Wiltern Theatre

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

Wow, the 1932 photo is awesome…Thanks!

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

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.

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

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/

1931, from the USC archive:
http://tinyurl.com/yrw7w3

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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