El Sereno Historical Society

El Sereno Historical SocietyEl Sereno Historical SocietyEl Sereno Historical Society
  • El Sereno History
  • About Us
  • History of El Sereno
    • Spanish Exploration
    • Mexican Rancho Period
    • American Ranch Period
    • PE Railway & Real Estate
    • Annexation and Growth
    • Depression Years
    • Wartime Boom and Growth
    • Post-War Period
    • El Sereno: 1950s to 1970s
    • El Sereno: 1980s to 2000s
  • Special Collection
    • Pacific Electric Railway
    • Legion Ascot Speedway
    • Soto Street Bridge
    • Research Collection
  • Featured Articles
    • Featured Articles 2012
    • Featured Articles 2013
    • Featured Articles 2014
    • Featured Articles 2015
    • Featured Articles 2016
    • Featured Articles 2017
    • Featured Articles 2018
    • Featured Articles 2019
    • Featured Articles 2020
    • Featured Articles 2022
    • Featured Articles 2023
  • More
    • El Sereno History
    • About Us
    • History of El Sereno
      • Spanish Exploration
      • Mexican Rancho Period
      • American Ranch Period
      • PE Railway & Real Estate
      • Annexation and Growth
      • Depression Years
      • Wartime Boom and Growth
      • Post-War Period
      • El Sereno: 1950s to 1970s
      • El Sereno: 1980s to 2000s
    • Special Collection
      • Pacific Electric Railway
      • Legion Ascot Speedway
      • Soto Street Bridge
      • Research Collection
    • Featured Articles
      • Featured Articles 2012
      • Featured Articles 2013
      • Featured Articles 2014
      • Featured Articles 2015
      • Featured Articles 2016
      • Featured Articles 2017
      • Featured Articles 2018
      • Featured Articles 2019
      • Featured Articles 2020
      • Featured Articles 2022
      • Featured Articles 2023
  • Sign In
  • Create Account

  • My Account
  • Signed in as:

  • filler@godaddy.com


  • My Account
  • Sign out

El Sereno Historical Society

El Sereno Historical SocietyEl Sereno Historical SocietyEl Sereno Historical Society

Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

  • El Sereno History
  • About Us
  • History of El Sereno
    • Spanish Exploration
    • Mexican Rancho Period
    • American Ranch Period
    • PE Railway & Real Estate
    • Annexation and Growth
    • Depression Years
    • Wartime Boom and Growth
    • Post-War Period
    • El Sereno: 1950s to 1970s
    • El Sereno: 1980s to 2000s
  • Special Collection
    • Pacific Electric Railway
    • Legion Ascot Speedway
    • Soto Street Bridge
    • Research Collection
  • Featured Articles
    • Featured Articles 2012
    • Featured Articles 2013
    • Featured Articles 2014
    • Featured Articles 2015
    • Featured Articles 2016
    • Featured Articles 2017
    • Featured Articles 2018
    • Featured Articles 2019
    • Featured Articles 2020
    • Featured Articles 2022
    • Featured Articles 2023

Account


  • My Account
  • Sign out


  • Sign In
  • My Account

Wartime Boom and Growth (1939-1945)

Historic El Sereno Theater (Mazatlan Theater)

El Sereno's population rose markedly as the country prepared for the war.  Due to the rationing of gas and rubber, communities along the Pacific Electric routes received the majority of new residents who came to work at the aircraft and munitions factories in Los Angeles.  El Sereno experienced major industrial growth during these years.  Many of the families who moved here during these years were Italian-American.
 

The rise in population lead to the construction of the El Sereno Theatre, the third such establishment in the community.  Built in 1940 at 3355 N. Eastern Avenue, the structural engineer was William Bostock. 

The El Sereno Theater, 1941 LAPL

Looking southwest across the intersection of Huntington Drive and Eastern Avenue. Seen are Ascot Hills, a service station, the Art Deco style El Sereno Theatre (later the Mazatlan Theatre), Foster and Kleiser billboards for various products, including Ten High bourbon by Hiram Walker, Coca Cola, Polly Gas, tea, and Richfield gasoline. Homes are present in the hills and railroad tracks are present on the far right. Photograph dated August 20, 1941.

Mazatlan Theater

Mazatlan Theater

Copyright © 2023 El Sereno Historical Society - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by GoDaddy

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept