Vintage Photo Friday - Pico & Westwood
Picwood Theater, 1949 |
I'm revisiting an earlier Vintage Photo Friday today. From the BibliOdyssey Blog: The Picwood was designed as a neighborhood theater by architect S. Charles Lee,
built in 1948. The
design epitomized the modern post-war aesthetic,
which required simple lines, inexpensive building materials and quick
construction to satisfy the post-war boom. The simple curved pylon was a
landmark in the flat landscape of one- and two-story buildings.
When I was a kid, this was a major hangout. The bowling alley and
coffee shop next door to the theater was a meeting place for kids from
the westside. One of the first movies I saw here was "West Side Story" (1961). One of the last was "The Jazz Singer"
(1980) with Neil Diamond.
Picwood Theater, 10872 Pico Blvd., West L.A., Corner of Pico and Westwood Blvds. |
This was a one-screen theater....so rare in
today's movie houses. The seats were big and roomy. From the 60's thru
the 80's, the decor was gold, modern and glitzy. You can see, by the
photo below, that the curved pylon was shortened and the decorative
panels with the dingbat starburst were added for a more modern exterior.
1981, courtesy of Richard Wojcik Photo Archive |
This entire complex was demolished in 1985 to make way for the extension to the Westside Pavillion Mall. This extension still houses a theater complex (Landmark Theaters) and a various other shops. Sigh. I'll bet if the Picwood Bowling Alley were still there, it would be a huge neighborhood success! Double sigh.
Labels: Architecture, Art, Fashion, Food, Friends, Los Angeles, Memories, Vintage Photos
5 Comments:
Love these pics !
The last movie I saw there was Apocalypse Now. Those pictures really bring back memories.
Thanks for these shots of the Picwood. I attended a lot of Saturday kiddie matinees there in the 50s, great place to dump the kids for a few hours for only a quarter! For first run movies admission for kids was $0.25, $0.90 for adults. John Wayne cowboy flics, Lucy in the "Long, Long Trailer," and countless MGM musicals made just a few blocks away. Sigh indeed! On the other side of Westwood that mega-mall killed Vons, Sees Candies, Buster Brown shoes, Rexall Drugs, a great old five & dime style store, and a lot of childhood memories.
Thanks for the comment, Bill. I remember the area pre-Mall too!
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