBN 0891331271.
Technical InformationPhotos of the Orpheum TheatrePhotographs copyright © 2002-2020 Mike Hume/historictheatrephotos.com unless otherwise noted.
Text copyright © 2017-2020 Mike Hume/historictheatrephotos.com.
For photograph licensing and/or re-use contact me here.
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