I was reminded of the number of riches Angelinos have when I visited LA this
past weekend. By chance, I got to see the inside of The Million Dollar Theater.
Fairly well-preserved, impressive, not too ornate and a bit exotic. Of late,
UCLA has been showing classic movies there on Wed nights so do go if you have
the opportunity (Pershing Square stop on the subway.) As Emily Leider pointed
out in her book, Dark Lover, “The Son of the Sheik” had its LA premiere at the Million
Dollar and Rudy made a personal appearance on opening night, one of his last.
Rudy apparently went to the Egyptian Theater (built in 1922) on Hollywood
Boulevard a fair amount, especially given that it was so close to his home in
Whitley Heights. Although modified over the years, the interior still sports
vestiges of the original Egyptian design elements and is well worth a visit.
It’s my understanding that Rudy also went to the Vista, at Sunset Junction on
Sunset Boulevard, (built in 1923) at least a couple of times. That theater has
fully restored its Egyptian decor and is a really fun venue. Still shows first
run films, and “The Artist” was playing there recently. How perfect is that?
