Tiffany Theater

The Tiffany Theater was a 400-seat entertainment venue on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. It opened on November 2, 1966, and was the first theater built on the Sunset Strip. The building stood west of La Cienega Boulevard, near the Playboy Club and Dino's Lodge, at a site that had previously housed the Mary Webb Davis Modeling School. The structure had earlier appeared on television as the office used by the fictional detectives in the series 77 Sunset Strip. The theater was developed by film producer Robert L. Lippert and veteran exhibitor Harold Goldman. Lippert Construction Company built the venue, with Jack Edwards serving as architect, Ben Mayer designing the interior, and Heath & Company creating the new exterior façade and marquee around a 1935 structure. The approximately $250,000 project was described at the time as Lippert's most expensive theater. Its auditorium used so-called Continental Seating without a central aisle, and its unusual side entrance divided the seating into long upper and lower sections. The moderate rake of the auditorium also created favorable projection conditions for three-dimensional films. The Tiffany began as a conventional movie house, opening with Young Aphrodites and also presenting Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night. Its early cultural visibility was enhanced by appearances in films and documentaries, including Point Blank and The Forbidden. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the venue expanded beyond ordinary cinema. It hosted live comedy and experimental performance, including appearances by the improvisational group The Committee and productions such as As You Like It and Man and Wife. The latter became the subject of an obscenity case after a judge ruled that elements of the performance were illegal; several performers were arrested after a disputed simulated-sex scene. The theater adopted a low-price double-feature policy in 1971 and later closed for a period. Film enthusiast Tommy Cooper reopened it on March 16, 1977, as a revival and art-house theater. Its programming combined classic Hollywood films, neglected or cult titles, rock movies, and films with gay themes that were rarely shown by mainstream cinemas. The Tiffany became particularly associated with rare 3D revivals, including House of Wax, Dial M for Murder, Kiss Me Kate, and It Came from Outer Space. Its defining legacy was the midnight presentation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Beginning June 10, 1977, Friday and Saturday midnight screenings developed into a major audience-participation event. Additional late shows were added as attendance grew, and by the summer of 1979 the theater also offered a Thursday midnight screening. The Tiffany was briefly notable for presenting an original, uncut version of the film that included the scarce Super Heroes ending. Its shadowcast traditions, props, costumes, chants, and highly participatory atmosphere made the theater a major center of Rocky Horror fandom in Los Angeles. Performers and patrons sometimes created elaborate visual effects in the auditorium, and the theater attracted both film personalities and future entertainment professionals. Cooper's lease ended in 1983, as home video weakened the economics of revival theaters and Rocky Horror became available at more cinemas. The Tiffany closed after its final midnight Rocky Horror screening on March 13, 1983. It later reopened as a live-performance venue, eventually operating as two smaller 99-seat theaters. From 1985 through 2002 it hosted plays, musicals, comedy, concerts, and benefits, including productions featuring David Arquette, Kyra Sedgwick, Holland Taylor, Helen Mirren, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Alexander, and other established or emerging performers. The venue also briefly housed the Actors Studio in 2004. After additional exterior and interior changes in 1997, the theater remained closed and available for lease for much of the following decade. CIM Group began demolishing the building and adjacent structures on August 8, 2013, as part of a redevelopment project involving hotel and residential construction. Demolition was completed on August 30, 2013. The historic marquee letters were removed during an archival rescue effort and are now held by the Valley Relics Museum. A sidewalk marker remains at the former block, commemorating the 77 Sunset Strip filming location.

