DEAR MOVIEGOERS!
I'm a Ph.D student at UCLA Film and Media Studies Department. I write my dissertation on Blaxploitation cinema and my main focus is on the movie-going culture in Los Angeles in the 1970s.
My work is interdisciplinary by idea, linking together film theory, ethnography, oral history, audience and exhibition studies. I find the post-soul, blaxploitation era fascinating and turbulent period of the American history (especially within African American community) and therefore worth of preservation and deeper examination.
I wish to conduct an ethnographical study in the form of interviews among spectators that grow up in the 1970s and were active cinema-goers who remember seeing films like "Shaft", "Superfly" or "Coffy" in the movie theatre and could tell me about their memories, habits, behavior, the cultural and social atmosphere of the given period.
Particularly I find very interesting the story of Baldwin Theatre, built in 1949 by 3741 S La Brea Avenue, one of the few nation's first-run black owned movie houses. It was closed in 1981 and there is very little information available about it's owners, history or audience.
The is a lot of stories to tell and share regarding Black film boom, especially in the multicultural city so closely related to the movie industry.
If you would like to participate in my study or know someone who might be interested please contact me: ewa.drygalska@gmail.com
I'd be extremely grateful for any help!!!
Thank you,
Comment
Hello,, not sure what you learned but I found this,, In 1960 Fred Stein took ownership of the Baldwin from Robert L Lippert who owned Eletrovision Corp. Fred Stein
Aubrey Schenck in the production of independent motion pictures. A member of the board of directors, Stone previously served as special consult- ant on acquisitions and corporate development for the company. Agreements have been made whereby Stone and other principals of the corporation will acquire Zabel's stock interest in the corporation. Addition of the Electrovision theatres increases to 29 Stein's existing chain of Southern California theatres, making Stein the largest independent operator in this area, with key houses in San Diego, San Bernardino, Pasadena and Santa Monica. Circuit Mostly Drive-ins Electrovision retains its theatres in northern and central California and southern Oregon, most of which are drive-ins. Included in deal with Stein are the Hollywood Paramount, Crest in Westwood, Beverly in Beverly Hills, Baldwin, Bay, Corbin, Imperial, Manchester, Rio, Southside and Buena Park. The Stein takeover is slated for Nov. 2.
I found a listing for the Baldwin Theatre in 1960: 3741 S. La Brea Baldwin Theatre AX 3-7164
3741 S. La Brea Ave. ElectroVision Corporation EVC Theatres Baldwin Theater AX 3-7164
Hope this helps.
Crystal
I was little at the time, but remember going to the drive-in movies with my mother. Going to the movies was an event. Not like it is now where you can roll out of bed and go. But I later heard that Black people protested because they weren't being portrayed in the movies and there were no black actors as role models. So the CIA funded the movie companies to make the movies for black people so they can work. Not sure of all the accuracy of my source but it seems plausible.
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