The Hitching Post Theatre had an actual hitching post out front along the curb. Westerns were shown; Bob Steele, early John Wayne, Gene Autry, and even Spade Cooley. The building was demolished way, way back (don’t have the date) and remained a parking lot next to a two-story bookshop (now long gone). A small theatre, it was cozy and you stuffed your face with popcorn, watching the action and shoot-outs on screen. In the photo above you can see the streetecar tracks along Hollywood Boulevarad. Just a couple doors west of the theatre was the intersection of Hollywood and Vine.
When I was about eleven years of age, around 1946, I went to the Westlake Theatre about three times a month, until around 1952. This is where I saw all my favorite film noir (first run back then). A large, comfortable movie house; wide, big balcony. Quite lavish interior. Big lobby loaded with every goodie imaginable. Yes, the sign is still there, but the days of DARK PASSAGE, BRUTE FORCE and the BIG SLEEP are long, long gone.
The building that housed this movie theater still exists, sans marquee. It is locatted at the corner of Rampart and Temple Streets, diagonally across from the Rampart Police Station. The Temple Street yellow car (trolley) stopped at the interesection, heading east and west from downtown LA to Hollywood. I attended this movie house probably twice a week from about 1940, through the War (WWII), until around 1949. They played Keno every Wednesday and Friday nights (like Bingo), had big drawings and give-aways. Always (like most older movie houses), showing double-features, shorts, cartoons, and newsreels. Movies changed at least twice a week.
The Hitching Post Theatre had an actual hitching post out front along the curb. Westerns were shown; Bob Steele, early John Wayne, Gene Autry, and even Spade Cooley. The building was demolished way, way back (don’t have the date) and remained a parking lot next to a two-story bookshop (now long gone). A small theatre, it was cozy and you stuffed your face with popcorn, watching the action and shoot-outs on screen. In the photo above you can see the streetecar tracks along Hollywood Boulevarad. Just a couple doors west of the theatre was the intersection of Hollywood and Vine.
When I was about eleven years of age, around 1946, I went to the Westlake Theatre about three times a month, until around 1952. This is where I saw all my favorite film noir (first run back then). A large, comfortable movie house; wide, big balcony. Quite lavish interior. Big lobby loaded with every goodie imaginable. Yes, the sign is still there, but the days of DARK PASSAGE, BRUTE FORCE and the BIG SLEEP are long, long gone.
The building that housed this movie theater still exists, sans marquee. It is locatted at the corner of Rampart and Temple Streets, diagonally across from the Rampart Police Station. The Temple Street yellow car (trolley) stopped at the interesection, heading east and west from downtown LA to Hollywood. I attended this movie house probably twice a week from about 1940, through the War (WWII), until around 1949. They played Keno every Wednesday and Friday nights (like Bingo), had big drawings and give-aways. Always (like most older movie houses), showing double-features, shorts, cartoons, and newsreels. Movies changed at least twice a week.