Westlake Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Westlake Theatre is a historic theater located in the Westlake section of Los Angeles, California
, adjacent to MacArthur Park
. The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2009.
Opened in 1926, the theater had seating for 1,949 patrons and was used for both motion pictures and vaudeville shows. It was built at a reported cost of $750,000. It was designed by Richard D. Bates, Jr., with an exterior in a Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival style. The facade features cast stone Churrigueresque
detailing of floral patterns and cartouche relief. The interior contains Adamesque references and murals by Anthony Heinsbergen
. Exterior renovations in 1935 were designed by the noted theater architect S. Charles Lee
and included an Art Deco
ticket kiosk made of red-painted metal, unvarnished aluminum and glass, new lobby doors, and terrazzo
sunburst paving in the foyer and front sidewalk. One of the theater's intact features is an original steel-frame, three-story neon sign that reads "WESTLAKE THEATRE."
The Westlake was operated as a first-run movie theater from 1926 until the 1960s. As the neighborhood's demographics changed, the theater was sold to Metropolitan Theatres Corp., which showed Spanish-language or Spanish-subtitled movies. In 1991, the building was sold to Mayer Separzadeh, who converted the theater into a swap meet. To protect the building from drastic changes, the building was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in September 1991.
The theater was purchased by the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles in 2008. The Redevelopment Agency announced plans to rehabilitate the theater as a venue for live theater, film, music and other performances.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, adjacent to MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park is a park in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, named after General Douglas MacArthur and designated city of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument #100.- Geography :...
. The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2009.
Opened in 1926, the theater had seating for 1,949 patrons and was used for both motion pictures and vaudeville shows. It was built at a reported cost of $750,000. It was designed by Richard D. Bates, Jr., with an exterior in a Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival style. The facade features cast stone Churrigueresque
Churrigueresque
Churrigueresque refers to a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament which emerged as a manner of stucco decoration in Spain in the late 17th century and was used up to about 1750, marked by extreme, expressive and florid decorative detailing, normally found above the...
detailing of floral patterns and cartouche relief. The interior contains Adamesque references and murals by Anthony Heinsbergen
Anthony Heinsbergen
Anthony Heinsbergen was an American muralist considered the foremost designer of North American movie theatre interiors....
. Exterior renovations in 1935 were designed by the noted theater architect S. Charles Lee
S. Charles Lee
S. Charles Lee was an American architect recognized as one of the most prolific and distinguished motion picture theater designers on the West Coast.-Early life :...
and included an Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
ticket kiosk made of red-painted metal, unvarnished aluminum and glass, new lobby doors, and terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
sunburst paving in the foyer and front sidewalk. One of the theater's intact features is an original steel-frame, three-story neon sign that reads "WESTLAKE THEATRE."
The Westlake was operated as a first-run movie theater from 1926 until the 1960s. As the neighborhood's demographics changed, the theater was sold to Metropolitan Theatres Corp., which showed Spanish-language or Spanish-subtitled movies. In 1991, the building was sold to Mayer Separzadeh, who converted the theater into a swap meet. To protect the building from drastic changes, the building was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in September 1991.
The theater was purchased by the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles in 2008. The Redevelopment Agency announced plans to rehabilitate the theater as a venue for live theater, film, music and other performances.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles, California
- List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in the Wilshire and Westlake areas