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Looking around the 1940s
Some nice info and photos.....I know the first one has been posted here in the forums in the past.....
Hollywood Legion Stadium 1921-1959
Located at 1628 El Centro Avenue just south of Hollywood Boulevard.
Opened in 1919 as an open-air stadium for boxing matches so people did not have to travel to LA Stadium. A roof was added in 1921 opening as an 8,000 seat venue.
It was closed in July 1923 and the boxing ring was sank 6 feet to improve the viewing of the ring and add a ventilation system. Per the Los Angeles Times of the day, the venue then accommodated 5,100 people though some other sources put it at 4,500.
A new version that you see in the photos on a website, hollywoodpartnership.com, is a new version opened in September 1938 with a capacity of 6,300.It was owned and operated by the Hollywood American Legion Post 43. A plaque commemorating this is posted at the site of the Statium. Boxing shows at the Hollywood Legion were originally shown on Friday nights. They moved them to Saturday nights in March 1952 because the televising of boxing shows on Friday nights from the east coast were eroding the attendance at the Legion and many other boxing venues at the time.
In the 1920s, 30s and 40s the Legion was a favorite hangout of film celebrities.
The final boxing card at the Hollywood Legion was on September 12, 1959 and a wrestling bill two nights later as the last event at the Stadium.
Some photos on the hollywoodpartnership.com website, show the plague mentioned above and the current La Fitness gym where the Legion was located.
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