The Montalbán

The Montalban stands out on Vine Street because of its stark, white concrete facade and the four massive, fluted columns that frame the entrance. Built in nineteen twenty-seven, it began as the Wilkes Brothers' Vine Street Theatre. It became the first venue in Hollywood to feature a theater designed specifically for talking pictures. Years later, actor Ricardo Montalban bought the building to house his foundation, turning the stage into a hub for Latino theater, where he nurtured performers who had been shut out of mainstream casting.