Paramount Theatre , formerly Metropolitan Theater or Grauman's Metropolitan Theater , also known as Paramount Downtown , was a movie palace and office building located at 323 W. 6th Street and 536 S. Hill Street , across the street from Pershing Square , in the historic core of downtown Los Angeles . It was the largest movie theater in Los Angeles for many years.
28-584: Metropolitan Theatre may refer to: United States [ edit ] Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre or Paramount Theatre, a theater in Los Angeles, California Metropolitan Opera House (Philadelphia) , or The Met, a theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Theatre (Cleveland, Ohio) or Agora Theatre and Ballroom Metropolitan Theatre (Morgantown, West Virginia) Metropolitan Theatres ,
56-482: A Football Hero " was performed on radio to great acclaim. His 1930 recording of " Love for Sale " by Cole Porter is one of the few period versions of this popular song. The Fred Waring Show was heard on radio in various forms from 1933 to 1957. Adding a men's singing group to his ensemble, he recruited Robert Shaw , recently out of the Pomona College glee club, to train his singers. Shaw later founded
84-542: A National Historic Site of Canada See also [ edit ] Kaunas State Drama Theatre , a theatre in Kaunas, Lithuania, in a building formerly the Metropolitan cinema Teatro Metropólitan , Mexico City Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Metropolitan Theatre . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
112-1501: A day at the Shawnee Inn. It became an annual event, held each June for the next 25 years, resulting in a huge collection of artwork created for Waring by the cartoonists, including many drawn on Shawnee Inn stationery. The Fred Waring Collection has more than 600 cartoon originals, including over 50 of the laminated table tops. Artists who contributed to the Waring Collection included Jay Alan, Alfred Andriola ( Kerry Drake ), Jim Berry ( Berry's World ), Charles Biro ( Squeeks , Crimebuster , Daredevil ), Martin Branner ( Denny Dimwit ), Ernie Bushmiller ( Nancy ), Milton Caniff ( Steve Canyon ), Mel Casson ( Jeff Crockett ), Chon Day , Steve Douglas, Bill Dyer ( Patsy ), Gus Edson ( The Gumps ), Eric Ericson, Gill Fox ( Foodini ). Frank Godwin ( Rusty Riley , Patty Miles ), Irwin Hasen ( Dondi ), Jeff Hayes ( Silent Sam ), Art Helfant ( Patty Pinhead ), Bill Holman ( Smokey Stover ), Stan Kaye, Bil Keane ( Family Circus ), Jeff Keate, Reamer Keller, Ted Key ( Hazel ), Lank Leonard ( Mickey Finn ), Jack Markow , Jay McArdle, Bill McLean ( Double Trouble ), Paul Norris ( Jungle Jim ), Bob Oksner ( Leave It to Binky ), Russell Patterson ( Mamie ), Clarence D. Russell ( Pete
140-740: A son, Malcolm. Fred Waring Jr. was a conductor and jazz trombonist. Grandson Jordan Waring is an orchestral composer. In 1922, Waring’s band attracted attention at a University of Michigan student festival in a gymnasium in Ann Arbor, Mich., leading to a six-week booking at a local theater. That engagement led to bookings in Detroit and other large cities, launching Waring’s national career. From 1923 until late 1932, " Waring's Pennsylvanians " were among Victor Records ' bestselling bands. In late 1932, Waring abruptly quit recording, although his band continued to perform on radio. In 1933, " You Gotta Be
168-825: A southern California movie theater chain Wang Theatre , formerly the Metropolitan Theatre, in Boston, Massachusetts Other countries [ edit ] Manila Metropolitan Theater , a theater in the Philippines Medellín Metropolitan Theatre in Medellín, Colombia The Metropolitan Theatre , a theatre and music hall in Edgware Road, Paddington, London, now demolished Metropolitan Theatre (Winnipeg) ,
196-755: A trustee and was named a distinguished alumnus of the university. In 1983, the 83-year-old Waring was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal , the nation's highest honor for a civilian. Although many believe that Waring Commons at Penn State is named for him, it is actually named for his grandfather, William Waring. Fred Waring Drive is a major arterial road in the Palm Desert – Indio area of Southern California where many major roads are named for post-World War II-era entertainers. Waring Drive in Delaware Water Gap which runs alongside
224-548: A year. In the 1930s, inventor Frederick Jacob Osius went to Waring for financial backing for an electric blender he had patented. The Osius patent (#2,109,501) was filed March 13, 1937, and awarded March 1, 1938. A patent for the technology was granted in the United States, Canada, and France. After an initial $ 25,000 investment, the Waring-owned Miracle Mixer was introduced to the public at
