Robert Wood Nudelman, 52, a legendary figure in the fight to preserve Hollywood’s heritage, passed away at his father’s home in Tucson early this week. Ever present at meetings and hearings in the Hollywood community for 30 years, Nudelman is often credited as a driving force behind the restoration of landmark theaters and other buildings in Hollywood, spearheading a renaissance of the once-blighted area.

The loss of such a pivotal community leader has been met with unspeakable shock and sadness. He was the longtime Director of Preservation Issues for Hollywood Heritage, and was a past President and Board Member of the organization and Curator of its Hollywood Heritage Museum. He was a Vice President of the Society for Cinephiles/Cinecon Classic Film Festival and president of the Project Area Committee for the Hollywood Redevelopment Area. At the time of his death, he was working with Debbie and Todd Reynolds on the Hollywood Motion Picture Museum in Tennessee.  

Nudelman was the son of Ruth Donovan Wood and Dr. Sol Nudelman, a leader in medical imaging. He grew up in Illinois and Rhode Island before a stint in Germany and then Tucson. He studied Theater Arts at the University of Arizona. His brother Mark and mother preceded him in death.

Read more…

SACRAMENTO, CA — With a decision on its future still looking, the Sacramento 6 is still operating for the time being.

The on-again, off-again plan to demolish the aging drive-in theater along Bradshaw Road is delayed again.

Sacramento 6 is the last drive-in theater in the region.

Read the full story in the Sacramento Bee.

I have a client that needs approx. 400 seats (used or fairly new in good condition)for a very old theatre in Oklahoma.

Janine Bradford
Cinema Service
Dallas, TX
214-692-7555 #200

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission has recommended that the art deco Majestic Crest in Westwood be given Landmark status. The theater opened in 1940 and underwent major renovations led by Joseph Musil (who later redid the El Capitan theater) in 1987 that transformed it into a neighborhood gem.

The theater, half a mile south of UCLA, features Art Deco Revival architecture and an elaborate hand-painted interior mural that pays homage to Hollywood’s gilded age. The city’s Cultural Heritage Commission has recommended that the Crest be declared a historic-cultural monument, and a key Los Angeles City Council committee is expected to support the nomination today. Those actions are expected to clear the way for approval by the full council.

Read the full story in the Los Angeles Times.

Also check out this one from the same paper that talks about the neighboring Westwood Village with some mentions of its theater history.

IMAX has centralized a larger portion of its ownership with this new deal.

IMAX Corp. has announced that the Douglas family, its largest shareholder, is adding to its stake by buying 2.7 million shares for $18 million in a private placement. As a result of the move, the Douglas family now owns 19.9 percent of the company.

In addition, IMAX also said Wachovia Capital Finance Corp. has agreed to expand and ease the terms of its credit facility.

These transactions will help fund the roll-out of the IMAX digital projection system.

Full press release at: Digital Cinema Info

NEW YORK, NY — This article in the Gothamist discusses the history and present state of the Fortune Theater.

Alamo Drafthouse is planning to open its first east-coast theater, in Winchester, VA.

“Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is a unique movie theater experience,” says Lisa Limoges, a partner in NL Entertainment. “We give a whole new meaning to the term ‘dinner and a movie’ by combining both experiences under one roof.”

Eventually, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas hopes to open 10 locations in the state of Virginia and is actively seeking franchisees.

Get the full story in bizjournals.

A Clockwork Orange
The Terminator
and
Blade Runner: The Final Cut

At the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre
54 Journal Square, Jersey City, NJ 07306 Tel. (201) 798-6055
Fax. (201) 798-4020 Web. www.loewsjersey.org
A Not-For-Profit Arts Center

Rediscover the EXPERIENCE of going to the movies. The BIG screen. In a Grand Palace.

Read more…

We are a school in Essex County, New Jersey. We are looking for stage curtains. Our curtains are in very bad shape. They are held together with staples and electrical tape. If your theater is renovating, please let us know. If you would be willing and able to donate that would greatly be appreciated. Thank You

Please contact me at:
cindysiehl@optonline.net

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — It’s sort of a cross between a reincarnation and a re-opening, but there’s once again a functioning Marina Theater in San Francisco on Chestnut Street. This San Francisco Chronicle article describes the fight to save the theater space and keep it as a cinema, although only a portion of the exterior appears to be what remains of the original theater.

The Marina, 2149 Chestnut St., originally opened in 1928 - to see what it looked like in April 1956, check out the big black-and-white photo of it at Bechelli’s ‘50s-style diner next door to the Presidio - and eventually became the Cinema 21 in the 1960s and was bought by Century Cinemas. The theater seemed doomed when Century joined United Artists, Regal Cinemas and other corporations in dumping their single-screen neighborhood movie houses to focus on multiplexes.

Walgreens wanted the space, but met opposition from a Marina neighborhood association, Chestnut Street merchants and the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation headed by San Francisco Giants executives Alfonso Felder and Jack Bair. By 2004, a compromise was worked out between Walgreens, the community groups and property owner Ray Kaliski. The drugstore chain agreed to give up half of the building, and the rest would become the theater.