Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles (Part 8 in series)

Continuing the series entitled Theaters of Los Angeles,

let's take a look at some theaters along Wilshire Blvd, AKA the "Miracle Mile".

Disclaimer: If it looks like I took some of these photos from a car, you're right! 

WILSHIRE THEATER

8440 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA

Opened in 1930; was one of the premiere movie palaces in LA.
Was converted into a stage venue in 1981.
The marquee no longer says "WILSHIRE"; it's now the Saban Theater.

WILTERN THEATER

3790 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

Built in 1930 as a vaudeville house; 

Named for it's intersection: WILshire and WesTERN

Now a major concert venue

CREST THEATER

1262 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Opened in 1940 as the Westwood Theater, a live venue. Later became a movie theater. Today it still shows movies and also hosts film fests. It is just a block from Wilshire Blvd, and the UCLA campus is close by.

FINE ARTS THEATER

8556 Wilshire Boulevard | More from Cinema Treasures

Opened in 1937 with the movie THAT GIRL FROM PARIS.
A PLACE IN THE SUN had its world premiere here in 1951.
Hosted film fests and showed movies until it closed - sadly - last year in 2010.

EL REY THEATER

5515 Wilshire Boulevard | More from WikiPedia

Built in 1936 and served as a single-screen movie house for 50 years.
Since the 90s, it has been a live music venue.

HAYWORTH THEATER
(AKA VAGABOND)

2509 Wilshire Boulevard | Official Website | Cinema Treasures

Opened in 1926 as the Vagabond Theater.

By the 1970s the theater became a revival theater. Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings has seen more classic films here in the '70s and '80s than any other venue. Among the films she remembers enjoying at the Vagabond for the first time: Tonight and Every Night (post), Summer Holiday (post), The Emperor Waltz (post), and the musicals Cover Girl and The Gang's All Here, which she wrote about here. 

(Here's a 1980s-era pic from American Classic Images)

Sadly, the theater closed in 1993, and reopened in 2006 as a live theater venue,
renamed the Hayworth (no relation to Rita Hayworth)

By the way in case you are wondering what the marquee says, it reads "Adam Baum and the Jew Movie". No, I didn't make that up. 

MUSIC HALL THEATER 

9036 Wilshire Boulevard | Cinema Treasures

Originally opened as the Elite Theatre in 1937; ten years later it was renamed Music Hall Theatre, and was renovated in the mid-1990’s. Today the theater shows art house and independent films.

United Artists on Wilshire
(Now Oasis Church)

5100 Wilshire Boulevard | Church Website

The Oasis Theatre was one of the original United Artists theatres. Many movie premieres and gala events were held here and attended by celebrities like Clark Gable, Ronald Coleman and many others. The theatre was purchased by the Oasis Church in February of 1997. (church website)

I could not find any vintage photos of this building but it would have resembled these other United Artists palaces:

United Artists Theater (606 E Colorado Blv, Pasadena CA)

United Artists Theater (148 Market Str. Inglewood CA)

Here's another view of the church looking down the block. Every time I am in LA on a Sunday I try to make it to a service here; I get such a blessing here. The church volunteers are friendly and welcoming, and the worship is fresh and contemporary and the sermons relevant. There's also a bookstore, coffeeshop and lots of social activities and events as well. I recommend attending church here if you are in town.  

Also you don't see this anywhere else:

In July of 1998, a star, similar to the ones seen on Hollywood Blvd., was installed in the sidewalk in front of the theater. It reads - "Jesus Christ - The Son of God".  (church site)