The old Woodland Hills Assembly Hall was originally built for theater in the round. In fact, I had a good friend that saw Flower Drum Song there prior to it being sold to the Witlesses.
Woodland Hills Assembly Hall, Woodland Hills CA
by AudeSapere 28 Replies latest jw friends
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1. Rumor had it that Bob Hope built the building but there was insufficient parking to allow for 'worldly' concerts. True or False??
False, there was plenty of parking.
2. What happened to the building?? I drove by there last week and there's nothing left.
The property was sold and I believe it has been replaced by condominium units.
4. For many years George Kelly was the caretaker or something for the AH. Is he still around???
I know that at least as recently as 2006, George Kelly was still alive. I would guess that he's in his 90s right now.
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thepackage
Bob Hope built the building for boxing events, but it new really made it as a boxing venue. It got sold a while back. The people that built the Condo's in back bought the land. TRUST
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AudeSapere
For a couple of years the parking lot looked like it was rented to a Car Dealership but now the building is gone and nothing is built yet.
1. Rumor had it that Bob Hope built the building but there was insufficient parking to allow for 'worldly' concerts. True or False??
False, there was plenty of parking.
I disagree on this.
There was not even enough parking for witnesses who carpooled and had full-carloads of family - and that was with 1/4 - 1/3 of the auditorium roped off. I really doubt there was enough room for a boxing event or concert where people would travel mostly in 2's.
I had heard that Bob Hope refused to see to the witnesses many times but he eventually gave in since couldn't get any other buyer due to parking situation.
beksbks wrote: It was a circular theater, so teens could walk around and around and around, hoping to see the teen girl/boy of interest.
LOL. Umm Yeah. *That's* why they built it as a circular theater.
EXJW4EVR wrote: The old Woodland Hills Assembly Hall was originally built for theater in the round. In fact, I had a good friend that saw Flower Drum Song there prior to it being sold to the Witlesses.
Really? That would have been cool to see.
Oh well. It's gone now. Fun while it lasted. -Aude. -
beksbks
LOL. Umm Yeah. *That's* why they built it as a circular theater.
Hehehe it may not be why they built it, but it's why I remember it!
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VM44
God, Chalk Hill and a Theatre in the Round by Steven Lane (writer), November 18, 2006, published in BrooWaha Los Angeles
Chalk hill was a rise on Ventura Blvd in Woodland Hills, Ca., between Taft High School and St. Mel's Grade School. I just recently read that, a couple of years ago, the Jehovah Witnesses sold the big building at the base of the hill for $30 million bucks. Years ago, me and my friends used to ride our bikes around there, and you could have bought a COUPLE OF MILES in either direction for half that price. God is good to those who wait! Amen. I remember Chalk hill in all kinds of different ways but none on a spiritual basis. My first memory was that the bike climb was a bitch. It was one of those, damn, it's to hot to peddle, I'm going to have to walk the bike to the top. We would ride or walk up just so we could ride down. I would put my feet up off the pedals and fly down that hill at what seemed like a 100 miles and hour, and then we would turn around start peddling up that hill again. Even today, I can still feel that sweat and the heat. Right at the top of the peak, about 200 yards off the street, was a real honest to goodness roadhouse. Big old dirt parking lot with motorcycles and hot rods parked outside. Country music and rock and roll filtered out to the front where me and my friends would sit and watch for the fights that were sure to come. It would have been around 1955 and I would have been about 8 years old.
Right next to the roadhouse there was a dirt road that went up the side of an adjacent hill. It wound around that little mountain like a garland on a Christmas tree. When I was 16, I often drove my girlfriend, who became my wife, up that dusty road to the flat top. We would park my 1956 Olds, lay out a blanket and make love there on the ground, with the whole valley as our bedroom door. We were alone and free, if the police or another couple would start up the road, we could see them coming and had at least five minutes to put things right.
They tore that hill down and in that spot, actor Bob Hope and a bunch of Money built the VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE. It was a noble experiment, a theatre in the round. A real attempt to bring some fine art out to the far end of the world. I remember going there with my wife when I was about 20 years old. A small time comic named Woody Allen was headlining and a singer known as Jim Croce was the opener. It seemed that no one told Mr Allen that this was in fact, a theatre in the round. My recollection is that I saw a lot of the back of his head. Unfortunately, the pundits prevailed, it was a financial disaster. Hard to believe that a place that had presented The Doors, Buffalo Springfield and The Byrds on the same stage, on the same night, closed its doors after just a couple of years.
Bob Hope was a brilliant Valley real estate investor and his next move was totally classic. What does one do with a bankrupt 1000 seat plus theatre in the round? Hell, sell it to God! Upon that very hollowed ground where my wife and I had laid naked some five to six years earlier, The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses was born. A grand meeting place for dunking wet heads and praising the lord. Hope sold it for about $1 million, and now God has turned it over for $30 million. Over the years, every time I drive by that patch of ground, i just chuckle to myself.
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VM44
Valley Music Theater
The Valley Music Theater at 20600 Ventura Blvd. in Woodland Hills. Built in 1964 with backing by Bob Hope, it later served as a venue for Rock bands including the Doors, Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds and others. It was bought out in the 1970's and became a Jehovah's Witness Assembly Hall. It was sold again in 2004 and is currently slated to be demollished to make way for high density housing and retail.
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VM44
Valley Music Theatre To Be Demolished
The Valley Music Theater, designed by Hawkins and Lindsey, Architects, was host to many legendary R&B and rock bands including Ray Charles, the Doors, Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, Ike & Tina Turner, Peter, Paul & Mary, BB King, Lou Rawls, Three Dog Night, Jim Croce & the Spiral Staircase, among others. Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Carson, Don Rickles & Woody Allen also performed in the futuristic domed structure.
The Valley Music Theatre was also a boxing venue, where top boxing matches were screened via closed circuit to sold out crowds.
Located at 20600 Ventura Blvd. in Woodland Hills, the venue was originally envisioned as a theater in the round. With backing by Hollywood celebrities, most notably Bob Hope, it opened with some fanfare in 1964 with a production of "The Sound of Music".
However, despite its initial successes, it fell into hard times. Financial difficulties forced its sale and in the 1970's it became a Jehovah's Witness Assembly Hall (where it is rumored that Michael Jackson worshipped before the beginning of his legal troubles -- but that's another story).
By 2004, the Jehovah's Witnesses outgrew the site, and without any public notice, the venue was sold to a private developer who has imminent plans to demolish the landmark to make way for additional high density housing and retail.
Sadly, the current density, demographics, technological and mass transit developments of the recent past would likely ensure success for a venue such as the Valley Music Theater were it to re-open today.
The structure consists of a large rear dome, in front of which is a quarter dome with massive glass front panels. It is situated at the top of a knoll and in passing, looks like a giant eye, opening. Construction of the domes was achieved by pouring concrete over massive mounds and excavating the dirt beneath. -
VM44
More pictures
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Dagney
Thanks for posting those. That area doesn't look like that anymore!
The parking was stacked, like many venue parking. So once you parked, you couldn't leave the hall and lunch elsewhere.
Can you imagine buying it for just one million?