Sold-out Crowd at Movie Premiere
It was a knockout night at the official premiere of “18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story” last Thursday at the Vineland Drive-In in the City of Industry, Calif. This new film by director/writer/producer Steve DeBro was chosen as the closing night of the 2021 Slamdance Film Festival.
The February 25 gala was completely sold out and had several notables in attendance including former champions, fighters, boxing trainers and more including Carlos Palomino, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Herman “Kid” Montes, Paul Banke, Willie Lucero with son Ruben Lucero, Duarte Boxing Club brothers Victor Valenzuela and Louie Valenzuela, boxing trainer/sculptor Steve Harpst, photographer Willie Romero, boxing historian/author Gene Aguilera, writer Dave Wilcox, Podium Sports’ Nate Wren, Westminster Boxing Club’s Burney Spencer, actor/comedian and the voice of “SpongeBob Square Pants” Tom Kenny (in a Blue Demon shirt) among many others.
There was a sentimental air built into the evening with classic cars, banners touting Richmond 9-5171 and old-school matchbooks with the Olympic logo etched on the front. DeBro was a gracious host while greeting the guests (with social distancing, of course) and making everyone feel welcome. He thanked the crowd for coming out and introduced the champs who were there in person.
Inspired by the photos of Theo Ehret and fueled by a successful Kicktarter campaign, first-time director DeBro (Gen Pop Entertainment) captured and preserved the memories of this bygone era that can never be duplicated. Shining the spotlight on Aileen Eaton (the force of nature who ran the Olympic), the filmmaker also interviews many of the players from decades past as they relive the colorful times and behind-the-scenes drama that occurred in this revered arena.
The last live fight took place in 2005 and the building is now currently home to a Korean church. But while the Olympic was hosting events, plenty of fisticuffs took place in the ring along with wrestling, roller derby and punk rock. DeBro does a deft job in intertwining all these iconic times held under one roof. There were countless heroes and villains that performed in the building and “18th & Grand” is a trip down memory lane that will entertain everyone from the hardcore boxing fan to moviegoers and history buffs alike.
The fights that took place at the storied Olympic were definitely in a different time, a different era. Glamorous movie stars perched ringside while those in the “cheap seats” of general admission showed their appreciation of the fierce battles by showering the warriors with coins and in some cases…throwing cups of urine down from the rafters! It was definitely a different vibe back then. When I commented to a fellow guest that I noticed smoking was allowed in the auditorium, he replied: “EVERYTHING was allowed in the Olympic!”
I didn’t get the chance to ever visit the Olympic in person so it was an extra special experience to watch all the history unfold on the big screen. Having the movie premiere at an old-fashioned drive-in only added to the nostalgia of the night. And director DeBro did an excellent job paying tribute to the prizefighters of yesteryear and bringing the Olympic back to life–if only for one night.
Back then, the sluggers fought 15 rounds, pummeling their way out of poverty and literally leaving their blood, sweat and tears all in the ring. Some pugilists are seen on the screen with their fresh young baby faces only to be shown years later beaten down with cauliflower ears and slurred speech. The sweet science was never an easy career path but sometimes a necessity for those who had nothing. But when they were in the ring, they never shined brighter.
For many of the viewers in attendance (watching safely from their cars), the memories came flooding back as they relived the look, sound and sights of the Olympic. Several people remember going to the auditorium as children with the Olympic Auditorium bonding the generations together.
“Michele, I can agree!” boxer Herman Montes told me. “When I was a youngster, my cousins and my grandmother (who basically raised us kids) would take us to the Olympic to watch the exciting Roller Derby games back in the 1970s. As a kid I enjoyed it there was excitement with watching Lisa Hartman, John Hall and many more –them were the days!”
Herman, his brother John and father John Sr. were all part of the SoCal boxing scene back in the day. It was a time of real guts and hard-fought glory and Montes still looks back on it fondly.
“I fought there 22 times and would do it all over again if I could,” he commented.
As the years have flown by, a lot of the protagonists in the documentary have passed away including Aileen Eaton (whose son Gene LeBell is shown in the film), Roddy Piper, “Skinny Minnie” Gwen Miller, Dick Enberg, and Los Angeles’ own Don Fraser, Don Chargin, Marty Denkin, etc.
I had written to Marty’s daughter Jackie Denkin (MMA official) to tell her about the upcoming premiere.
“It’s playing at the drive-in by my house on his birthday!” she marveled about the February 25 coincidence.
Marty Denkin passed away in November 2018 but his one-of-a-kind personality is forever documented in “18th & Grand” as is the rich history of countless others in this epic era in boxing.
And for many, it was a remembrance of father-son outings. Local photographer Willie Romero is one who also had a link to the Olympic, not as a pro boxer but as a young spectator.
“It was a great film,” he shares. “Brought back so many of my childhood memories when I used to watch boxing and wrestling there as a kid.”
DeBro keeps the pace crisp and engaging as the narrative winds its way through the various years inside the Olympic. The movie is extremely well done, fun to watch and covers a lot of ground in its 85 minutes. And as the credits rolled, I didn’t want it to end as it was so riveting!
The film has generated a ton of positive buzz and rave reviews (from both the sports and entertainment world) so hopefully a distribution deal will be made soon so that the movie can reach a worldwide audience.
It was a night to remember and a very moving tribute that pays respect to all that ever fought in the Olympic.
Preview Story: Here
Photos by Michele Chong