Baldwin Theatre
3741 S. La Brea Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90016
3741 S. La Brea Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90016
11 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 52 comments
I grew up in 60’s going to two theaters primarily: the Leimert and the Baldwin. The Leimert was the older, more austere theater at that time (now a church I think), but the Baldwin, now that was where you always wanted to see your movies! It seemed so modern back then, with its neon-lit arches and long sloping overhang. I recall watching Sean Connery kill Odd Job in Goldfinger, the Beatles race around England in A Hard Days Night and Help!, and Sidney Poitier bring home a white girl in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, all while glued to my seat at the Baldwin. I fell in love with Raquel Welsh, Jordan Almonds, and Debbie Blackwell (altho I doubt she ever knew it), at the Baldwin. Sorry its gone now. Long live the Baldwin Theater!
I wrote my undergraduate thesis on McDonald’s architecture. Their first restaurant was the Airdrome in Arcada in 1937; in 1940 this was cut in half, moved to the San Bernardino site, and enlarged as a BBQ stand and drive-in; in 1948 they converted it to the self-service concept, and in 1953 the first arches model was built in Phoenix. The San Bernardino restaurant was replaced with one of the standard model later in the year.
I should be clearer – by 1949 the McDonald’s had long since sold their theater in Glendora, but they always kept a keen eye on their drive-in competition; that’s how they became innovators. Given their movie theatre experience it seems likely they watched what the theaters were doing also.
Their original restaurant was in San Bernardino.
It’s actually entirely possible that the McDonald brothers drew inspiration from this. They were operating a movie theatre in Glendora at the same time, so they were probably aware of the Baldwin.
Style should be “Early McDonalds”.
Link to some vintage photos of this unique theater:
[url]http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/359637249_a8c05f4e28.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/82529191%40N00/359637249/&usg=__Dr5iBjAa-PZatKoiEacjE0zn5Ew=&h=402&w=500&sz=69&hl=en&start=5&sig2=BdvLvw0tBHe7CEHegFnNOA&um=1&tbnid=0kJZttDhWKsCrM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=130&ei=tFw1SYDDLZWUsAOYi8GMBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbaldwin%2Btheatre%2Blos%2Bangeles%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den[/url]
I saw my very first movie there with my parents, circa 1957, and it was called King of the Khyber Rifles with Michael Rennie. I also remember sitting in my Dad’s old blue Dodge in the parking lot, before a movie started (our MO was to drop off Mom in front of the box office so she could buy the tickets) and seeing Sputnik I fall from the sky.
On Saturday afternoons, of course, we rode our bikes to the BT to see the latest Elvis or Martin & Lewis movie and try to get up enough nerve to talk to the girls—still trying!
On Halloweens, there was always a special midnight show called “Spooks-a-Popping” which consisted of a movie, magic show, and other carnival tricks. I’m thinking it was just $0.15 or $0.09 for Saturday matinees or to ride the bus—can’t remember which was which!
Here is a June 1976 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2qoye4
In the 1970s I was a projectionist and worked at this theatre for two weeks while the regular projectionist was on vacation. I remember being very impressed with the then very modern style of the theatre. The lobby and outside were huge. Yesterday I passed by and the front of it is indeed a Washington Mutual Bank. The theatre Auditorium is still there but is now part of the LA School district.
The one thing that is odd is that most references (even the newspaper AD-LINK-ABOVE) says it was at La Brea near Rodeo when in fact it was and is at the corner of La Brea & Colliseum St. I guess Rodeo is a better known Street.
Matt Spero
I drove by the location yesterday. The arches are gone, and yes, it is a Washington Mutual Bank. I believe there is a great loss here. The design of the Baldwin Theater with the arches and all was a true piece of art, too bad it could not have been preserved.
Another great ad, another great piece of history. Thanks
I think this is a Washington Mutual bank now. The bank building was on the corner of Rodeo and La Brea, on the west side. As someone noted above, it appears to be a McDonalds when you approach because of the arches. I almost pulled in to go through the drive-thru.
Here is a February 1951 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/393uyw
Back in the day, and especially during my teen years 1968-1970, I remember the Baldwin Theatre very well. It was a very popular spot. During that period most of us were either pro black power movement, or from the hippie life style movement. There was not a lot of violence going on back then, so we were able to go out and enjoy places like the Baldwin Theatre. Prior to the years mentiioned, I also remember one Christmas when the Baldwin Hills Dam broke. The Baldwin Theatre and most the surrounding businesses were unfortunately submerged in water. Somehow, with a lot of hope and hard work, the area survived this ordeal. It brings back a lot
of good memories seeing the photo of the Baldwin Theatre on this website, thank you very much.