252-718: The Robert Shaw Chorale and directed the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Pembroke Davenport (1911–1985) was Waring's pianist and arranger. During World War II, Waring and his ensemble appeared at war bond rallies and entertained the troops at training camps. He composed and performed dozens of patriotic songs, his most famous being "My America". In 1943, he acquired the Buckwood Inn in Shawnee on Delaware , Pennsylvania, and renamed
280-603: The Castle Inn, Waring's base of operations for over 50 years, was named for Waring in 1991. The Waring Golf Course north of Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, was named after Waring, and he had an ownership interest in it. It ceased operation around 1960. Waring was the Shepherd (president) of The Lambs from 1939 to 1942. In 1997, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to him. Waring
308-591: The Fred Waring Choral Workshop at his Pennsylvania headquarters in the old Castle Inn in Delaware Water Gap , Pennsylvania, which was also the home of Shawnee Press , the music publisher which he founded. At these sessions, musicians learned to sing with precision, sensitivity, and enthusiasm. When these vocalists returned home and shared what they had learned with fellow musicians, Waring's approach to choral singing spread throughout
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#1732780879639336-751: The National Restaurant Show in Chicago retailing for $ 29.75. In 1938, Fred Waring renamed his Miracle Mixer Corporation as the Waring Corporation, and the mixer's name was changed to the Waring Blendor (the "o" in blendor giving it a slight distinction from "blender"). The Waring Blendor became an important tool in hospitals for the implementation of specific diets, as well as a vital scientific research device. Jonas Salk used it while developing his polio vaccine . In 1954,
364-671: The Penn State Glee Club, but he was rejected with every audition. His Banjo Orchestra became so successful that he decided to abandon his education to tour with the band, which eventually became known as Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians . He married Dorothy McAteer, his college sweetheart, in 1923 but divorced her in 1929. He remarried in 1933 to Evelyn Nair (1910–2004); the couple had three children, Dixie, Fred Jr., and William. They divorced in 1954, following which Waring married Virginia Clotfelter (died 2013), adopted Virginia's son Paul from her previous marriage, and fathered
392-659: The Republic ", " Smoke Gets in Your Eyes ", " Button Up Your Overcoat ", " White Christmas ", "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor", and " Dancing in the Dark ". In 1964 he recorded two albums with Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby : America, I Hear You Singing and 12 Songs of Christmas , for Sinatra's Reprise label. The song, " Breezin' Along with the Breeze " was used as a signature tune by Fred Waring. In 1947, Waring organized
420-423: The actress appearing in person for the premiere. Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanian Orchestra accompanied the film on stage, as did three vaudeville acts. Upon opening, Metropolitan Theater sat more than 3,600, making it the largest movie theater in Los Angeles for many years. The theater also featured an orchestra lift , one of the largest balconies ever built, the longest projection throw in Los Angeles, and
448-581: The building was demolished in 1962. It was replaced by a parking lot, which itself was replaced by sixteen story tower in the early 1980s. The tower currently houses the International Jewelery Center. Metropolitan Theatre originally featured two entrances but they quickly proved inadequate and so a third entrance was added on Broadway . This entrance, located in the Metropolitan Annex at 551-555 S. Broadway , connected
476-540: The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The Metropolitan Annex was sold for $ 700,000 in 1999. It is all that remains of Paramount Theatre today. Fred Waring Fredrick Malcolm Waring Sr. (June 9, 1900 – July 29, 1984) was an American musician, bandleader, choral director, and radio and television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing". He
504-512: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metropolitan_Theatre&oldid=1256651925 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Grauman%27s Metropolitan Theatre Downtown Los Angeles 's Paramount Theatre opened as Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre on January 26, 1923. The building
