Photo Credit: Anthony Ross
Interesting story...The Neon Road was out scouting old neon signs around Los Angeles several years ago when the Academy Theater came into view.
Now, there is some danger in taking photographs in public, especially buildings and old neon signs. People get suspicious you are a tax collector or a secret undercover police officer (more on these in later posts). But this theater is now a church so there was less of a danger of needing Kevlar to take the photos.
While I was shooting the outside a gentleman approached me. It seemed that the services were over and people were exiting the building. He asked me what I was doing and I told him I was an artists and specialized in old neon theaters and signs. He smiled and put out his hand and said, "Welcome to the Academy Theater, I'm the Reverend."
He offered to give me a private tour of the theater which I gladly accepted.
The theater was designed by architect S. Charles Lee and was originally built to house the Academy Awards. It opened in 1939 but never did host the awards.
But the best part of the visit was a hidden mural in the lobby of the theater, not many people know it's there. It is covered, I expect for modesty purposes because the venue is now a church, behind a velvet curtain. It is a mural that includes the Academy statuette.
Photo Credit: Anthony Ross
Unlike most old movie palaces the church has kept much of the glory and special touches that made this theater shine in all it's glory seventy years on.
For some fond memories of the theater and more information visit the Cinema Treasures page of the Academy Theater.
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