Hollywood Palladium

History

The Hollywood Palladium, at 6215 Sunset Boulevard, opened on Halloween night, October 31, 1940, on the site of the original Paramount studio lot. Los Angeles Times publisher Norman Chandler backed the Streamline Moderne ballroom, designed by Gordon B. Kaufmann, and Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra opened the room with vocalist Frank Sinatra. Big-band dances gave way to charity balls and, later, rock concerts. A 2007–2008 renovation restored the facade, and the city designated the Palladium a Historic-Cultural Monument in 2016. It now books major touring concerts and comedy.