Fox Wilshire Theatre
About this property
The Saban Theatre is a historic theatre in Beverly Hills, California, formerly known as the Fox Wilshire Theater. It is an Art Deco structure at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Hamilton Drive designed by architect S. Charles Lee and is considered a classic Los Angeles landmark. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 2012. The Saban Theatre has been both a significant cultural and architectural landmark for Los Angeles and Beverly Hills since its opening as the Fox Wilshire Theatre on September 19, 1930. It was originally designed with 2500 seats by noted theatre architect S. Charles Lee to be a major film presentation house, even including a stage for Vaudeville acts before the films. Over its 91-year history, the Saban has been the site of numerous film premieres, exclusive first-run film engagements, live concerts and touring Broadway shows. Despite several renovations, the interior remains mostly intact with its columned two-story rotunda lobby, spacious orchestra and balcony level seating for 2,000, and its silver, gold and black proscenium and organ screens. The connection with architect S. Charles Lee, a long-time resident of the city of Beverly Hills, makes the Saban significant also as an example of Lee's transition from the French Regency style of the Tower Theatre and other Los Angeles Theatres to the nascent Art Deco style that would come to dominate movie palace architecture in the 1930s. Opened as the Fox Wilshire Theatre, it was one of 20th Century Fox's premiere theaters for several decades, serving as a movie palace until a 1981 renovation converted it into a stage venue. It was operated by the Nederlander Organization from 1981 to 1989. The Saban Theater is now regularly used as a live performance venue for comedy, music, television, film shoots, screenings, and community intercultural events such as PaleyFest. Temple of the Arts has owned and operated the theatre since 2005. Sterling Venue Ventures, led by Lance Sterling currently produces over 50 concerts and events at the Saban per year. Notable performers Sterling has brought to the theatre include Marillion, Paul Anka, Burt Bacharach, Frankie Valli, Styx, George Thorogood, Kenny Loggins, Todd Rundgren, and Morris Day. In March 2009, owners announced that the Wilshire would be renamed the Saban Theatre in recognition of a $5 million grant from Haim and Cheryl Saban. The funds have been used to further restoration efforts on the orchestra, proscenium and marquee. It also houses programs by Temple of the Arts, which aims to integrate the arts and Judaism.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Fox Wilshire Theatre listed on the National Register?
Fox Wilshire Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 2, 2012.
What type of historic resource is Fox Wilshire Theatre?
Fox Wilshire Theatre is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Fox Wilshire Theatre?
The period of significance for Fox Wilshire Theatre is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Fox Wilshire Theatre?
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