ALL ABOUT the Legion Theater at Post 43
LAHTF’s first ALL ABOUT event of 2019 was an exclusive tour of the Legion Theater and Hollywood Post 43, following a multi-million dollar renovation and directly before the renovated theatre was revealed to the public as part of the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival.
The American Legion was founded in Paris after WWI and Post 43 was chartered in 1919. They first met in a church at Hollywood & Vine but they grew out of it quickly. Hollywood bigwigs like C.B. DeMille and Mary Pickford were instrumental in getting the post on its feet in the early days. Construction of this current clubhouse started in late 1928 and was completed in just over 6 months. It was designed by Los Angeles architects Joseph and Eugene Weston, of Weston and Weston, in what has been called everything from “Egyptian-Moroccan Deco” to “Neo-Mesopotamian Art Deco” in style.
In 2015 LAHTF was contacted for some advice about renovation of the theatre, the centerpiece of the multi-million dollar renovation of Post 43. Thanks to the dedication of the Hollywood Legion members and leadership, the Post 43 building and the Legion Theater are now ready for another 90 years of serving the veterans community in Hollywood.
LAHTF is indebted to the staff at Hollywood Post 43 for help with facilitating the tour, and in particular to Bill Steele for his in-person presentation of the renovation project.
Click on each photo below to enlarge. All photos Copyright 2019 Wendell Benedetti / Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation.
All photos Copyright 2019 by Wendell Benedetti / Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation.