Vista Theater Hollywood
4473 Sunset Drive,
Los Angeles,
CA
90027
4473 Sunset Drive,
Los Angeles,
CA
90027
59 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 144 comments
Did I mention that my grandfather Lou Bard built this theatre?
Rand
The Vista Theater is one short block to walk along Sunset Boulevard, from the Vermont/Sunset station on the Metro Red Line.
Could someone please provide more information regarding the neighborhood parking for the Vista, for those of us from out of town (actually out of state) who will be visiting the Vista for the first time soon? Street names to look for (or avoid), available parking lots, or whatever you suggest. Thanks very much!
Finally made it to the Vista to see “There Will Be Blood” and it is truly a class act. Every other row has been taken out to provide tremendous legroom. Great Sound. Flawless Presentation. Wonderful character with the Egyptian motif. Wonderful old movie theatre smell. And to top it al off, cheap ticket prices!! Forget the Arclight! If it is playing here this will be my choice.
To the left of the theatre, in the January 2 photo, is a small retail store called “Vista Express”. What do they sell?
WOW My Grandfather would roll over in his grave if he saw his theater now LOL…..ah but I love it!!! Thanks for posting this photo.
Randall Bard
Vancouver BC
That freakin sound system at The Vista is AMAAAAZING! Saw “Sweeney Todd” here in December and there’s a low frequency organ note as the studio logos come up that made the floor in this theatre VIBRATE. AWESOME!!!
Here is a 1970 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/37h9yx
a sampling of some of the offerings at the Vista when Landmark was booking the theatre:
1 9 8 3 (incomplete)
PREMIERES
Wolf Gremm’s FABIAN
Marc Huestis’ WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SUSAN JANE
Ed Pincus’ DIARIES
Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ
Jean-Luc Godard’s MADE IN U.S.A.
FESTIVALS AND TRIBUTES
“Dial M for Mysteryâ€
Contemporary Gay Cinema
“Screen Dreamsâ€
“Buried Treasures†â€" featuring premieres of
John Huston’s PHOBIA
Fritz Lang’s TIGRESS OF BENGAL
Ettore Scola’s ROCCO IN CHICAGO
Claude Whatham’s SWEET WILLIAM
Ivan Passer’s CRIME AND PASSION
Ingmar Bergman
Bette Davis
Wim Wenders
Dance Festival
Tennessee Williams
Preston Sturges
SPECIAL EVENTS
Robert Israel accompanies Albert Parker’s THE BLACK PIRATE and Erich von Stroheim’s BLIND HUSBANDS
Tribute to Vivian Blaine
1 9 8 4 (incomplete)
PREMIERES
Victor Schonfeld’s THE ANIMALS FILM
Philo Bregstein’s WHOEVER SAYS THE TRUTH SHALL DIE
King Hu’s A TOUCH OF ZEN
David Cronenberg’s STEREO
David Cronenberg’s CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
David Cronenberg’s ITALIAN MACHINE
Eldar Ryazanov’s BEWARE OF CARS
Eldar Ryazanov’s IRONY OF FATE
Eloi de la Iglesia’s EL DIPUTADO
Tom Huckabee & Kent Smith’s TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN
Mai Zetterling’s SCRUBBERS
Robert Epstein & Richard Schmiechen’s THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK
Michael Raeburn’s THE GRASS IS SINGING a/k/a KILLING HEAT
FESTIVALS AND TRIBUTES
Federico Fellini
“Czech it Out!†â€" Czechoslovakian films, featuring premieres of
Jiri Menzel’s SHORTCUTS
Oldrich Lipsky’s THE MYSTERIOUS CASTLE IN THE CARPATHIANS
Vaclav Vorlicek’s HOW TO DROWN DOCTOR MRACEK
Ladislav Smoljak’s RUN WAITER, RUN
Martin Holly’s SIGNUM LAUDIS
Zoro Zahon’s THE ASSISTANT
Christopher Isherwood
“A Tribute to L.A.†â€" 24 films salute the host city of the 1984 Olympics
“Summer Campâ€
Best of the 1984 New York Gay Film Festival â€" featuring premieres of
Amos Guttman’s DRIFTING
George Katakouzinos’ ANGEL
Rosa von Praunheim’s CITY OF LOST SOULS
Phillipe Vallois’ RAINBOW SERPENT
Edward Fleming’s MIRROR, MIRROR
Tuija-Maija Niskanen’s THE FAREWELL
“A World of Danceâ€
Alfred Hitchcock
“Japanese Cinema†â€" featuring premieres of
Yoichi Takabayahsi’s IREZUMI â€" SPIRIT OF THE TATTOO
Nagisa Oshima’s CRUEL STORY OF YOUTH
The San Francisco Gay Erotic Film Festival
Jean Cocteau
RESTORATIONS AND REVIVALS
Michael Todd’s AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS â€" original roadshow version, technicolor print
Sergio Leone’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST â€" original uncut version
SPECIAL EVENTS
“The Hollywood Hall of Shame†â€" Harry and Michael Medved in person to introduce infamous films
1 9 8 5 (incomplete)
PREMIERES
David Stevens’ THE CLINIC
Ji-Shun Duan & Junya Sato’s THE GO MASTERS
Patrice Chereau’s L’HOMME BLESSE
Nikita Mikhalkov’s WITHOUT WITNESS
Renato Castellani’s LIFE OF VERDI
Wim Wenders’ TOKYO
Daniel Schmid’s TOSCA’S KISS
Francois Bei & Gerard Vienne’s THE CLAW & THE TOOTH
FESTIVALS AND TRIBUTES
Joan Crawford
Derek Jarman
“Nagisa Oshima Rediscoveriesâ€
Opera Festival
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Tennessee Williams
“Australian Film Festival†â€" featuring premieres of
Michael Pattinson’s MOVING OUT
Scott Hicks’ FREEDOM
Bruce Beresford’s BARRY MACKENZIE HOLDS HIS OWN
Kevin James Dobson’s SQUIZZY TAYLOR
Michael Thornhill’s BETWEEN WARS
“Ozu/Mizoguchiâ€
“Heroes and Legendsâ€
“Great Ladies of the Silver Screenâ€
USC student films
RESTORATIONS AND REVIVALS
Hideo Goyoshin’s GOYOKIN
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s OEDIPUS REX
A controversial film was playing at the Vista in September 1947. Note the different show times for men and women:
http://tinyurl.com/3deudx
Cnichols writes,“offer Toblerone at the snack bar… It’s a REALLY nice theater in a rapidly improving neighborhood.”
