Hayworth Theatre facts for kids
Marquee of the Hayworth Theatre in 2021
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| Formation | 1926 |
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| Location |
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Owner
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Jenji Kohan |
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Artistic Directors
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Vanessa Ragland & Jamie Flam |
The Hayworth Theatre is a cool place in Los Angeles, California, where people go to watch shows and performances. It's located in the Westlake neighborhood and was built way back in 1926. The building has a beautiful Spanish style.
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History of the Hayworth Theatre
The Hayworth Theatre was designed by an architect named Stiles O. Clements. His company, Morgan, Walls & Clements, designed many other theaters in Los Angeles. They also designed many buildings in the historic Wilshire area. The building's style is called Spanish Colonial Revival style. It looks very fancy and detailed.
From Masque to Vagabond
The theater first opened in 1926. Back then, it was called The Masque Theatre. It was a Vaudeville House, which means it showed many different kinds of live acts. These included comedy, music, and dance.
On May 26, 1950, the theater changed. It became a movie theater and was renamed the Vagabond Theatre. An architect named Dwight Gibbs helped with this change. He also designed the famous Carthay Circle Theatre. The inside walls of the Vagabond Theatre once had cool paintings. These paintings showed scenes from old silent movies. The building also had a restaurant called Vagabond's House. Some people think this was Los Angeles' first Tiki bar.
Challenges and Comeback
The Vagabond Theatre was very popular for showing classic movies. But in the late 1980s, video players became common. This made it harder for movie theaters to attract crowds. The theater almost closed down. However, it managed to stay open into the 1990s. It even showed classic 3-D films like "Kiss Me Kate" and "Dial M for Murder."
In 2006, a group called The Hayworth Theatre Company moved in. They stayed until 2011. Famous actors like Alfred Molina and Katie Lowes performed there.
New Ownership and Dynasty Typewriter
In November 2013, a TV writer named Jenji Kohan bought the building. She planned to use the second floor as offices. These offices would be for writers and editors working on her TV shows. In 2015, the building was updated. Architects Linda Brettler and Lydia Dubois-Wetherwax made sure to keep the building's historic look. Two years later, they also updated the theater space.
In 2017, Jamie Flam, who used to work at Hollywood Improv, started a project. He wanted to reopen the venue as Dynasty Typewriter. He raised money through a Kickstarter campaign. The new venue opened in January 2018. It became a place for comedy, variety shows, and movie screenings. Many famous comedians have performed there. These include Hannah Gadsby, Adam Sandler, and Margaret Cho.
Filming Location for Movies and TV
The Hayworth Theatre has been used as a location for many movies and TV shows over the years.
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, a funny movie from 1988. It starred Leslie Nielsen.
- The Formula, a mystery movie from 1980. It starred Marlon Brando.
- La La Land, a musical movie from 2016. It starred Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.
- Too Late, a comedy movie from 2021. It starred Fred Armisen.
Comedy Specials and Events
Under the name Dynasty Typewriter, the venue has been a popular spot for filming comedy specials. Many big companies like Netflix, Comedy Central, and HBO have filmed shows there.
- Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh
- Esther Povitsky: Hot for My Name
- Eddie Pepitone: For the Masses
- Mark Normand: Out To Lunch
- Chris Fleming: Hell
