Wiltern Theatre

3790 Wilshire Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90010

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Showing 51 - 75 of 134 comments

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on March 17, 2008 at 12:41 am

Here is a box office photo, circa mid 70s:
http://tinyurl.com/3czvmp

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 25, 2008 at 10:25 am

Here is an April 1964 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2j882w

rrussell007
rrussell007 on February 2, 2008 at 10:54 pm

Wow, the 1932 photo is awesome…Thanks!

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 25, 2007 at 10:18 am

Here is a March 1948 ad from the LA Times. Note the Ronald Reagan film that was finishing its run:
http://tinyurl.com/33sddd

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on October 21, 2007 at 5:50 pm

Thanks Bob,
Here is a working link to what you gave above:
http://palacehilo.org/Wiltern-Theater.html

BobAlder
BobAlder on October 21, 2007 at 5:14 pm

I recently found some more photos of the interior of the Wiltern from about 1965. They are posted here……
<http://palacehilo.org/Wiltern-Theater.html>
You can see full size versions of the three newest photos by clicking on them.

Bob Alder

William
William on October 5, 2007 at 2:53 pm

Nice shots Bob, the Wiltern was one of my favorites. I have an opening night program for the theatre. When it opened in Oct. 1931 as the Warner’s Western Theatre.

BobAlder
BobAlder on October 5, 2007 at 2:16 pm

I was involved with the restoration of the big Kimball ppe organ in the early 60s. Here’s some photos of that era
View link

rrussell007
rrussell007 on August 23, 2007 at 12:23 pm

That’s the Wiltern for sure, thanks much!!

rrussell007
rrussell007 on August 22, 2007 at 5:52 pm

I remember my first time setting foot inside the Wiltern Theater. It was in the summer of 1972, at a sound check for “Little Richard”. I was playing drums for Richard and the Wiltern Theater was my first big gig with the King. The sound in the theater was air tight and the feel of the room was warm and vibrant. I remember sitting in the balcony looking down at the stage while the instruments were being set up. As I sat there, relaxed and in a dream like state of mind, I could only imagine how the audience would respond when we hit the stage. I have also attened many concerts at the Wiltern Theater and each show has been spectular. I have nothing but good memories when I think of the Wiltern Theater, long live the Wiltern!

My website: home.earthlink.net/~rrussell007/

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 28, 2007 at 5:35 pm

Here are some photos I took while making a left turn onto Western. Don’t try this at home, kids:
http://tinyurl.com/2dgj2z
http://tinyurl.com/2zqlbo

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on May 25, 2007 at 8:09 pm

Sam Hall Kaplan reported the imminent demise of the Wiltern on 4/15/79. How close was this theater to becoming a parking lot?

PERMIT SOUGHT FOR DEMOLITION
Landmark Theater in Jeopardy

A beneficent buyer is needed to save the historic Wiltern Theater from becoming just another vacant lot on Wilshire Blvd. with a forsaken “for sale” sign on it.

femmeshui
femmeshui on May 14, 2007 at 4:23 pm

This was also the theater used in the 1980’s flick ‘Get Crazy’, one of the greatest New Years films ever and a good dcumentation of the theaters interior at the time, lots of shots of the lobby and the empty auditorium. At the films end there’s a great shot of the freestanding ticket booth with the ticket girl passed out inside of it as the crowd runs out of the lobby. It was mentioned earlier that ‘Streets of Fire’ was filmed here, but I’m fairly certain SOF was filmed at the El Ray, also on Wilshire.

Bway
Bway on February 7, 2007 at 1:35 pm

I went by the place the other day, and it looked great all lit up at night. I believe the marquee said Incubus was coming to performe there, but it was going to be after I left town. I may have been tempted to buy tickets if I was going to be in the area that night.

Bway
Bway on February 7, 2007 at 1:35 pm

I went by the place the other day, and it looked great all lit up at night. I believe the marquee said Incubus was coming to performe there, but it was going to be after I left town. I may have been tempted to buy tickets if I was going to be in the area that night.

haineshisway
haineshisway on October 19, 2006 at 8:09 pm

I understand – it just irks me every time I see it – I grew up going to the Wiltern, almost every week of my childhood.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 19, 2006 at 5:32 pm

I understand your point, but it does make it more interesting to see the progression from yesterday to today. This is especially important when you consider how many places like the Wiltern are now parking lots.

haineshisway
haineshisway on October 19, 2006 at 3:30 pm

Wonderful, but we like views when it was a MOVIE THEATER, not this horrid rock/concert house with no seats

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 14, 2006 at 2:00 pm

Here are two photos from the 1920s via the USC archive:
http://tinyurl.com/yeryz3
http://tinyurl.com/yj7uv8

haineshisway
haineshisway on October 7, 2006 at 2:59 pm

If you look to the right of the 1956 photo, you’ll see Yaekel (sp?) Brothers Oldsmobile where they used to broadcast Rocket To Stardom from and where they did live commercials all through the 50s and 60s.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 7, 2006 at 2:32 pm

Here is a 1938 photo from the LA Library. A dime to park all day isn’t a bad deal:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics48/00058722.jpg