1625-27 N. La Brea Ave. Hollywood (Los Angeles), CA 90028 | map |
Opened: In 1948 this became the home for Troupers Club and Auditorium. This 1983 photo appeared on eBay. On the left is the auditorium at 1625 N. La Brea. The clubhouse was at 1627. The buildings were on the west side of the street just south of Hollywood Blvd.
A clubhouse detail from the photo.
An auditorium entrance detail taken from the 1983 photo. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for spotting the photo on eBay and sharing it, along with these two details, on his
Noirish post #59662.
The Troupers Auditorium and the house in front are indicated in green. It's a detail from sheet 1045
of a Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
that's on the Library of Congress website. It's their image 48 out of 94. Note the El Patio/Music Box Theatre in the upper right on Hollywood Blvd. The LOC's copy of the map had been updated as late as 1950. Looking for something in Hollywood? See the index page for this version of the map which gives a list of the drawings by street address.
Seating: 300. It said so right on the clubhouse front porch.
Earlier locations: The Troupers Club was formed in November 1926. Or was it 1925? Stories differ. In 1929 they took over the
Hollywood Community Theatre at 1742 N. Ivar. In the 1930 city directory it was listed as
Troupers Green Room. Originally they required 30 years
experience on stage or screen to join. By 1930 that had been reduced to
20 years. That year they had 700 members. By 1931 they were in a
Troupers Club House at 1634 N. El Centro. By 1940 they had taken over the
Las Palmas Theatre
and had renamed it the
Troupers Theatre. In 1943 the group had moved into a new
Troupers Club House at 1723 N. Highland Ave. That building has been demolished.
The grand opening was announced in this item that appeared in the May 3, 1948 issue of the L.A. Times. Thanks to Brent C. Dickerson, aka Odinthor, for locating this and several other Troupers items for his
Noirish Los Angeles post #59665. Visit his extensive historical site "
A Visit To Old Los Angeles."
A November 1950 dance and buffet featuring Mae Murray.
An October 1960 ad in the Times for "The Boy Friend."
"The Drunkard" with Joe Adair "and a cast of 25" at the Troupers in 1961. The flyer appears on the
USC Digital Library website. The show's L.A. run had begin in July 1933 at the
Theatre Mart on Clinton St. It closed there in October 1959.
A flyer for the March 25, 1966 show with the Grateful Dead and Tiny Tim. Del Close did the light show. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for locating this and the photo below for his
Noirish post #59667.
The Dead onstage at the Troupers in March 1966. Ethereal Reality notes: "At the last minute they had someone run out and buy bolts of fabric to decorate the stage." The photo and the poster appear on pages about the engagement on the
dead.net/archives and
Truckin' With the Dead websites.
A photo of the Dead onstage that was taken by Rose McGee. She has published two books of her photos: "My Grateful Dead Photos – 1966-1991" and "Dancing with the Dead – A Photographic Memoir." Her website:
rosiemcgee.com. Thanks to Gregornot for sharing this on a
Grateful Dead subReddit.
The entrance for the SPREE Awards in the auditorium in 1972. The shot by an unknown photographer is in the
on the
USC Digital Library website. They note: "Spotlights, banners, and the full red-carpet treatment greet the sold-out crowd that attended the SPREE Awards at Trouper's Hall. SPREE (The Society of Pat Rocco Enlightened Enthusiasts) was a primarily gay male theatrical company and social organization."
Photos taken by Michael J. Varegas during a "Zero to Success" benefit in October 1975. It's from the
on the
USC Digital Library website.
A "Free the Slaves" show and dance in 1976. It was to raise funds for those arrested in a police raid on a health club. The Pat Rocco photo from the
on the
USC Digital Library website.
The L.A. police chief was hung in effigy at the 1976 "Free the Slaves" event. This story appeared in the April 24 issue of the L.A. Times. Thanks to Brent Dickerson for locating it.
Michael Snider notes that there were also punk shows in the Troupers Auditorium in the late 1970s. Donna Edwards adds: "Omg
I remember that place used to be a dance club in the 70s then in the
80s bands would play there like X and Dwight Yoakam, etc. Always a rowdy
place many fights, etc."
Brenda Weathers, Carol-Lynn Fillet and Carolyn Weathers hanging a banner for a bingo event in 1982 in an attempt to raise funds for a Women's Arts and Services Foundation. This scrapbook page
on the
USC Digital Library website.
Closing: It's unknown when the Troupers Club stopped using the properties. Or what happened to the organization.
Status: The buildings have been demolished. The house was gone by 1992. The auditorium survived until around 2005. There's now a big apartment complex on the site that went up in 2007 and 2008.
A 2024 Google view showing the two buildings of the complex now on the site. That's La Brea slicing up through the middle.
The site is on the left in this 2024 view north toward Hollywood Blvd. Image: Google Maps
More information: See Lisa Kouza Braddock's post about the Troupers for the Lost Angeles Facebook group.
| back to top | Other Troupers locations: 1929 - Hollywood Community Theatre - 1742 N. Ivar. | 1931 - Troupers Club House - 1634 N. El Centro | 1940 - Las Palmas Theatre - 1642 N. Las Palmas | 1943 - Troupers Club House - 1723 N. Highland Ave. |
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