Crest Theatre
1262 Westwood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
1262 Westwood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
38 people
favorited this theater
Opened in December 1940 as the Westwood Theatre a live theatre. It was taken over by the independent circuit Dietrich & Feldstein and became a movie theatre, re-named UCLAN Theatre, named after the initials of the nearby University of California at Los Angeles (better known today as UCLA). The UCLAN Theatre was renamed Crest Theatre in the mid-1950’s.
It was renovated by the owners Sterling Recreation Organisation in May 1983, reopening as the Metro Theatre on June 3, 1983, with new seats, 70mm projection and Dolby sound. By the summer of 1988 Cineplex-Odeon were operating the building and it was again renamed Crest Theatre. Pacific Theatres were the next operators and in conjunction with the Disney Organisation, a complete renovation was carried out by theatre interior designer Joseph Musil, who had worked on the restoration of the El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood. The auditorium walls were now decorated with a diorama of Hollywood landmarks in an Art Deco atmospheric style, made even more spectacular by the clever use of ‘black-light’. In the ceiling a star system was installed, and when the show starts, a ‘shooting star’ flies across the ceiling of the theatre and explodes in a little shimmer of stardust as the screen curtains open.
Since January 2003, it has been operated by independent operator Robert Buckbaum, and has been renamed Majestic Crest Theatre. In September 2010, it was taken over by Carmike Cinemas, and then in April 2011, Bigfoot purchased the theatre and also operated it, until it was closed in early-October 2011 for ‘renovations’.
On May 14, 2008, the Majestic Crest Theatre was desiginated an Historic-Cultural Monument by the City of Los Angeles.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 303 comments)
“The owners are probably trying to sell it to someone to use as retail or a resturant.”
That worked so well for the NuWilshire.
Confirmed: it’s up for sale: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2011/12/majestic_crest_for_sale_bananas_bel_air_design_auction.php
“The single-screener has 460 seats, crazy blacklight murals, and historic-cultural monument status (so it probably can’t be torn down). The sellers are asking $4.5 million or $16,000 per month for a triple net lease.”
That area is really sad now. Avco Center is closed, the enormous Borders Books a block away is shuttered, and this wonderful theater seems doomed.
Yeah, it could never break even with that lease-price. The one upside is maybe with so few Westwood theaters left, they will be able to do better. The Regent, for instance, is getting MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4 next week.
the REGENT is getting Mission Impossible? That makes no sense, nobody will see it there. Westwood is faint flicker of memories of what was the last great era of cinema. It’s over now. Like Roy Batty at the end of Blade Runner, the light that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and it burned so very very brightly. Time…to die
I just wish somebody could take the “Bigfoot” name off the Crest. I am sure Mission Impossible will give the Regent the biggest crowds it has had in a while. Decent theatre. Should get better bookings now that it is only one of 3 screens remaining in Westwood.
I passed by this morning, The Lion King is playing.
4.5 million thats stupid!!
Does that mean it’s reopened?
It is not reopened. THE LION KING was simply the last movie that they played. And at $4.5m, there is very little chance it will ever be open as a movie theater again.
I’m assuming the Crest will never reopen. There has not been anything done to it since its closing last Fall.