Hazard's Pavilion

Last updated
Hazard's Pavilion (demolished in 1906) Hazard's Pavilion.jpg
Hazard's Pavilion
(demolished in 1906)

Hazard's Pavilion was a large auditorium in Los Angeles, California, at the intersection of Fifth and Olive Streets. Showman George "Roundhouse" Lehman had planned to construct a large theatre center on the land he purchased at this location, but he went broke and the property was sold to the City Attorney (and soon to be Mayor), Henry T. Hazard. [1] The venue was built in 1887 by architects Kysor, Morgan & Walls at a cost of $25,000, a large amount for the time, and seated up to 4,000 people (some sources say that seating could be up to 8,000; the building was divided into two galleries, and perhaps each accommodated 4,000). The building was constructed of wood with a clapboard exterior, and the front was framed by two towers.

Contents

Hazard's Pavilion

As the largest building of its type in Los Angeles at the time, Hazard's Pavilion was a venue for conventions, political meetings, lectures, fairs, religious meetings, concerts, operas, balls, and sports events. It opened in April, 1887 with a modest civic flower festival, but a month later it hosted the National Opera Company with 300 singers, ballet dancers, and musicians. The Pavilion hosted regular religious meetings, including a series in 1888 where famed evangelist Dwight L. Moody spoke. In attendance at one of these meetings was Harry A. Ironside, which led him to becoming a world-famous preacher in his own right. Booker T. Washington, William Jennings Bryan and Carrie Nation were among the famous people who spoke to crowds gathered at Hazard's Pavilion. The great Italian operatic singer Enrico Caruso performed there.

Jack Johnson vs Jim Jeffries (Reno, 1910) Johnson jeff.jpg
Jack Johnson vs Jim Jeffries (Reno, 1910)

From 1901 to 1904, the first great Los Angeles boxing promoter, Uncle Tom McCarey, staged his first boxing shows at the pavilion. It would be McCarey who put the Los Angeles area on the map as a major boxing venue. Many famous boxers fought at the Pavilion. [2] The future World Heavyweight Champion, Jim Jeffries, had only one fully recorded bout in Los Angeles, his hometown, when he fought Joe Goddard there in 1898. The man who would go on to be the first African-American World Heavyweight Champion, Jack Johnson, fought in eight main events on cards staged by Tom McCarey at the pavilion during a period from 1902 to 1904. Other famous fighters who had bouts at Hazard's Pavilion include Joe Bernstein, Frank Childs, Kid McCoy, Hank Griffin, Dixie Kid, Denver Ed Martin, Sam McVey, Al Neill, Frankie Neil, Solly Smith, Joe Walcott, and Billy Woods.

In 1892, James J. Corbett fought in an exhibition bout with his sparring partner, Jim Daly at Hazard's Pavilion. Later in the same year, Corbett would go on to win the World Heavyweight Title from the then-champion, John L. Sullivan. Also at the pavilion, Ex-World Heavyweight Bob Fitzsimmons had one exhibition bout while Jim Jeffries had two, one of them as the World Heavyweight Champion.

In late 1904, the Temple Baptist Church leased the pavilion, changing its name to Temple Auditorium, at a time when churches were generally opposed to professional boxing. As a result, Tom McCarey was forced to find another venue for his boxing shows, a tough proposition because the site could not be located near residential areas, but it also had to be located near trolley lines. It would be late 1905 when McCarey staged his first card at a new pavilion located on North Main Street in the Naud Junction area.

Clune's Auditorium

The Birth of a Nation (1915) Birth of a Nation theatrical poster.jpg
The Birth of a Nation (1915)

In 1906, Hazard's Pavilion was demolished to make way for a new Temple Auditorium. The architect, Charles F. Whittlesey, and civil engineers John B. Leonard and C. R. Harris, created a building with a Spanish Gothic exterior and a vast auditorium with a simplified Art-Nouveau interior influenced by Louis Sullivan's Chicago Auditorium. Opened on November 7, 1906, with a performance of Aida , this was the largest reinforced concrete structure with the only cantilevered balcony in the world. It had the largest stage west of New York when it was completed, and it seated 2,600 people. A nine-story office block and retail shops were part of the complex.

For a number of years during the 1910s, Billy Clune presented silent films in the auditorium, then called Clune's Auditorium or sometimes Clune's Theatre Beautiful. [3] The landmark pro-Ku Klux Klan film The Birth of a Nation had its world premiere at Clune's Auditorium on its way to becoming a massive success.

Philharmonic Auditorium

Philharmonic Auditorium, on the left beyond Pershing Square. Panoramic view of Los Angeles, looking north from a building on the corner of Hill Street from 6th Street, 1913 (CHS-5823).jpg
Philharmonic Auditorium, on the left beyond Pershing Square.

When the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra began its second season in 1920, it chose Clune's Auditorium as its home, which became known as the Philharmonic Auditorium. [4] It was remodeled in 1938 by Claud Beelman. [5] [6] The mansard roof was removed, the building was given a moderne facade, and the main entrance was moved to Olive Street. [5] The Orchestra played there for 4 decades before the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was built in 1963. The Philharmonic Auditorium was demolished in 1985. Although the site has been a parking lot for decades, San Francisco real estate investment firm MacFarlane Partners announced in 2014 that the Park Fifth development was going ahead with 650 units in a high-rise apartment building that would face historic Pershing Square. An outdoor paseo with tables, chairs, and lighting would be built between the new complex and historic Subway Terminal Building, which has been re-purposed as the Metro 417 apartments [7] Due to the great recession of 2008, Park Fifth was not constructed as planned, a smaller 24 story apartment complex renamed Five-Oh is currently under construction on the site as of 2017. [8]

Related Research Articles

James Toney American former boxer and mixed martial artist

James Nathaniel Toney is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2017. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the IBF and lineal middleweight titles from 1991 to 1993, the IBF super middleweight title from 1993 to 1994, and the IBF cruiserweight title in 2003. Toney also challenged twice for a world heavyweight title in 2005 and 2006, and was victorious the first time but was later stripped due to a failed drug test. Overall, he competed in fifteen world title fights across four weight classes.

Boxing in the 1940s in many ways reflected worldwide events that affected other endeavors as well.

Sam Langford Canadian boxer

Samuel Edgar Langford, known as the Boston Tar Baby, Boston Terror, and Boston Bonecrusher, was a Black Canadian boxing standout of the early part of the 20th century. Called the "Greatest Fighter Nobody Knows", by ESPN, Langford is considered by many boxing historians to be one of the greatest fighters of all time. Originally from Weymouth Falls, a small community in Nova Scotia, Canada. He was known as "The Boston Bonecrusher", "The Boston Terror", and his most famous nickname, "The Boston Tar Baby". Langford stood 5 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1.69 m) and weighed 185 lb (84 kg) in his prime. He fought from lightweight to heavyweight and defeated many world champions and legends of the time in each weight class. Considered a devastating puncher even at heavyweight, Langford was rated No. 2 by The Ring on their list of "100 greatest punchers of all time". One boxing historian described Langford as "experienced as a heavyweight James Toney with the punching power of Mike Tyson".

Tom Sharkey Irish boxer

Thomas "Sailor Tom" Sharkey was a boxer who fought two fights with heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries. Sharkey's recorded ring career spanned from 1893 to 1904. He is credited with having won 40 fights, 7 losses, and 5 draws. Sharkey was named to the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.

Grand Olympic Auditorium Multi-purpose arena in California, United States

The Grand Olympic Auditorium is a former sports venue in southern Downtown Los Angeles, California. The venue was built in 1924 at 1801 South Grand Avenue, now just south of the Santa Monica Freeway. The grand opening of the Olympic Auditorium was on August 5, 1925, and was a major media event, attended by such celebrities as Jack Dempsey and Rudolph Valentino. One of the last major boxing and wrestling arenas still in existence, the venue now serves as a worship space for the Korean-American evangelical church, "Glory Church of Jesus Christ".

Joseph Erskine was a heavyweight boxer from the Butetown district of Cardiff, Wales. He was an Amateur Boxing Association Champion, Inter-Services Champion, and British Army Champion in 1953. He began fighting as a professional in 1954 and was trained by Freddie Elvin. He held the British heavyweight title from August 1956 to June 1958. In all, he won 45 of his 54 professional bouts, losing 8, with one drawn. His best wins were against George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, Dick Richardson, Uli Ritter, Jack Bodell, Johnny Williams, Joe Bygraves and Willie Pastrano.

Jack Root American boxer

John Arthur Root, or known professionally as Jack Root, was the first world light heavyweight champion and also fought for the world heavyweight title. He fought out of Chicago. He was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011. His uncle, Janos Rutt, immigrated to Minnesota. Today, his descendants in and around south-central Minnesota evolved the spelling of their last name to Rutt. There are some descendants based in the Chicago area and have relocated around the United States to Arizona, California, Indiana, and Northern Michigan. A great-great-grandson, Travis Rutt, is a well-known wrestler from New Prague, MN.

Park Fifth is a residential high-rise development overlooking Pershing Square in Los Angeles that opened in summer 2019.

Floyd Johnson American boxer

Floyd Johnson, nicknamed "The Auburn Bulldog", was an American heavyweight boxer who was known for his stiff punch. His (incomplete) boxing record comes out to: 38 wins, 13 losses, and 11 draws. In 1923, he was considered a leading contender, and described in Time magazine as "possibly the fifth-best heavyweight in the ring." His manager was Alec Greggains. After his boxing career ended, he went into promotion in White Center, Washington. and served as a deputy sheriff in King County, Washington in the mid-1920s.

