Million Dollar Theater, Movie palace in Downtown Los Angeles, United States
The Million Dollar Theatre occupies 307 South Broadway and ranks among the city's historic movie palaces with a capacity for over 2000 viewers. The interior preserves the character of early cinema architecture with a sweeping balcony and detailed ornamentation across walls and ceiling.
Sid Grauman built the Million Dollar as his first movie palace, on the site of the Muskegon Block, and it opened in 1917 with the premiere of William S. Hart's The Silent Man. In 1949 Frank Fouce took over the house, making it the main venue for Spanish-language film and stage shows in the United States; every major Mexican motion picture premiered there. Ira Yellin bought the building in 1989, and it reopened for live Spanish theatre in 2008.
The name reflects the high construction costs at the time and the ambition of its founder to create something grand. Visitors notice the mix of Spanish and American motifs on the facade, where cowboys and classical muses appear side by side.
The theater now serves as an event venue and filming location but opens to visitors only occasionally. The Los Angeles Conservancy sometimes organizes tours that allow access to the interior.
The sweeping balcony rests on a concrete girder that was considered an engineering novelty at the opening. This construction allowed unobstructed views for all viewers without support columns interrupting the hall.
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