Comments about Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, CA

meheuck on May 1, 2012 at 6:21 pm

Excellent. Thank you Joe!

Joe Vogel on May 1, 2012 at 12:54 pm

meheuck: The building at 721 S. Western Avenue formerly housed a bowling alley that was probably built in the late 1930s or early 1940s. It was converted into a restaurant in 1984, according to this L.A. Times review.

At one time there were a number of streamline modern bowling alleys with theater-style marquees around Los Angeles. As far as I know, all the survivors have been converted to other uses. They can usually be distinguished from theaters by the fact that their roofs were typically lower toward the back, where the lanes were, than at the front, where many of them had a mezzanine housing rest rooms, a storage area, and a manager’s office.

meheuck on May 1, 2012 at 1:32 am

I am trying to identify what I think is a former theatre just south of the Wiltern. The location is 721 S. Western Ave., zip code 90005. It is currently the home of a nightclub called Vibe, and was previously known as Le Cercle Super Club and Le Prive. The reviews on Yelp look pretty disturbing, something about it being a “booking” club…but anyway. There is a big marquee outside that looks very much like a theatrical marquee, so I’m wondering if anyone can verify if this was a movie house previously or did they just use that style of marquee for the building?

Here is a photo from its previous incarnation as Le Cercle:

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/86u5jycaWXRCDKs7_cJ52g?select=5zg8sR2mVVbdcr6LsywRjA

dtrigubetz on December 10, 2011 at 4:54 pm

The Straight No Chaser concert was a fabulous sold-out event. I sat in the upper mezzanine and noticed that the theater seats, except for reupholstering, are vintage. Ironically, the so-called premium orchestra seats have been replaced by hotel meeting type seats with no arm rest!

The upper mezzanine had great acoustics and sightlines. I am going back today for the Aimee Mann Christmas Show, also $20 on Goldstar.

dtrigubetz on November 25, 2011 at 8:48 am

I am attending the 12/9 concert by “A Capella Group Straight No Chaser.” Tix are only $20 on Goldstar. Haven’t been to the Wiltern since 1995 and love the fact I can Metro in from N Hollywood.

Bill H on October 7, 2011 at 2:00 pm

Its amazing that the Wiltern Theater opened its doors 80 years ago today in 1931 !!

furious on January 30, 2010 at 9:38 am

i worked at the wiltern from nov.1968 to june 1969 $1.35 an hour.. and would be interested in talking to other who were there at the same time.

BlueJade on January 5, 2010 at 7:33 pm

I used to work in a landscape architectural firm that was located in the tower of the Wiltern. The elevators are beautiful and the polished stone throughout the building is a knockout, classic deco. A co-worker dubbed the building the Emerald City which stuck, still call it that. I never tired of it’s beauty, approaching it on the drive to work, even on bad days.

William on December 17, 2009 at 6:33 pm

Lost Memory the post you did back on May 13th. 2009. That 1981 shot looks like they miss labeled it. It’s a long shot of the 1983 picture. There is a service truck working the vertical sign. The 1983 is a closer look.

lostmemory on September 16, 2009 at 8:01 am

This is an August 2009 photo.

kencmcintyre on July 27, 2009 at 6:57 pm

Here are some July 2009 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/nxhs6r
http://tinyurl.com/mrztpc
http://tinyurl.com/kublsn
http://tinyurl.com/mf2p32
http://tinyurl.com/mxnk9r
http://tinyurl.com/lpftfs

kencmcintyre on July 9, 2009 at 3:58 pm

Here is a photo taken today:
http://tinyurl.com/m9p3hl

kencmcintyre on June 25, 2009 at 2:42 pm

Here is a June 2009 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/lsmvo8

Bway on May 26, 2009 at 8:15 am

This is such a classic looking theater. I remember passing it a few times when driving on Wilshire.

lostmemory on May 21, 2009 at 4:08 am

Another beauty.

kencmcintyre on May 20, 2009 at 10:07 pm

Here is a photo circa 1940s from the LAPL:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00079/00079561.jpg

lostmemory on May 13, 2009 at 10:14 am

1981 Photo

1983 Photo

1984 Photo

kencmcintyre on April 25, 2009 at 8:57 pm

Here is a 1981 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ctetwn

kencmcintyre on March 31, 2009 at 5:20 pm

Here is a photo taken today:
http://tinyurl.com/cdczlz

kencmcintyre on January 16, 2009 at 5:22 pm

Brian Wilson will be at the Wiltern at the end of the month:
http://tinyurl.com/8zt764

kencmcintyre on December 26, 2008 at 7:35 pm

Here is an undated interior photo from the USC archive:
http://tinyurl.com/8x2q5n

kencmcintyre on December 7, 2008 at 5:13 pm

Here is a photo taken yesterday:
http://tinyurl.com/67lmm9

kencmcintyre on October 6, 2008 at 10:42 am

Here is an October 2008 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/4va444

lostmemory on September 23, 2008 at 6:14 pm

No problem. Thanks for posting the photos.

haineshisway on September 23, 2008 at 6:02 pm

I’ve loaded some photos of the Vogue, the Bruin, the Stadium, and the Lido. Will do more as I get the time. Check ‘em out.

Wiltern Theater

3790 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90010

3790 Wilshire Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90010