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Beverly Center Cinemas Closing Tonight
posted by
Ross Melnick
on
June 3, 2010 at 10:24 am
LOS ANGELES, CA — According to multiple sources, the Beverly Center 13 Cinemas, once one of the most prominent multiplexes in the United States and a longtime part of LA moviegoing, is closing tonight. Sources note that the theater is to be replaced by a new Forever 21 store. This news, coupled with the possible closure of the AMC Grand 24, marks a moment in exhibition history.
For more information and the discussion of its imminent closure, visit its Cinema Treasures page.
Comments (23)
What a shame. No multiplexes with 10 screens or more have shut down in NJ since the Tenplex opened in Paramus, which, like the Beverly Connection and the Triplex, were run by Cineplex Odeon. Only Menlo Park and Newport Centre are the only CO theaters still running.
The Beverly Connection was opened and operated by General Cinema.
Is the Universal City Cinemas still opened? I heard it is the largest megaplex theatre in the United States.
Yes, the AMC Universal City Cinemas is still open.
But it is no longer the largest megaplex by a long shot, in terms of location size or number of screens.
GOOD!
End of an era. Glad I was able to make there earlier this year.
Thanks, Ian. My staff, who worked their butts off to help give the theatre its first positive uptick in sales in nearly a decade, will be very pleased to see you think their losing their jobs is a positive thing.
It’s a shame that it sounds like you and Rave put a lot of work into making the theater work, I know first hand on the east coast how Loews Cineplex under Travis Reed and with the investment banks ran a few fine multiplexes into the ground (like the Cineplex Odeon-expanded Route Four 10 Plex that Justin referenced above, to name a few). Ironic because the Canadian Cineplex locations are pretty good. (Sony and Cineplex, independently from what I recall were the best operators – although I should note AMC did improve a few sites)
The little things like keeping theaters and restrooms clean and the projection in frame and focused go a long way in improving the experience and they really don’t cost the theater anything to provide, just training and a staff that actually cares. I don’t know why that was so hard for certain chains to grasp. It sounds like Rave provided you with the resources to have a well run operation. I wish you and your staff all the best.
The Canadian locations are among the best in the country. Cineplex Entertainment is an entirely different company than it was when it was run by Garth Drabinsky. Also they purchased Famous Players a few years ago, so they have most of their former locations as well.
Those who were not fortunate enough to attend the Beverly Center Cinemas in its last year missed out on seeing a tireless staff and management working to make significant improvements to a difficult theater in a tough zone.
The only thing worse than losing out on more screens for independent film in LA — remember that the Fairfax Cinemas are now gone as well — is thinking about how all of the work that Rave, GM Edward Havens, and the rest of his staff put in will now disappear. There were a lot of great plans for this theater.
Thank you, Edward, for all of your hard work.
Sorry, but these were some of the dirtiest theatres I’ve been to in years. If that show they were run Im not surprised people stopped going. Its exactly El Capitain
If Rave put all of that work in the the theatre and there were a lot of great plans for it, then why did they give it up so soon after taking it over? Sounds like the Carlton cinemas here in Toronto, there obviously was a following for the Beverly Centre, too bad it couldn’t have stayed with Rave for years to come.
While I have zero confirmation on this I suspect Rave had a management agreement with the mall and not a lease, therefore they were operating it so that the theater wouldn’t sit, it’s common for theaters to be offered leases way below what a retailer would pay because a theater is considered a draw on its own, adding value to the complex. It’s better to have a theater with move overs and indie flicks as a draw to a shopping complex. I’m guessing the reason it never became a discount house is that an upscale mall would view that as drawing a crowed the might not prefer to have. Unfortunately the mall probably thinks it’ll pull in more with a large national retailer in that spot.
Ironically enough Virgin Megastore recently closed and was still profitable despite heavy compition from iTunes and Best Buy – it had been taken over by a real estate firm that saw the potential to release the space to national retailers (Times Square is also becoming a Forever 21).
PS: Tim – what’s happening with the Carlton – I cinema tour-ed it when I was there on the eve of TIFF in 2008. Last time I was up there (two months ago for the Images Fest) I noticed that it was still dead. Is Rainbow Cinemas still reopening it?
John, the Carlton cinemas are scheduled to re-open this summer by Magic Lantern theatres (also owns Rainbow Cinemas). If you look on the Magic Lantern/Rainbow website, they now have the Carlton listed there under Magic Lantern. Says opening summer 2010. Should have all new decor and new seats and probably new sound systems. I look forward to the re-opening as I’m sure many others will too. There was so much press about it closing back in December, I’m sure that helped Magin Lantern make a decision to take it over.
It’s not like Rave is leaving that market. They picked up the former National Amusement plex called the Bridege Cinema deLux or now called Rave 18.
It’s the Bridge Cinema deLux.
Speaking of older multiplexes in LA closing, I heard a rumor on Twitter that the Magic Johnson in Crenshaw is closing in a couple weeks. Anybody got word on that?
MAGIC JOHNSON THEATERS IS CLOSING???
I read(in the LA Times,i think)that the mall where the MJ Theatres are is going to be renovated/updated and,if the theatres are closed,a new theatre will replace it.
LA Times article indicates that MJT will be upgraded…not necessarily closed.
This was opened by Cineplex before they became Cineplex Odeon after Canadian Odeon theatres was bought out.
Anyone who is interested, I have uploaded 25 of the 225 pictures I took on Thursday night to the Cinematour page on Facebook. Other pictures will be posted on Cinematour in the future.