If you love classic movies and exploring historic places in Los Angeles Last Remaining Seats is the summer event for you. Every summer the LA Conservancy hosts Last Remaining Seats which invites attendees to step back in time and visit the movie palaces from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The screening series started with the goal of bringing attention to the historic theatres in Los Angeles. This is such a special event that I look forward to every year.
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2024 Last Remaining Seats Schedule
6/1 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) at 2 pm at The Orpheum Theatre
6/1 The Seven Year Itch (1955) at 8 pm at The Orpheum Theatre
6/8 Bullitt (1968) at 2 pm at The Los Angeles Theatre
6/8 Gaslight (1944) at 8 pm at The Los Angeles Theatre
6/15 From Russia With Love (1963) at 2 pm at The Palace Theatre
6/15 Mi Vida Loca (1994) at 8 pm at The Palace Theatre
Last Remaining Seats Tickets
Tickets are $20 for LA Conservancy members, $25 for the general public, and $10 for those 17 and under. You can purchase your tickets here.
Movie Palaces Used for Last Reaming Seats
In the time that I have known about this event the theatres have varied so this is updated with the theatres that are being used for 2024.
The Los Angeles Theatre
Before the Chinese and Egyptian Theatres drew attention to Hollywood, Broadway in DTLA was home to movie premieres and more! This area of town is home to several iconic movie palaces which now remain closed most days. However, for special events like Last Remaining Seats, the theatres light up once again.
Several years ago I went to a screening of Top Gun that was held at the Los Angeles Theatre which was built in 1931. Los Angeles is such an incredible city for movie lovers like myself. Getting to watch classic movies in grand movie palaces is such a cool experience. When we walked up to the theatre for a screening of Top Gun we saw the famous producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
I knew that the Los Angeles Theatre would be beautiful, but I was stunned by how truly magnificent it is. The lobby reminded me of a museum or a ballroom with the beautiful chandlers and the ornate decorations on the ceilings and walls. My friend and I headed upstairs and found a photo spot. The photo props included bomber jackets, aviators, as well as signs that said “I feel the need… The need for speed”.
My friend and I chose seats on the orchestra level and were able to get great seats. Before the movie started the President of the LA Conservancy came on stage to speak. She was followed by the executive producer of Top Gun, Jerry Bruckheimer. Jerry has worked on films like Pearl Harbor and The Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It was incredible to get to hear Jerry share about himself, Don Simpson, and director Tony Scott pitching the movie. He said that it was the easiest yes that he had ever gotten in Hollywood.
Jerry also mentioned that when the script was written they wanted Tom Cruise. However, Tom Cruise was not always interested in Top Gun. Jerry decided to entice him to make the movie by contacting the Navy to see about taking Tom up in a jet. Luckily, the Navy approved and after his flight, Tom called Jerry and said that he was in.
I am so blessed to live near Los Angeles so that I can attend screenings like this. Not many people can say that they’ve had Jerry Bruckheimer introduce Top Gun at a screening in one of LA’s historic movie theatres. Los Angeles is truly like nowhere else in the world and I do not take that for granted. My friend had never seen Top Gun before and I thought it was an incredible way for her to experience the movie for the first time. Following the screening, there was a Q&A so that everyone could learn about the theatre.
The Orpheum
The Orpheum opened in February of 1926. The theatre was home to vaudeville performances as well as movies. The Orpheum has hosted stars like Judy Garland, Will Rogers, and Ella Fitzgerald. It has been used as a filming location in several movies such as Whiplash, Transformers, Dreamgirls, and Funny Girl.
The Palace Theatre
The Palace Theatre originally opened as The Orpheum in June of 1911. It became The Palace Theatre when The Orpheum moved to its current location. It started as a vaudeville theatre and then transitioned to a newsreel theatre. I believe this is the only movie palace that I have not been inside and I would love to see it.
