| Bob Baker Marionette Theater | |
|---|---|
 Stage at the original location of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater | |
| Location | 4949 York Blvd, Los Angeles |
| Built | 1923 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular architecture |
| Designated | 2009[1] |
| Reference no. | 958 |
  Location of Bob Baker Marionette Theater in California | |
TheBob Baker Marionette Theater, founded by Bob Baker and Alton Wood in 1963, is the longest continuous running puppet theater in the United States. In June 2009, the theater was designated as aLos Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.[2] In early 2019, the theater moved to a new permanent home on York Boulevard.
While attendingHollywood High School, Bob Baker began manufacturingtoy marionettes that sold both in Europe and the United States. After graduation he became an apprentice at theGeorge Pal Animation Studios. A year later he was promoted to head animator ofPuppetoons. After World War II, Baker served as ananimation advisor at many film studios, includingDisney. His puppetry was featured on TV inBewitched,Star Trek,Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,Land of the Giants andNCIS; and on film inBluebeard,A Star Is Born,G.I. Blues, Disney'sBedknobs and Broomsticks andClose Encounters of the Third Kind.[3][4]
In 1963, Baker and Alton Wood opened a live puppet theater and permanent showcase for their hand-crafted marionettes. Originally built as a scene shop for special effects artist M.B. Paul, the theater was located on 1st Street in downtown Los Angeles. The theater remained in this location until 2019.[2]
In June 2009, the Los Angeles City Council designated the theater as an historic monument. TheLos Angeles Times described the scene:[5]
A parade ofpuppets strung alongLos Angeles City Council members today long enough to persuade them to designate a West 1st Streetmarionette theater a historic cultural landmark. The puppets danced and pranced around the City Council’s ornate horseshoe-shaped desk in theCity Hall chambers before officials voted 14–0 to place the Bob Baker Marionette Theater on the city’s landmark list.
Baker died on November 28, 2014, at the age of 90 from natural causes.[4]
In 2019, The Bob Baker Marionette Theater gained 501(c)3 non-profit status, and relocated into a 1920s silent movie theater in Highland Park. Inspired by Bob Baker's original renderings, the new space has been transformed into "The Place Where Imagination Dwells".
In addition to hosting their BBMT productions, Bob Baker Marionette Theater houses special events, artistic collaborations, musical events with Sid the Cat, and more. Their annual Bob Baker Day at LA Historic State Park celebrates the legacy of Bob Baker, inviting thousands of guests for a free festival featuring puppets, interdisciplinary arts, and community programs.[6]
34°07′18″N118°12′26″W / 34.121748°N 118.207231°W /34.121748; -118.207231