Nearly 100 years ago, ornate movie theaters around Southern California were the places to see films and be seen.
Many of the historic buildings are no longer the hot movie venues they once were, except for once a year every summer when they return to life as part of Last Remaining Seats series.
Organized by the Los Angeles Conservancy, the 32nd annual series screens classic and newer films June 2-23 at a handful of historic movie palaces.
“I think the theaters we put these films in are as beautiful and as relevant as ever,” said Sarah Lann, director of education for the Conservancy.
“There are so many film series you can go to, particularly in the summer in L.A., but there’s nothing like these particular settings,” she said.
Most of the theaters are located in downtown Los Angeles along the Broadway corridor.
But this year the series expands to San Gabriel for its closing night with a film at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, which was built in 1927.
“We’re really planting our flag in San Gabriel and saying, ‘Hey, we really have to show people how beautiful this (venue) really is,’ ” Lann said.
The opening night for the series will be pretty significant as well since it takes place at the State Theatre, built in 1921, which was rented to a church and had been off-limits to the Conservancy for about two decades.
But with the church no longer in the theater, the venue is open for films again.
“It’s been a long time since people got in to see it and it’s really a pretty unique theater that people should be excited to go back and see,” Lann said.
The films, meanwhile push the boundaries on what a classic movie means, Lann said.
There are some films this year that people will recognize, like Alfred Hitchcock’s 1965 classic thriller “The Birds,” as well as films that may not be household names but still have some relevance today.
Lann pointed to the 1985 movie “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” which follows a trans-woman (William Hurt) and a freedom fighter (Raul Julia), who are cellmates in a Buenos Aires prison, as one such film in the 2018 series that touches on important modern issues.
“We specifically picked it to play over Pride week because of its LGBTQ themes,” she said. “In so many ways it was a film ahead of its time.”
Here’s a look at all the films and venues in the 2018 Last Remaining Seats series:
“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939)
When: 8 p.m. June 2
Where: State Theatre (1921), 703 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.
“Kiss of the Spider Woman” (1985)
When: 8 p.m. June 9
Where: Million Dollar Theatre (1918), 307 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.
“In the Heat of the Night” (1967)
When: 8 p.m. June 13
Where: The Theatre at Ace Hotel (1927), 929 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)
When: 2 p.m. June 16
Where: Los Angeles Theatre (1931), 615 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.
“The Birds” (1965)
When: 8 p.m. June 16
Where: Los Angeles Theatre (1931), 615 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.
“Steamboat Bill Jr.” (1928)
When: 8 p.m. June 20
Where: Orpheum Theatre (1926), 842 S. Broadway, Los Angeles.
“The Joy Luck Club” (1993)
When: 6 p.m. June 23
Where: San Gabriel Mission Playhouse (1927), 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel.
If You Go:
When: June 2-23
Tickets: $22 for general public, $18 for Conservancy members and $16 for 17 and younger.
Information: www.laconservancy.org