What does that mean??? I’ve been living there for 40 years and the change I have seen is that guys like Charles Bukowski, Lawrence Tierney, Tom Waits and Beck have moved out because yuppies and silly scenesters have moved in (and they REALLY hated yuppies). You call that “rapidly improving”???? Please use , “rapidly being discovered by clueless poseur hipsters who buy their hot rods from Ebay instead of building them”…..LOL!!!!!
I believe they filmed part of “The Man With Bogies Face” in the upstairs offices at the Vista. When I was a kid I used to sneak up on the roof and alter the big billboard on the roof.
Who is the moron who wrote, “A largely unheralded theater in Los Angeles' historic Los Feliz area, the Vista’s exterior is an island of style in a street of prevalent decay”, in the header text??? First of all, it’s not in Los Feliz (she-it, the Los Feliz theater isnt even in Los Feliz!), its in East Hollywood. And second, WHAT STREET OF PREVALENT DECAY???? East Hollywood??? Where the average home is in the $600,000 range??? Hey, there are just as many craftmas in East Hollywood as in the westside….‘cept the westside has more BUMS living in its streets!!!
You can see the interior of the theater in the video in the early 1990s “Burn Hollywood Burn”
I used to like to come here in the mid nineties and they showed first run double features, not second string stuff. I had a terrible crush on the manager at the time, Conrad who was Switerland…he actually showed me the projection booth and the apartments upstairs, what a mess. Looked like no one had occupied them in 30 years. He was very kind. I never saw him after about 95' I think he went back to Switerland….just by chance if you may see this and remember the tall 16 year old girl who’s mother walked out on Interview With a Vampire, write me
Does anyone know who or what (company) currently owns the Vista (2007)? Or a different way to contact that person that the above phone number?
Great theater- Stood in line with a bunch of friends in ‘98 or '99 for the re-release of “Gimmie Shelter”-awesome!
OMG! Just discovered this site. I worked at the Vista from August, 1980, until sometime in 1982. My tenure there was just after Mike Thomas Inc. had taken over the theater and ended when Landmark took it over. I started in concessions and ended in the projection booth…running an old Victoria 8 for most of the features, and a rickety old 16mm on occaission. Lived just around the block from it, for three more years after departing, and it always seemed like home. I am of mixed feelings when I see the photos of it’s refurbishment, but I am happy to know that it is a venue for film enjoyment still—even tho I now live 3,000 milkes away.
Here is a photo of the October 1923 grand opening, via the LAPL:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics37/00068072.jpg
http://www.beachwoodcanyon.org/HISTORY.htm
This site give information about the famous sign in Hollywood that used to read Hollywoodland and mentions the Vista Theater. 1924 – The “Hollywoodland” sign is constructed at a cost of $21,000 atop Mt. Lee. Thirteen 50-foot letters and four thousand 20 watt light bulbs pronouncing, in classic advertising phonics, “Holly”… “wood”… “land”… Hollywoodland.“ 1949 – The Hollywoodland Sign, originally built to last only 18 months, is in total disrepair (and all the light bulbs have long-since been stolen). The City begins removing it but is halted by a public outcry as the citizens have come to love the symbol. Instead, the sign is refurbished and shortened to "Hollywood.” 1978 – The second restoration of the sign begins, led by prominent celebrities and city officials. Cost is $27,000 per letter using sheet metal and a steel framework. The public contributes significantly. 1998 – January 7 – The Hollywoodland Homeowners Association kicks off the 75th Anniversary of Hollywoodland with a gala screening of “Titanic” at the Vista Theatre, newly restored to its 1920’s splendor. Many attend in period dress – one gentleman wearing a vintage tuxedo with seaweed filigree.
Extensive footage of the interiors and exteriors of the Vista can be seen in the 1980 adult film “The Dirty Picture Show”.
Everybody loves a revival:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics50/00059885.jpg
Go to www.imdb.com for any and all film quests. Jim is listed there, JSpencer.
There’s plenty of information on this film on the usual search engines. It doesn’t look like it’s available on DVD at present.
I stumbled across this blog while researching a film I am trying to locate. The film was shown
@ the Vista in 1993 and was titled “112th & South Central: Through the Eyes of the Children”.
It was a documentary directed by Jim Chambers about the LA uprising of ‘92 and was told
from the perspective of children and students living in South Central LA at the time. I am
trying to find out if any copies of the film exist, in DVD or VHS format or if the film is every
shown (PBS, cable). Does anyone have any info or rememberance of this great documentary?
Thanks.
jspencer620