Westlake Theatre
638 S. Alvarado Street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90057
638 S. Alvarado Street,
Los Angeles,
CA
90057
16 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 107 comments
I lived in this area very briefly (a few months in 2004) and I drove by the Westlake Theater sign many times, wondering “what might have been.” It seems like this was once a beautiful area, but it was terribly depressing in 2004. That would be awesome if it could be restored.
I went in this theater last weekend after getting a chance to freely wander around the Elks Club on the other side of the park…spooky but beautiful. I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but I doubt any restoration will be done on the Westlake since it is full to the hilt with swap meet junk and the floor has been leveled to the height of the stage. The murals are still beautiful and there are many architectural details surviving, but the building would have to be vacated and used for a different purpose. The tenants there now are trying to make a living and don’t seem to look up or have much interest in where they are and the history of it.
The Architect is named at top as “Richard D. Bates”, but his middle initial should be “M” for Mortimer. He was Richard Mortimer Bates Jr., (1887-1948), an Alabama native who had worked in New York City and who arrived in Los Angeles only a short while before designing the Westlake. He designed mostly schools and banks, and this was probably the only theatre he designed.
I recently visited the Westlake and after asking the guard nicely was permitted to visit the loggia, was an awesome thing to have been able to see.
Although very cluttered with life size Santa Claus statues poised near the projection room there was still much of its glorious past to be found.
Hopefully a restoration project can be started as the murals are in dire need of restoration.
Too bad Mr. Jones did not test some Kool Aid additives later that evening. So much for off-topic.
I wonder if the 622 South Alvarado address was a misprint. Wilshire didn’t go through the lake yet and wasn’t it called Orange on the East side of Westlake Park? I don’t understand why these articles keep saying Alvarado and Sixth. Wouldn’t that be a block north?
(March 27, 1979)
The court file on a 1973 lewd conduct charge against the late Rev. Jim Jones was unsealed Monday, but it failed to answer the questions why the case was dismissed and why police records of the arrest were ordered destroyed. Among the 14 pages of documents made public was a police report that graphically described Jones' alleged actions on the afternoon of Dec. 13, 1973. Describing the incident that reportedly occurred in a restroom at the Westlake Theater, near MacArthur Park, the police report, in part, said: “The defendant (Jones) turned toward the officer…(while) masturbating and showing his penis to the officer.” A possible clue to the dismissal is contained in the file. It is a letter written by a San Francisco physician, Dr. Alex Finkle, who said he was treating Jones for urinary problems at the time. In the letter, Finkle, a urologist, stated that Jones had an “obstruction of the outlet of the urinary bladder due to strategic enlargement of the prostate gland. Moreover, there is chronic inflammation of the prostate…and these conditions cause urinary frequency.” Finkle went on, “Even prior to seeing me, Rev. Jones had learned that jogging or jumping in place afforded improved initiation of urination. I encouraged his continuing that technique.” The physician concluded his letter by stating, “I am stunned to learn of the preposterous allegations (about) Rev. Jones!”
Yeah….right.
vokoban: The theatre in the 1914 ad might have been the one later called the Alvarado, and in its last years the Park. It opened in 1911, but the Cinema Treasures page for it doesn’t list Westlake as an earlier name for it, so there might have been yet another theatre on Alvarado near 7th.
It’s ironic that there are hundreds of listings for this theater almost from its opening for different Sunday church services and lectures and then a reverend was caught doing lewd behavior. I guess if the charges would have stuck all of those people might not have had the Kool-Aid death awaiting them.
(Sept. 24, 1926)
{Reprinted from yesterday’s late edition of The Times)
With the attendant crowds and blazing sun arcs of the typical Los Angeles premiere, the new West Coast Westlake Theater, at Alvarado and Sixth, had an auspicious opening last night. This latest unit of the ever-growing chain of West Coast neighborhood houses, follows closely in treatment the Spanish-Moorish architecture of early Califorina days. Its interior a pleasing symposium of golds and browns, and blue shading into deep purple, the Westlake Theater is one of the most charming of new Southern California showhouses. Reception rooms and promenade open into an upper loggia, overlooking the inner lobby below. Two thousand persons may be accommodated on the two floor of the house….
