The Million Dollar Theater didn't always look like this. (Caroline Vandergriff)

On a Saturday afternoon, the streets of downtown Los Angeles' Broadway are full of life, vibrant and colorful.  T-shirts hang from ceiling to floor of the wide-open, market-style stores.  The sound of Spanish music fills the air, and people crowd the sidewalks, walking and chatting.  Some don't even look up to notice the history and architectural beauty that surrounds them.

On Broadway between Third Street and Olympic Boulevard are a dozen historical theaters, all built in the early half of the 20th century.  By 1931, the collection of theaters on Broadway rivaled New York's Great White Way, with a booming movie palace industry.  

Most of these theaters are still intact, but are currently being used for other purposes.  The Million Dollar Theater, on the corner of Third and Broadway, stands out with the detailed molding of its impressive Spanish Rococo-style entrance and large marquee.  The history of the theater is rich, but there is hope that its future will surpass what it used to be.

"My ultimate goal is to make this theater successful and to open a Broadway show that stays here," said Robert Voskanian, the current manager of the Million Dollar.  "I mean, why not?  Los Angeles should be a great candidate, and why not the Million Dollar?"

"Why not?" is a phrase Voskanian repeats over and over when describing his hopes for the theater.  He has been called a fool and a dreamer, but his optimistic attitude has helped restore one of the nation's greatest movie palaces.

Voskanian is also a trustee for Bringing Back Broadway, a public-private initiative with a 10-year plan to revitalize the downtown Broadway district.  The initiative hopes to activate inactive theaters, increase the number of retailers and restaurants, modernize the streetscape, and bring back the streetcar.

City Councilman Jose Huizar first announced the Bringing Back Broadway initiative in January 2008, and for the past two years the area has seen improvement through street repairs and the gathering of community support.  

However, the biggest obstacles for the plan are to come, especially when the city of Los Angeles is currently facing a $485 million budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.  

All of the theaters along Broadway are privately owned, but if the 10-year plan comes to fruition, it will drastically change the surrounding area.  

And Voskanian hopes that it will work.  "We're not against what's currently there, we just want to make it better," he explained.

In response to critics that say the Bringing Back Broadway initiative will push out the thriving, Latino-oriented shopping district, Voskanian defended the project.

"The area is just not upscale.  The retailers don't have to move out, but they could change," he insisted.  "They could be more appealing and more modern."

Voskanian has already put in more than a million dollars to restore and renovate the theater with the help of private investors.  

"When I came to the Million Dollar, it was in terrible, terrible shape," said Voskanian.  "Before I came in, the theater had been a church.  For some reason, they painted the entire theater white."

When a church took over the theater, they removed the "Million Dollar" sign
from the marquee. (Caroline Vandergriff)

Voskanian spent more than a year working to bring back the original carpets, ceilings, and decorations to restore the Million Dollar to a working theater.  There is still progress to be made, and dedicated volunteers from the L.A. Conservancy and the L.A. Historic Theatres Committee spend their time to help preserve the Broadway theaters.

On one Saturday morning this March, a dozen or so volunteers came to the Million Dollar for a major clean up.  Armed with Windex, brooms, paint, and various cleaning supplies, they enthusiastically began their work, first scrubbing the layers of grime on the ticket booth and outside windows.

"Part of the magic is in volunteering, in cleaning.  Your love for the theaters increases with your level of involvement," said volunteer Bud Coffey.  

Coffey has been a docent for the L.A. Conservancy walking tour of the downtown Broadway historic theater district for the past eight years.  His passion for the theater is evident as he describes its history and architecture.  

"The incredible craftsmanship is so wonderful.  I mean, this theater is over 80 years old and it is still as exciting today as it was when it was first built," he extolled.  "It's amazing to watch these beautiful buildings come back to life.  Sometimes, all they need is a bath.  They're simply dirty."   

Inside the theater, the lobby is lined on either side with posters of famous Latin stars that performed at the Million Dollar during the 1950s and 1960s.  A few volunteers gingerly cleaned the glass covering the smiling faces of performers such as Cuban singer Celia Cruz, comedian Cantinflas, and the Mexican actress Maria Felix.

