Overview: The Olympic Auditorium opened in 1925 as Los Angeles was exploding, a state-of-the art fight palace to entertain the masses. But the arena, built to rival Madison Square Garden, was a money pit from the start.

Shady promoters came and went until the building owner took a chance on a single mother who had never seen a pro fight. Taking over in the midst of World War II, Aileen Eaton built a sports empire that lasted nearly four decades, launching stars and becoming the most powerful boxing promoter in America.

As the years passed, Eaton�s Olympic promotion mirrored the changing tastes and demographics of the city, thriving in large part due to the loyalty of Mexican-American fans. When the building sold and Aileen was pushed out in 1980, the Olympic struggled again, briefly becoming the concrete cathedral of hardcore punk until it sputtered to an inglorious death.

In 2005 the building was sold again, becoming the Glory Church of Jesus Christ, a Korean megachurch.

Blu-ray Verdict: For my money, Director Stephen DeBro�s 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story is a very interseting, informative and entertaining exploration of the Olympic Auditorium and wrestling pioneer Aileen Eaton, therein.

Sure it twists and turns, and might well have been even more captivating (from the standpoint of a viewer knowing nothing of this highly captivating story from the off), along with leaning a little more into the informative side of things, but as much as it walks that tightrope between info and pure entertainment, maybe it could have narrowed in on one over the other overall.

That all said, and given that both subject matters are more than storied enough to headline their own documentary, I loved how this film manages to snuggly fit all the aforementioned info and entertainment into a perfectly-timed eighty-minute run time.

With the documentary conveying its subjects in most warm, and wholly deserving manner, your attention is drawn to each chapter as if you were reading a book. Indeed, you might just be surprised by how quickly you yourself are drawn to the venue, and Eaton especially.

As aforementioned, in its early years incarnation, the Olympic was a glamorous boxing venue frequented by Hollywood heavyweights like Rudolph Valentino and George Raft and among the champions who stepped into its ring were notables such as the great Muhammad Ali, Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya.

Furthermore, wrestlers like Gorgeous George, Andre the Giant and Roddy Piper also made names for themselves there, which leads me seamlessly to note that in what was one, if not the very last, interviews put down on film, the late Roddy Piper gives us his own personal insights (sadly, he died just months later).

In his interview, Piper describes the overall aura of the building, how wrestlers walked out from the concrete bowels of the structure, emerging from behind and walking though the crowd: �I know what a gladiator in Rome must�ve felt like,� he wryly smiles.

�You come out, and you�re behind them, which is good,� he continues, adding that he always liked to keep his eyes on the fans, because he played the villain and the crowd hated him!

Piper concludes this segment by adding, �the people who sat there they had boxes of popcorn, and they�d stick the knife up in the box of popcorn. It was the first time I got sliced, you know. When I�d go by, they�d go �schft� [makes slicing motion] and they�d be gone�The crowd would close.�

And what is has, that a lot of documentaries of its ilk for sure don�t, is the cinematic ability to convince you that its subject matter - and even if you�re entering as a complete, unknowing outsider - is as interesting, as compelling, and as important to hear today as it was throughout this time period.

Of course, those already familiar with Eaton or the Olympic Auditorium may find more satisfaction, as pre-existing knowledge will likely help fill the gaps left by what the film doesn�t impart upon its viewers. But, have no fear, for casuals will likely find themselves satisfied until the story inevitable gets the TV treatment.

Special Feature:

Extended Interviews with Gene LeBell, Honey Sanchez and the Lennon Family.

Jimmy Lennon Jr., ring announcer outtake from 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story [Official Video]

www.18thandgrand.com