Talk:Grand Olympic Auditorium

What? Why?

The arena is famous for its box office number RI-9-5171 which is still in use today as (213) 749-5171.

Why? Why should it be famous for a random telephone number? Is this just spam, to promote the phone number? Why write half the story? As it stands, this is a pointless waste of time. 100% Wikiality. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.136.48.223 (talk) 13:00, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

It was famous because it was repeated so often on the radio and television ads and commercials of the day, it entered the consciousness of Angelenos as a collective memory. Up until the early 70s, many Los Angeles prefixes were known by their first two numbers, which were then given a name. So that 625-5555, became Madison 5-5555(MA-5-5555), and RI-9-5971 was Richmond 9-5971, and 465-5555 became HO-5-5555, or Hollywood 5-5555. Many of these easy to remember numbers were made possible because prior to the 60s, there was only one area code for the City of Los Angeles, 213, and many businesses, used the numbers as an integral part of their advertising. The pronunciations were sonorous as pronounced by the promoters and advertisers. The Olympic Auditorium promoters, for instance, pronounced it either, RI nine-five-one-seven-one or Richmond nine-five-one-seven-one. With the advent of multiple area codes, this number-name system became too cumbersome and was abandoned. Many older folks, if they still lived within the 213 area code, continued to use the name-number system, albeit only within their own family or friends. I myself still remember Raplh Williams(car dealer) and the Olympic Auditorium numbers, so often were they repeated during the day. Also, many of the easier to remember numbers were much coveted by commercial interests and agencies. I believe this fact escapes many non-Angelenos, or many of those who were born or came here after the 1970s. But at one time, indeed, the most famous number in the city, certainly the most recognizable and collectively remembered phone number, was RI-9-5171. Or Richmond-nine-five-one-seven-one. Garagehero (talk) 07:31, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

The number was so famous that when LA stop useing the exchanges like Richmond, the phone company still listed the Olympic Auditorium's phone number as RI-95171 in the phone book. Any one that grew up in LA up through the 80s will recognize that number. YES IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.205.40.112 (talk) 04:25, 29 September 2013 (UTC)

I agree that the phone number is iconic and should remain in the text. Dtedac2 (talk) 14:17, 29 April 2020 (UTC)

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