(Sept. 22, 1926)
The West Coast Westlake Theater, Alvarado at Sixth, opening in gala array tonight, will have an auspicious start-if officials of the West Coast Theaters, Inc., and the West Coast-Bernstein circuit are prophets. Under the direction of Gore Brothers and A.L. Bernstein this organization expects to lend every assistance for the premiere opening and dedication, but also the continued maintenance, operation and control along the lines of highest theatrical caliber.
(April 23, 1926)
Erection of the new $500,000 Westlake Theater building at 622 South Alvarado street is being rushed and, from present indications, it will be ready for its formal opening about June 1. It was announced yesterday by Richard M. Bates, architect. The building is of Class A construction with exterior facing of terra cotta, according to Mr. Bates, who added that Gladding, McBean & Co. provided the terra cotta. Built for the Westlake Theater Building Company, the structure is 115 by 180 feet in size, and sixty feet in height. It will have a seating capacity of 2000, it was said.
Is this advertisement referring to another theater on this site or was it there earlier than 1926?
LA Times
(March 13, 1914)
Westlake Theater
South Alvarado, near 7th St.
Now showing high class Mutual pictures and offers its patrons a programme of unusual excellence presenting the Best Pictures in the city. Nothing cheap but the price. 5 CENTS TO All.
An older photo by William Reagh:
View link
A current photo, more or less:
View link
The Westlake had a rare Style 216 2 manual 10 rank Wurlitzer. The organ was removed from the Westlake and went to a private home in Taft, California (this 216 is NOT to be confused with the style 216 that was originally installed in the Taft, CA Hippodrome/Fox Theatre). The private home suffered a fire and the organ was removed and reinstalled in First Christian Church in Porterville, CA.
Eventually, the early 1980s, the church tossed the organ and bought a plug-in organ of some sort. The organ was used for parts with the Solo division becoming part of the George Wright home studio organ in the Hollywood Hills. The Main division was installed and remains in the Fox Theatre in Hanford, CA combined with a composite Wurlitzer “Solo” division.
The opening date of the Westlake Theater was 22nd September 1926 and it was built for West Coast-Langlet Theaters. It opened with Monte Blue and Marie Prevost starring in “Other Women’s Husbands” supported on stage by Charlie Nelson and his Band and a Franchon and Marco “Idea”. The Wurlitzer Theatre Organ was a 2 Manual console with 10 Ranks of pipes.
The Westlake closed on 26th June 1991 after screening Spanish language movies for a few years.
December 13, 1973: “The Reverend Jim Jones is arrested in a cruisy movie theater bathroom in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Jones had the bad luck to hit on an undercover LAPD vice officer while masturbating in the Westlake Theatre men’s room.”
There were five theatres in the area of the Westlake, The Westlake (Fox house), Park (now retail, former adult), Vagabond (office or church), and two others that are long gone (one was across the street from the Park and the other was north of the Westlake). Having worked the Vagabond Theatre in the early 90’s. The area was not a very safe area after dark. The MacArthur park area was full of drug and gang action. It’s a great idea to restore the theatre, but the problem is will people come to the area after dark. The area is Spanish and low income, and there was not much of a night life in the area.
Just wondering… if there’s hope for restoring the Westlake for use as a theatre, is there similar hope to be had for the Fox Venice?
Are there any other theatres within this neighborhood ? if we restore the theatre, what kind of performance we can have in this theatre? if we restore the theatre, what we should do for the people having their small bussniss in swapmeet ?
07/21/04 Wednesday Bill Sims
This was another theater that was within walking distance of my apartment. I was struck by the fantastically painted ceiling! Seats in the balcony were quite comfortable, but the smell of dead rats was a bit disturbing. Nevertheless, I enjoyed going there until it converted to a Spanish-language-only theater. Oh, well. The neighborhood was changing. Everything changes!
Alternate link for 1973 interior view of Westlake Theatre (later known as Teatro Westlake showing Spanish movies):
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater3/00015508.jpg
For an interior view dated 1973 before its conversion:
View link
A whorthwile theater to restore in Los Angeles located near old landmarks like the Ambassador Hotel, the original Brown Derby Restaurant and Bullocks Wilshire (all closed).
Best of luck to Alliance: MacArthur Park with their efforts.
Good luck it will make a wonderful thetre when restored