The original Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles opened in 1926 and was demolished in 1969 (the indignity!). Thanks to Disney Theme Parks, guests can now enjoy slightly smaller scaled recreations of the movie palace on both coasts. How’d the Disney team do on its versions? I’d say very well. Compare this 1953 shot of the original theater vs. the Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney California Adventure, which opened in 2012:
They really did a great job on the marquee grillwork, too...except for that one time when they blinged it out for the Diamond Anniversary!
The WDW version was built first; sadly (but not surprisingly), they chose to make it a gift shop. The vertical neon marquee did not exist on the original, but thanks to good vintage design, it works.
See more original Carthay Circle Theatre photos at my main website.
