Enter the search command "Is Hollywood Dead" on YouTube and you'll come up with dozens of hits. For every one that claims that Tinsletown hasn't gasped its last yet, there's ten or more that say otherwise. I remember watching one where the vlogger was walking through a large Hollywood studio that appeared to be a veritable ghost town, with no soul in sight.
It's rather an eerie feeling to witness this, but the fact is, Hollywood has moved out of town, where production costs, including licensing and permits are cheaper and financially a better choice than enduring the enormous costs the city of Hollywood and the County of Los Angeles have burdened movie makers with.
This is nothing new, as some productions (and manufacturing companies, as well, for that matter) have been using other locations to reduce expenses for years. Now, the hold-outs have been forced to follow suit and what's left of local studios have been nearly abandoned for much of the year.
As far as Old Hollywood is concerned there has been a collective of preservationists operating for decades who call themselves The Los Angeles Conservancy, whose mission it is to conserve Hollywood's rich theater legacy.
This article, from the LAist.com site, tells off efforts to maintain the Broadway Theater District, and in particular, the beautiful and captivating Los Angeles Theatre.
How to see classic films in LA's Broadway Theater District this month
By Faheem Khan and Courtney Eileen Fulcher | June 10, 2026 | LAist.com
The front exterior of the Los Angeles Theatre,
which opened in 1931.
(Mike Hume / Los Angeles Conservancy)
The Los Angeles Conservancy — which works to preserve L.A. County's historic places — isn’t letting up on its longtime mission of celebrating downtown’s rich history and driving people to the area, particularly the historic theatres.
From the Mary Poppins Sing-a-Long, noir style thrillers like LA Confidential, and all-time classics like North by Northwest, the organization is screening classic films through its Last Remaining Seats program starting this weekend through through June.
The grand staircase at the historic Los Angeles Theatre
is the centerpiece of French Baroque architecture.
(Mike Hume/ Los Angeles Conservancy)
The distinct style of LA’s Broadway Theater District
The Broadway Theater District, which is officially recognized in the National Register of Historic Places, was developed between 1894 and 1931 as a flood of new residents arrived in the city.
One of the most notable buildings, the Los Angeles Theatre, has been preserved in its original French Baroque-style structures.
Sarah Lann, director of education at the Los Angeles Conservancy, joined AirTalk, LAist’s daily news program, and said visitors entering the Los Angeles Theatre are met with a “jaw-dropping” 50-foot ceiling when they first walk in.
“There are crystal chandeliers, and there's silk damask on the walls,” Lann said. “ It was literally meant to remind folks of the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles.”
The Broadway district represents several styles distinct to the period — including California Churrigueresque, Art Deco and Beaux-Arts.
The ladies' powder room in the Los Angeles Theatre,
modeled after the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles
(Mike Hume/ Los Angeles Conservancy)
Theaters today
While no Broadway District theaters remain in daily use, the Orpheum and the Million Dollar Theater both host screenings, and other theaters have been refurbished into retail spaces.
A number of movies have been shot in buildings on Broadway, including Blade Runner, The Neon Demon, and The Prestige.
The interior of the Los Angeles theatre is five stories, decorated with massive columns and accented with urns, angels and vines.
(Mike Hume/ Los Angeles Conservancy)
Last Remaining Seats
It all began in the 1980s as an education program to draw attention to the overlooked and underused theaters in the Broadway district, but it soon became the L.A. Conservancy’s mission to bring people back downtown.
“ Downtown was really something of a no-go zone for many people in the '80s," Lann said. “Folks who were around then talk about it literally being dark…no open businesses once the sun went down.”
The Los Angeles Conservancy started the Last Remaining Seats program in 1987. Now, almost 40 years later, Lann said the program continues its work to keep downtown theaters alive and well, celebrating the “incredible legacy of movie palaces that is so unique to L.A.”
