As a pinnacle of Broadway and a cultural landmark, the Spanish Gothic United Theater on Broadway (formerly The Theatre at Ace Hotel) serves as the perfect backdrop to explore the classic era of Hollywood cinema.
Built in 1927, Architects C. Howard Crane and Walker and Eisen designed The United Artists Theater and it soon became the center of gravity for film theater goers. Since, the Gothic European Styled castle boasted a lobby of black and gold, accented by red and buffed marble, and the walls carried large mirrors set in frames of antique gold.
Every seat in the enormous auditorium was identical with deep cushioned chairs specially designed with state of the art air inflated backs of the time. The theater’s elaborate lighting system, also known to be far superior than the others, illuminated the dome in the center of the ceiling, covered with silver-backed, rough faced mirrored discs and over 3500 glass pendants from which enormous sunburst spread out in all directions.
For two goreous nights, October 25-27, The LA Opera is screening the classic gothic horror film “Spanish Dracula” giving downtown and beyond a chance to go back in time and relive Hollywood’s Golden Age with a rediscovered quintessential and chilling film accompanied by a live orchestra and english subtitles.
Lina González-Granados will lead the LA Opera Orchestra in a live performance with a world premiere score from Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla. https://laopera.org
