Escott O. Norton- Professional Speaker

07/31/2026

What an honor to speak on behalf of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation about the exciting Cinerama Dome news!

"People think of this as the ultimate Hollywood experience," says Escott Norton, former executive director of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation.

07/23/2026

My final day as guide for the Society for Commercial Archeology’s Los Angeles Road Trip started in Hollywood at The El Capitan Theatre. We checked out the Centennial display in the basement lounge then were treated to a quick walk onto the stage for a group photo as the magnificent organ rose up playing! We then crossed the street and explored the historic TCL Chinese Theatres Forecourt before going inside so I could share the fascinating history and architecture. Thanks to the management of both of these movie palaces for their generosity! We walked down Hollywood Blvd to show the Egyptian Theatre which is currently closed for some renovations, then back on the bus for a short trip east to Hollywood and Vine. We walked down Vine stopping to point out the Capitol Records building, the Pantages Theatre, the Ricardo Montalban Theatre and much more on our way to Sunset Blvd. We headed east to check out the Earl Carroll Theatre where my next surprise was waiting, my friend Paul from signmakers.com had set up a display and brought a sample channel letter! He discussed what his company was doing to restore the historic neon signage on the Earl Carroll! Thanks Paul!Walking west we checked out the Cinerama Dome (closed but just yesterday announced it will be opening in 2028!) then back on the bus. Our next stop was at Crossroads of the World, then on to the Miracle Mile area of Wilshire Blvd. So much lovely architecture to explore here! We headed west for an early dinner at the iconic Pann's Restaurant, followed by dessert at the famous Randy's Donuts! From there I left the group to fly out of town and they headed back to the Safari Inn. Another great LA day with this fabulous group!

07/12/2026

The first full day of the Society for Commercial Archeology’s Road Trip through LA, appropriately named “From Googie to Glamour!”, and I mean FULL! It was so busy that I didn’t get photos of MANY favorite sites! We started from our home at Safari Inn - Burbank, Ca, drove through Glendale past the Alex Theatre and had a surprise mini tour of Museum of Neon Art let by Corrie, the wonderful director! We circled DTLA, getting a quick glimpse of the iconic Sears Tower in Boyle Hieghts, then stopped at the Streamline Coca Cola bottling plant. We then did a loop to drive by the Wiltern Theatre, the Bullocks Wilshire, the Chapman Market, and what’s left of the Brown Derby. Next stop, Chinatown, or more accurately New Chinatown where we were met by my friend and fellow historian and preservationist Celeste, whose family is a crucial part of Chinatown history! The buses took us to the top of Olvera Street, we walked through and had lunch at Philippe the Original then a quick ride to the top of Angels Flight. While most took my favorite funicular down, I ran down the steps with some of the group to get ready for the START of my part of the tour, the Broadway Historic Theatre District! Thanks to the generosity of the owners I was able to give our group of 80+ inside tours of the Million Dollar Theater, the Los Angeles Theatre and the The United Theater on Broadway, while also talking about every other theatre along the way. We also got a special look inside Clifton’s! But wait, there’s more! We walked over to see the exteriors of the Belasco and Mayan, and a gentleman let us peek in to the lobby of the Mayan, an unexpected treat! The busses took us back to Grand Central Market for dinner, then we split up, some going on MONA’s Neon Tour, the rest of us back to the Safari Inn for some well deserved rest!
What a greet group of interesting, knowledgeable, passionate people! I shared as much as I possibly could in the time allotted, and had the great pleasure of talking to so many of this group on the bus rides and as we walked (almost 5 miles!) It’s been a real treat working with scholar and expert guide Kevin Patrick planning and leading this adventure through my home town, including some of my favorite places!
Tomorrow, Hollywood and points west!

07/11/2026

The first event of the Society for Commercial Archeology’s Road Trip to Los Angeles was a blast! I was asked to help plan and guide this great group through some of my favorite places in Los Angeles, namely, historic theatres! This evening we took a short drive from the Safari Inn to Valley Relics Museum for the opening reception, including a nostalgic and hilarious presentation by the legendary Charles Phoenix Met old friends and made some new ones, including Stephanie Stuckey current owner and granddaughter of the famous roadside chain of the same name! In addition to touring theatres I’m also one of the bus guides, chatting about Los Angeles history and pointing out as many quirky and wonderful things as I can along the way! Tomorrow, Downtown LA, including some private theatre tours!