Bruin Theatre

I went to a premiere of a Bond film in 1985 at the Bruin. My roommate worked for Mann Theaters at the time. As we were filing in on the red carpet, someone in the audience shouted out “How did those two losers get in?”. People are cruel. After the movie, we tried to get into the food area but were tossed by the guards. We ended up at Hamburger Hamlet.

We moved away from L.A. 12 years ago. Is there still a Hamburger Hamlet directly next door to the Bruin? We would eat there and could watch as the line formed. When the line reached the middle of the Hamlet, we knew it was time to get in line.

HOW DOES THE THEATER DO ….

I attended many movies at the Bruin, all throughout the mid-50s to the present. If you’d like to see classic shots of the exterior and interior from days of old, it’s featured in John Frankenheimer’s first film, The Young Stranger, with great exterior shots and lobby shots (as well as street shots of then Westwood – it’s available on a region 2 DVD), and, from the earlly 60s, Hall Bartlett’s The Caretakers, where we get great exterior shots of Polly Bergen walking up to the theater and buying a ticket, then great lobby shots as she enters the theater, and best of all, great auditorium shots when she goes beserk and runs up in front of the screen.

Amusingly, I saw a sneak preview of The Caretakers AT the Bruin – it was quite odd to be sitting in the auditorium watching Miss Bergen go berserk in the same auditorium!

Thanks, William! I have a call into Carl. Another projectionist recommended I do the same in contacting him.

I’ve done the platter projectionist thing back in Ohio for what was $3.50/hr, I think. Tragic. That was over ten years ago. I still think there are niches of opportunity out here, I just imagine they’re not to the multitude of Hollywood’s former glory.

Thanks, again!

Thanks, William! I have a call into Carl. Another projectionist recommended I do the same in contacting him.

I’ve done the platter projectionist thing back in Ohio for what was $3.50/hr, I think. Tragic. That was over ten years ago. I still think there are niches of opportunity out here, I just imagine they’re not to the multitude of Hollywood’s former glory.

Thanks, again!

Try calling Local-150 and talk to Carl the Business Agent about work in the Los Angeles area. Because theatre projection does not pay the good rates as it once did. Because most of the staffing is done by the managers & assistants or the ushers types nowadays. Your about 10 years late on making fair money at this trade in Los Angeles. I use to work the Bel-Air circuit in Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and Malibu and the studio stuff, when I was based in Los Angeles. There was so much work and theatres to work at that time. Other then working in management or as a usher/projectionist, you might give Carl a call.

The theatre had these nice side wall lights at one time, but they removed them during one of the later remodels.

Forgot a dot.

View link

How about some interior shots? I’ve been to the Westwood, across the street, in ‘01 and saw Planet of the Apes there. They have a killer sound system (THX certified) but the screen is a bit small. It can’t be much larger/smaller than Baltimore’s Senator.

Here is a photo of the foyer, circa 1937, from UCLA collection:

http://sclee.library.ucla.edu/001/17/i0011702.jpg

The facade looks similar to the Trylon Theater’s facade in Queens, N.Y. Did other theaters have this feature?

I am currently the union projectionist/engineer for The Mann Bruin, Westwood, and other Mann theatres in the Westwood area. I have been here since april 2003. The Bruin is still a first run theatre, and is often used as “overflow house” for the big premieres across the street at The Village. It is also still host of its own premieres. The last one was Dreamworks’ Red Eye in August 2005. I am very interested in any pictures or film shot at The Bruin over the years. Please let me know….