532-605: The millionth Waring Blendor was sold. Waring is now a division of the Conair Corporation . Waring died of a stroke at his summer home on July 29, 1984, in State College, Pennsylvania, after videotaping a concert with his ensemble and completing his annual summer choral workshop. He conducted many such workshops at Penn State in his later years, and in 1984, designated Penn State to house his collection of archives and memorabilia. He also served his alma mater as
560-618: The nation. The first Fred Waring Music Workshop in the western United States was held in June 1968 as part of the University of Nevada's Summer Session curriculum in Reno, Nevada. Waring taught and supervised these summer workshop for 37 years until he died. Waring expanded into television with The Fred Waring Show , which ran on CBS Television from June 20, 1948, to May 30, 1954, and received several awards for Best Musical Program. (The show
588-412: The resort the Shawnee Inn. To promote the inn, he centered his musical activities at the inn itself. He created, rehearsed, and broadcast his radio programs from the stage of Shawnee's Worthington Hall throughout the 1950s. During the 1940s and early 1950s, Waring and His Pennsylvanians produced a string of hits, selling millions of records. A few of his many choral hits include " Sleep ", " Battle Hymn of
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#1732780879639616-566: The theater to the Broadway Theater District . Metropolitan Annex was built of brick with terra cotta detailing in 1923, and was remodeled by Hal Pereira in 1941. It was not demolished with the rest of the building in 1962, and was instead converted to a commercial/office building with ground floor retail. It was also listed as a contributing property in the Broadway Theater and Commercial District when
644-492: The theater was one of the first to be air conditioned in the United States. The building itself featured two entrances, a main entrance on 6th Street and a small entrance on Hill . These entrances quickly proved inadequate, and so a third entrance was added on Broadway , connecting the theater to the Broadway Theater District . In 1924, Grauman sold all his downtown holdings to Paramount Publix , who then employed Fox West Coast Theaters to operate this theater. In 1929,
672-405: The theater was renamed Paramount Theatre, and was informally known as Paramount Downtown to distinguish it from the other Paramount Theatres in Los Angeles. In 1950, Cabart Theaters Corp took over the theater, and two years later United Paramount Theatres took it over from them, after which they modernized the building with a new marquee and updated lobby . The theater closed in 1960 and
700-431: Was 60 minutes long until January 1952, and 30 minutes thereafter.) In the 1960s and 1970s, popular musical tastes turned from choral music, but Waring changed with the times, introducing his Young Pennsylvanians, a group of fresh-faced, long-haired, bell-bottomed performers who sang old favorites and choral arrangements of contemporary songs. In this way he continued as a popular touring attraction, logging some 40,000 miles
728-641: Was a cartoon and comic strip collector. A Penn State meeting room by the West Wing restaurant has dozens of cartoons drawn by artists such as Al Hirschfeld in Waring's honor. From 1943 to 1974, Waring owned the Shawnee Inn and Country Club, a golf resort located at Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania near Stroudsburg . In 1948, two years after the National Cartoonists Society was formed, Waring invited members of that organization to spend
756-802: Was also a promoter, financial backer and eponym of the Waring Blendor, the first modern electric blender on the market. Fredrick Malcolm Waring was born in Tyrone , Pennsylvania, on June 9, 1900, to Jesse Calderwood and Frank Waring. During his teen years, Waring, his brother Tom (né Thomas Lincoln Waring; 1902–1960), and their friend Poley McClintock founded the Waring-McClintock Snap Orchestra, which evolved into Fred Waring's Banjo Orchestra. The band often played at fraternity parties, proms, and dances, and achieved local success. Waring attended Penn State University , where he studied architectural engineering . He aspired to be in
784-747: Was financed by the Hill Street Fireproof Building Company , designed by George Edwin Bergstrom with the theater and building interior designed by William Lee Woollett , all for impresario Sid Grauman , known at the time for the Million Dollar Theatre and best remembered today for his two Hollywood movie palaces: the Chinese and Egyptian theaters. The theater's first screening was the film premiere of Gloria Swanson 's My American Wife , with
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