Vista Theatre (Los Angeles) facts for kids
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Lou Bard Playhouse
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| Address | 4473 Sunset Drive Los Angeles, California |
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| Coordinates | 34°05′54″N 118°17′13″W / 34.0984°N 118.2869°W |
| Owner | Quentin Tarantino |
| Operator | Vintage Cinemas |
| Type | Egyptian |
| Capacity | 400 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 9, 1923 |
| Reopened | 2023 |
| Architect | Lewis A. Smith |
The Vista Theatre is a historic single-screen movie theater in Los Angeles, California. You can find it in the Los Feliz area, right on the edge of East Hollywood. It's a special place where people have enjoyed movies for many years.
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A Look Back: The Vista Theatre's History
The Vista Theatre first opened its doors on October 9, 1923. Back then, it was known as the Lou Bard Playhouse. It wasn't just for movies! The theater also hosted live stage shows called vaudeville. On its very first day, the cinema showed a film called Tips, starring a child star named Baby Peggy.
When it first opened, the theater had 838 seats. Later, the owners made a change to make movie-watching more comfortable. They removed some rows of seats to give people more legroom. This reduced the number of seats to 400.
A Landmark from the 1920s
The Vista Theatre is one of the few old buildings still standing from the 1920s. This was a time when Hollywood was growing fast. Many new homes were being built, and people were moving there from other parts of Los Angeles.
In 1980, the theater got a refresh from Thomas Theaters. Even though it has been updated to show new movies, it still keeps its original, historic look.
Famous Visitors and Fun Features
The Vista Theatre is a local landmark, which means it's an important and well-known place in the community. Outside the theater, you can find cement handprints and footprints of famous movie stars and directors. It's a bit like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but just for the Vista!
Many famous actors and directors love to visit the Vista. They sometimes attend screenings of their own films, host special events, or even surprise the audience! Since 2018, stars like Anne Hathaway, Taika Waititi, Lupita Nyong'o, John Cho, Zoë Kravitz, Chris Hemsworth, and Tessa Thompson have all been seen at the Vista.
New Ownership and Reopening
In July 2021, the famous director Quentin Tarantino announced that he had bought the Vista Theatre. He plans to make some exciting changes, like adding a cafe and a smaller screening room.
The Vista Theatre officially reopened on November 17, 2023, ready for new generations to enjoy its magic.