My earliest theatre going experiences were at the Baldwin Theatre in the early and mid-sixties. I have vague memories of the interior but specifically remember a smoking room located in the back of the theatre. I have never encountered such a room in a theatre again. My most vivid memory of the theatre was seeing Doctor Strangelove during free summer screenings they used to do for the kids in the area.
Tony R. May 29, 2007
In the ‘50s I went to the Baldwin Theater on numerous occasions. In 1952 I remember seeing the early 3-D film “Bwana Devil” which launched the 3-D fad at the Baldwin. The Leimert was our “home” theater but we would often ride our bikes over the Baldwin which we considered to be pretty snazzy with the modern architecture. I graduated from nearby Dorsey High in 1958 and the commencement was held in the Baldwin.
The previous reference to Baldwin Park is a little off the mark. The area is Baldwin Hills and the model development is called Village Green. Baldwin Park is east of Los Angeles. Both are named after “Lucky” Baldwin who was an oil magnate and large preperty owner at the turn of the last century.
I first saw the theatre in 1980. Prior to it being turned into a tri-plex, I toured the theater extensively. At that point as I recall, the Baldwin had been closed for a number of years. The auditorium reminded me somewhat of the Hollywood Bowl or Radio City Music Hall in that all of the auditorium lighting was recessed in half circles extending from one side of the auditorium to the other. When designed as a community, Baldwin Park was considered state of the art regional planning as was the theatre. I seem to recall when touring the building that there were special things about the original projection equipment though I don’t recall what the equipment specifically was. I distinctly remember seeing the auditorium for the last time in its original single- screen configuration. Returning from time to time, I saw the walls erected, forever dividing it into a multiplex. The Balwin had a very modern ‘feel’ to it and was typical of the progressive architecture of the era.
The only time I ever went to this theatre was in 1992 for Batman Returns. There were only three cinemas and the place was ridiculously crowded and cramped, as the concourses inside were very small. Most of the moviegoers were not allowed inside until ten minutes prior to the start of the film.
The theatre had many problems during the 80’s and 90’s and eventually had to go sometime soon, as the neighborhood wasn’t so great at time… well only if go east (all neighborhoods west of the theatre were a lot nicer).
The theatre finally closed down in 1994, and a year later Magic Johnson popped up by the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Plaza, it was nice when it opened, but is now just as bad as the old Baldwin theatre. It’s dirty, crowded, and just downright ghetto, though bigger and wider.
The Baldwin was a place filled with great memories, too bad it’s now gone. However, the bowl remains as a new commercial development including a Washington Mutual and an Ice Cream Parlor.
Looks like a McDonald’s.
they tore down the lobby area of the theatre,only the bowl shape part remains,im not sure what they are gonna do with the site,but that area is slowly getting better.when i was younger that was a “bad” theatre to go to,but i did go see a few movies there before it closed.
The Baldwin Theatre closed in 1994.
I am a 39yr. old former resident of the area. I remember as a kid in the early 70’s seeing a movie called “Cornbread, Earl, and Me”. It was the first movie in which I was to shed an emotional tear. My fondest memories of the Baldwin will always be of those tears.
The Baldwin Theatre opened on August 10th, 1949, the architect was Lewis Eugene Wilson. And when it opened it seated 1800 people.
The building has been made high and narrow at the scree, low and wide at the entrance, through the use of nine graduated arches. This innovation saves altitude and floor space, enables the introduction and exhaust of air conditioning without drafts, improves acoustics, and sllows the concealment of multi-hued indirect lighting between each circle in the auditorium. The all steel and wood frame is covered by acoustic long fibre asbestos material on metal laths. A South Sea motif decorates the open front, and braces for the two frontal arches become signs. Foilage is planted around the lattice work in the lobby and in the 117 foot foyer, which is faced with plate glass. Redwood on the foyer’s back wall and Formica doors adds simple elegance. It was built for the operators Franchon & Marco of the Paramount Stage shows.
The address for the Baldwin Theatre is 3741 S. La Brea Blvd..
The Baldwin Theatre is located at La Brea Blvd at Rodeo.