Jack Blackburn American boxer

Charles Henry "Jack" Blackburn was an American boxer and boxing trainer. Fighting in the first half of his career as a lightweight and later a welterweight, he was known for an exceptional defense and fought many men above his weight class, including six bouts with the great Sam Langford. He fought Joe Gans three times in no-decision bouts, defeating him once according to newspaper accounts and made good showings against Harry Lewis, Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, and Harry Greb. He found most of his fame training 1937 World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis, but also had a significant role in training 1926 Lightweight Champion Sammy Mandell. He helped to train World Bantamweight Champion Bud Taylor and World Light-Heavyweight Champion John Henry Lewis as well.

Art Lasky American boxer

Arthur Lakofsky, also known as Art Lasky, was a heavyweight professional boxer from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Newsboy Brown American boxer

David Montrose, better known as Newsboy Brown, was an American boxer who held the World Flyweight Title for eight months in 1928.

Speedy Dado Filipino boxer (1906–1990)

Diosdado Posadas, better known as Speedy Dado, was a Filipino boxer who contended for the world flyweight, bantamweight and featherweight championships. His managers included Frank Churchill, and Jesus Cortez.

Dixie Kid American boxer

Aaron Lister BrownakaDixie Kid was an American boxer. He was a controversial contender for the World Welterweight Boxing Championship in April 1904.

Clune is a surname. It may also refer to:

Panama Joe Gans Barbados boxer

Panama Joe Gans was a black boxer who held the World Colored Middleweight Championship for four years, shortly before it was discontinued. Born Cyril Quinton Jr. on November 14, 1896 in Barbados, British West Indies and raised in the Panama Canal Zone, the 5'7" Quinton originally fought out of Panama and then New York City. He took his ringname from boxing great Joe Gans, the first black American fighter to win a world boxing title. He found his greatest fame fighting as a middleweight at between 147 and 160 lbs, but in his early career he took the Panamanian Lightweight Title and contended for the Panamanian Welterweight Title at weights roughly between 130 and 147 pounds.

Naud Junction was an area in northern Downtown Los Angeles, California. It was located at the junction of Main Street and Alameda Street, where Southern Pacific Railroad trains veered off Alameda to tracks along Alhambra Avenue and the Los Angeles River.

Bob Pastor born, Robert E. Pasternak, was a prominent American boxer. He was a top-ranked heavyweight of the 1940s who once challenged for the world title, losing to Joe Louis in 1939.

Manuel Ramos, nicknamed Pulgarcito, was a Mexican boxer and actor. He was the heavyweight champion of Mexico, a top world title contender in the late 1960s, and one of Mexico's most internationally successful heavyweights. On June 24, 1968, Ramos became the first Mexican to challenge for the heavyweight crown when he fought reigning champion Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Almost 51 years later, Andy Ruiz Jr., in the same historic venue, made boxing history when he became the first fighter of Mexican descent to capture a heavyweight world title.

Abraham Jacob Hollandersky American boxer (1887-1966)

Abe "The Newsboy" Hollandersky was an American professional boxer who became the second American to win the Panamanian national Heavyweight Title when he defeated Californian Jack Ortega in nine rounds in Panama City on May 30, 1913. American congressmen, Naval personnel, and canal workers were among the crowd of nearly two thousand who watched Hollandersky gain victory over an opponent who outweighed him by over thirty-five pounds. The New York Times announced Hollandersky's best known win the following morning.

References

  1. ↑ Grimes, Teresa (2007). "Cultural History of Los Angeles". Los Angeles Music Center . Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  2. ↑ Springer, Steve (March 30, 2006). "This City Was Full of Fight" . Los Angeles Times .
  3. ↑ Vogel, Joe. "Clune's Auditorium". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  4. ↑ "History of the Los Angeles Philharmonic". Los Angeles Philharmonic homepage. Archived from the original on 2008-01-14. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  5. 1 2 Counter, Bill. "The Philharmonic Auditorium". Historic Downtown Theatres. Google . Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Philharmonic Auditorium Building". Archival Image & Media Collection. Art Institute of Chicago . Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  7. ↑ Vincent, Roger (October 23, 2014). "Park Fifth development to fill in missing piece in downtown L.A." . Los Angeles Times.
  8. ↑ Sharp, Steven (February 16, 2014). "Meet 5-OH, Park Fifth's Downsized Replacement". Urbanize LA. Retrieved August 10, 2018.

Coordinates: 34°02′58″N118°15′10″W / 34.049463°N 118.252865°W / 34.049463; -118.252865

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.