"If this building could talk, the stories it would tell would be simply amazing: vaudeville, movie premiers, celebrities," said Coffey.

Even with the Million Dollar Theater's restoration, much more needs to be done
to draw the crowds back in. (Caroline Vandergriff)

And the Million Dollar's story begins on February 1, 1918, when it opened with a showing of the movie "The Silent Man."  Architect Albert C. Martin and famous theater impresario Sid Grauman brought the theater to life.  

"This was a completely different style than the previous theaters in the area.  It had a whole different feeling, and it had a big impression on people," said Coffey, pointing to the details of the auditorium.

William Woollett designed the interior of the auditorium, which follows a theme in its plasterwork and design.  Wollett drew his inspiration from "The King of the Golden River," a Victorian fairy tale.  Icons and characters from the story can be found in the molding and ornamentation throughout the theater.

Grauman was well known for the "pre-show prologues" he would put on before the film showing: live-shows themed to the movie that would be played.  If they were showing a Western movie, the prologue would feature Western-influenced performances.  A full orchestra, dancers, and actors would take part in these full-stage productions to audiences of more than 2,000 people.

The Historic Theatres Oral History Project, a branch of the Historic Theatres Committee, is dedicated to preserving the memories of the Broadway theaters during this era before the people who remember them are gone.  

With more than a dozen videotaped interviews, the project has created an archive of stories from the people who had direct involvement with the Million Dollar and the other theaters in the downtown area.

Bob Mitchell, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 91, was a talented organist who played in several of the theaters, including the large 2-manual, 16-rank Wurlitzer organ at the Million Dollar.

He first started playing for silent movies, preferring to improvise rather than play from scores.

"The first theater was the Million Dollar.  At the time, I didn't have an appreciation for the grandeur like I do now," he said.

However, Sid Grauman's particular type of grandeur did not last at the Million Dollar.  Grauman sold his interests in the theater in 1942 to focus on his theaters in Hollywood, specifically the now-famous Chinese Theater.  The Million Dollar bounced from owner to owner - Paramount, Fox West Coast Theaters, Popkin & Ringer Bros.

The Metropolitan Theatres took over the Million Dollar in 1945 and brought a new vibrancy to the place with live performances from stars like Billie Holiday. In 1950, new management of the theater dedicated it exclusively to Spanish-speaking audiences, showing films, Mexican vaudeville shows, and live performances until its closing on March 1, 1993.

Yolie Acosta, a volunteer with the L.A. Conservancy, remembers her parents taking her to the Spanish performances and films when she was a little girl in the late 1970s.

"The theaters were always packed.  And it was huge deal for me.  I was constantly looking up, looking at all the amazing architecture," she remembered.  "It was a treat to come here, and it really was the last of the best of the Mexican theaters."

When the theater closed for performances in 1993, it was immediately taken over by a church.  The church removed the "Million Dollar" name from the marquee and painted over chandeliers and original wall murals with white paint.

"That was the greatest tragedy to me - when the churches came and took over these beautiful theaters," said Acosta.  "The damage they did was so sad to see."

Robert Voskanian said the restoration efforts are not over yet.

"There is still so much improvement that needs to be done," said Voskanian.  "That's a huge challenge for us.  Right now, the theater is not profitable, but we're hoping eventually it will be."

In its latest incarnation, the Million Dollar opened on February 28, 2008 with a performance from Latin Grammy Award-winner Pepe Aguilar.  Since then, the theater has hosted a variety of film screenings and performances. 

Voskanian seems relaxed about the Million Dollar's future and the impact Brining Back Broadway will have on the area.  His refrain of "Why not?" has led him to the Million Dollar, and it might lead him on to other projects in the future.  Either way, he is content.

"I love this theater," Voskanian says, looking around his office in the Million Dollar.  "My attitude is - let's try this.  If it works, it works.  If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.  Why not?"