"Salsa"

Rodney Harvey and Magali Alvarado stop at The Dog House for an ice cream in "Salsa" (Golan-Globus/Cannon, 1988). In the background it's the Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. Note the big crowd for "Me and My Girl" starring Tim Curry. The production played from January 12 until March 5.

It's an East LA story of a car mechanic trying to win a dance competition amid romantic complications for himself as well as an entanglement between his little sister and best friend.  Also featured in the film are Draco Rosa, Miranda Garrison, Moon Orona, Angela Alvarado and Loyda Ramos. Boaz Davidson directed, Kenny Ortega did the choreography. The cinematography was by David Gurfinkel. 

 

 

At the window. Thanks to Chelsey Frost for noting this scene in a post for the Facebook group Lost Angeles. 

 

She only takes a moment to get the cones but the crowd at the theatre has all gone inside. 

See the pages about the Pantages Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres website for a history of this 1930 vintage showplace along with hundreds of photos.

 

The Dog House was on the lot that, decades earlier, had been the site of the Hitching Post/Paris Theatre, 6262 Hollywood Blvd. The restaurant shows up in a 1992 photo of the block taken by Jay More shortly before everything except the Taft Building was demolished for the W Hotel and Metro Red Line station project. It's featured in "Jay More Documenting Forgotten LA," a three+ minute video on YouTube from the Los Angeles Public Library. Thanks to Lisa Kouza Braddock for locating the video.   

 

Later many of the gang go to the movies at the Westlake Theatre, 638 S. Alvarado St. 

 

Draco Rosa and Rodney Harvey just inside the front doors.

 

Looking toward the front doors from behind the snackbar.

See the pages about the Westlake Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. The building is still around but now used as a swapmeet. 

On IMdb: "Salsa"