The Tiffany Theater occupied a building at 8524 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. Before its conversion, the structure had been associated with the Mary Webb Davis Modeling School and was recognizable to television viewers as the detectives' office in 77 Sunset Strip. Robert L. Lippert and exhibitor Harold Goldman converted the property into a dedicated movie theater, which opened on November 2, 1966. The 400-seat auditorium was designed with Continental Seating and an unusual side entrance. Jack Edwards designed the building, while Ben Mayer handled the interior and Heath & Company created the façade and marquee. The theater was built by Lippert Construction Company and represented a substantial investment for Lippert. The original program included Young Aphrodites and Smiles of a Summer Night. The venue soon acquired a broader cultural role through film appearances, documentary footage, live events, and specialized programming. In 1968, the improv group The Committee performed there. Other live productions followed, including As You Like It and Man and Wife. The latter generated legal controversy when authorities treated part of the performance as obscene. Although performers testified that the act was simulated, several were arrested. In 1971 the theater tried a discounted double-feature format. It later closed temporarily, then reopened on March 16, 1977, under Tommy Cooper as a revival and art-house venue. Cooper's programming served audiences seeking classic films, neglected titles, rock documentaries and concert films, gay-themed films, and rare 3D presentations. The auditorium's slope was particularly suitable for 3D projection, and the Tiffany screened titles such as House of Wax, Dial M for Murder, Kiss Me Kate, and It Came from Outer Space. The theater's strongest identity emerged through The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Its first regular midnight presentation took place on June 10, 1977. Friday and Saturday screenings expanded to later shows, with Thursday programming added in 1979. Audience participation became a central part of the experience, involving a shadowcast, costumes, shouted responses, props, and carefully timed visual gags. The Tiffany sometimes screened an uncut version containing the Super Heroes ending, adding to its reputation among devotees. The environment was unusually informal: regular patrons often worked at the theater, and loyal attendees could sometimes remain for consecutive late shows. The venue became a social space as much as a cinema. The revival-theater model weakened as home video became widespread and Rocky Horror gained access to more commercial screens. After Cooper's lease expired, the Tiffany closed following its March 13, 1983, midnight screening. It was subsequently adapted into two small live theaters and reopened in 1985 after an Actors' Equity dispute delayed the process. Through 2002 it presented a large range of stage work, from plays and musicals to comedy, concerts, and benefits. A notable later production was a 1999 staging of The Rocky Horror Show featuring David Arquette. In 2004 the Actors Studio used the premises briefly. The building underwent exterior and interior changes in 1997 and then remained closed or available for lease for several years. Redevelopment plans for the block were discussed in the late 1990s, but the final redevelopment proceeded much later. CIM Group began demolition on August 8, 2013, for a hotel and residential project. The theater disappeared by August 30. Volunteers and preservationists removed the marquee letters on August 26, and those letters were subsequently displayed at the Valley Relics Museum. A sidewalk marker is the principal remaining indication of the historic site.

• 2013

  Demolition and sign preservation

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The theater was demolished during redevelopment, while its historic sign letters were salvaged for museum display.

• 2004

  Actors Studio tenancy

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The building briefly served as a home for the Actors Studio.

• 1997

  Exterior and interior renovation

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The theater closed temporarily for improvements and reopened in September.

• 1985

  Reopens as live-performance space

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The building was converted into two 99-seat theaters for stage productions.

• 1983

  Cinema closes

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The final Rocky Horror midnight screening took place on March 13.

• 1977

  Reopens as a revival cinema

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Tommy Cooper relaunched the theater with repertory and art-house programming.

• 1977

  Rocky Horror cult begins

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Regular midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show started on June 10.

• 1970

  Man and Wife controversy

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  A live production resulted in obscenity proceedings and performer arrests.

• 1968

  The Committee performs at the venue

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The theater broadened its role by hosting live improv performance by The Committee.

• 1966

  Tiffany Theater opens

  [1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The theater opened on November 2 with 400 seats, becoming the first movie theater on the Sunset Strip.

A distinctive independent entertainment venue that evolved from a first-run movie theater into a Los Angeles revival cinema, cult-film institution, and intimate live-performance space.

• Cinema service · 1966

  Movie exhibition

  The Tiffany initially operated as a conventional movie theater, showing contemporary releases in a 400-seat auditorium. Its unusual seating plan and moderate auditorium angle were distinctive physical features. The venue later shifted toward repertory, art-house, cult, and specialty programming rather than maintaining a conventional first-run identity.

• Film programming · 1977

  Revival and repertory cinema

  Under Tommy Cooper, the Tiffany became a destination for vintage Hollywood films, overlooked pictures, rock films, classic musicals, and films with gay themes. Its repertory model was especially valuable before home video made older titles widely accessible. Programs could move from major classics such as Lawrence of Arabia to rock films such as The Song Remains the Same.

• Specialty cinema · 1977

  3D film revivals

  The theater used its favorable auditorium geometry for rare 3D revivals. Documented titles included Kiss Me Kate, House of Wax, Dial M for Murder, It Came from Outer Space, Gorilla at Large, The Mad Magician, and Andy Warhol's Frankenstein in 3D. These screenings formed a notable part of the venue's specialist identity.

• Cult-film event · 1977

  The Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight screenings

  Beginning in 1977, the Tiffany's midnight Rocky Horror screenings developed into a highly participatory cult event. Shadowcast performance, costumes, props, call-backs, and recurring visual routines made the screening a communal theatrical experience. The program became the theater's signature offering and continued until the final screening in March 1983.

• Performing arts · 1985

  Live theater productions

  After its cinema closure, the Tiffany operated as two intimate 99-seat live theaters. Its stage programming included plays, musicals, comedy, concerts, and benefits. Productions included Rain, Oleanna, Marvin's Room, Kindertransport, Give 'Em Hell, Harry, The Last Session, and a 1999 production of The Rocky Horror Show featuring David Arquette.

• 1970

  Obscenity case involving Man and Wife

  A judge declared the live production Man and Wife obscene after a scene alleged to depict sexual intercourse. Performers maintained that the action was simulated, but several were arrested.

  Source

Read more

• 1977Rocky Horror midnight program

  Los Angeles

  The Tiffany established recurring midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and encouraged audience participation through shadowcast performance, props, costumes, and call-backs.

  Outcome. The program became the theater's defining cultural attraction, generating regular sell-outs and making the venue a major Los Angeles center of Rocky Horror fandom.

  Source

• 2013

  Demolition for redevelopmentOther

  Background

  The theater had been closed or available for lease for several years while redevelopment plans for the block advanced.

  Action taken

  CIM Group demolished the Tiffany and surrounding structures for a hotel and residential development.

  Aftermath

  The marquee letters were salvaged and transferred to the Valley Relics Museum, while the theater itself ceased to exist.

  Source

• 1985

  Converts to live-performance theatersStrategy

  Background

  The lease for the revival cinema ended as home video and wider Rocky Horror distribution weakened the revival-theater model.

  Action taken

  The building was adapted into two 99-seat theaters for live performance.

  Aftermath

  The Tiffany continued as a respected small theater venue until its live-programming period ended in 2002.

  Source

• 1977

  Repositions as a revival and art-house venueStrategy

  Background

  After a period of closure, film enthusiast Tommy Cooper leased the theater and targeted audiences interested in older, unusual, and specialty films.

  Action taken

  The Tiffany reopened with repertory screenings, including vintage Sherlock Holmes films and a revival of Kiss Me Kate in 3D.

  Aftermath

  The repositioning produced the theater's most influential period, including its association with Rocky Horror, classic cinema, 3D revivals, and cult programming.

  Source

• 1971

  Adopts a discounted double-feature formatPrice change

  Background

  The theater experimented with a low-price offering during its earlier movie-house period.

  Action taken

  It advertised two films for a combined admission price of 49 cents.

  Aftermath

  The policy was an episode in the theater's changing exhibition strategy before its later revival-cinema relaunch.

  Source

• 2013

  CIM Group begins demolition of the Tiffany Theater[1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Demolition began in August for a mixed hotel and residential redevelopment project; the theater was removed by August 30.

• 1999

  Tiffany hosts a new Rocky Horror Show production[1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  An updated four-month stage production of The Rocky Horror Show opened at the venue on January 29, starring David Arquette.

• 1985

  The venue reopens as two live theaters[1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Following negotiations involving Actors' Equity, the building returned as a pair of 99-seat live-performance theaters.

• 1983

  The Tiffany closes after its final Rocky Horror screening[1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The theater closed on March 13 after Cooper's lease ended and home video reduced demand for revival cinemas.

• 1977

  Tiffany reopens as a revival and art-house theater[1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Tommy Cooper reopened the venue with repertory films, beginning with a program of vintage Sherlock Holmes movies.

• 1977

  Rocky Horror midnight screenings begin[1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Campaign

  The Tiffany began regular midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, eventually becoming one of the film's best-known audience-participation venues.

• 1971

  Tiffany adopts a low-price double-feature policy[1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Pricing

  The theater experimented with showing two films for 49 cents during a period of changing exhibition economics.

• 1966

  Tiffany Theater opens on the Sunset Strip[1]Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The 400-seat Tiffany Theater opened on November 2 as the first theater on the Sunset Strip.

1. 1Tiffany Theateren.wikipedia.org