Regency Village Theatre
961 Broxton Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
961 Broxton Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
86 people
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The pre-WW2 Alameda Theatre in Alameda, Ca., was finally saved after operating as a gym and is now the main entrance to a plex of cinemas smaller auditoriums.
If this simple plan were to be implemented with more historic theaters going dark then that would save many more of our nations treasures.
William is right about how the Bruin and Village will last. They need a adject Multiplex for move overs. That tactic saved the Cinerama Dome and is pretty much the only way single big screens can survive in today’s market. Back in 1980 – 1982 when I worked at the Village there were big dead lulls in business. I really could only imagine how it is now. Mann will probably keep them for a month to month. But that would be short term and eventually will lead us back to these discussions about the pending closures. That is unless a major project is announced.
It’s all about the cost of leasing and running them, which the bean counters have more of a say with a theatre chain. Theatres make money the longer they keep a film running in a complex. Here you have really no where to move it and keep it running. In Mann’s 70’s-90’s they had the Plaza, Regent, Westwood Quad and later the Festival to move-over films into. So they made money keeping the films in that market. They also moved staffs to the nearby theatres to help and cut costs on the union projectionist staffs. All this was done to help cut costs. Westwood hit it’s peak in the 1980’s, it was going down hill fast in the 1990’s. The lease is the major factor in how and who runs these theatres. The bean counters study has to how much it would cost to run these theatres and how much profit the chain could make. When Cineplex won the bidding war for the Odeon Westwood over Mann, UA, Edwards. This theatre never made a profit for the chain in the few years they ran it. The lease was about $250,000 a year, they wanted the Westwood market so bad. In it’s day it was all about booking in that market with the studios. And with the studios locking the theatre into a 3-6 or 8 weeks for major releases. After the 1-2 week it becomes a deadzone, your playing to 5 people or so at a showing. In the old days a theatre not making money during the day the chains would make it a evening house. But that cuts staffing and power from your budget, but it also makes people go to nearby complexes that operate all day.
The only was to make these two Westwood landmark theatres in the future is to build that once planned plex behind the Bruin, but to take away some of the retail on the west side of the Bruin and make the Bruin the enterance to the planned plex. So you build over the alleyway behind the Bruin and have cafe and retail on the first floor and a second way into the plex theatres on the UCLA side of the building. So you dub this plex the Bruin 9 (plex with 8 screens for move-overs and the Bruin and Village as to main theatres).
The real thing to think about is the zoning and adding more parking for those people who live in the Westwood area to make this plex plan work right. Or one day as will save the Village and walk into the former Bruin for burger or book.
I just hope someone takes over these theaters so we don’t lose two of the most beautiful and iconic theaters in the country.
I can’t imagine Westwood Village without the Bruin and the Village. Closing them would aboslutely tear the heart out of what is left of Westwood….
“I also heard Rave was the one taking over but that isn’t confirmed at all.”
I didn’t say I ‘keep hearing.’ I’ve already said more than I should. Talionis out.
I’m still waiting to hear where Talionis keeps hearing Rave is taking over in Westwood…
There is also a vacant store front on the other side of the village.
Prime real estate that’s been vacant for years. Shows you how well Mann has been managed.
Taco Bell????? Starbucks????? BUY ‘EM OUT & RELOCATE 'EM BOTH!
Sheesh!
@ Segask, a digital projector in the village and another in the bruin.
Apparently, the company that shall not be named (because i can’t confirm it) backed out of the deal to take over April 1 because whoever takes over is also responsible for the Taco Bell attached to the Bruin and the Starbucks next to the village.
Village and Bruin have been booking movies until the end of the year.
“Good news. It looks like the month to month will be going on longer than originally anticipated. They just re-installed digital projectors."
—posted by Talionis
Talionis, you said projectors – as in more than one. Did you mean two digital projectors for the big screen in the Village, or did you mean a digital projector back in the Village, and one back in the Bruin also?
If they only have one in the Village, maybe they are still deciding whether to add another for 3D. Then they could charge a couple dollars extra per ticket, and that’s why tickets aren’t on sale yet?
Is Mann really keeping it open past April 1? Clash of the Titans tickets on Sale at Chinese and other Mann theatres, but no Village. It would be a Village booking since it is a major Warner release.
Bummer…Is that a definite no? Rave is definitely not taking over the leases at the Bruin and the Village?
What about Muvico?
Stay tuned for what, Talionis? Rave is not taking over the Village and/or the Bruin, and I would really like to know where people keep hearing this rumor. If you can’t say on these boards, email me. ehavens at ravemotionpictures
Remember the studios sometimes pays or rents for special presentations.
Funny you should say 3-D. A silver screen is being installed at the Bruin. (which is needed to play 3-D) Oddly, Mann has only done that for premieres like Beowulf and then switched right back to white screens.
This makes me think Rave is the front runner. The good news is that this is a commited company that will invest in it’s theatres. Stay tuned.
I don’t think there will be good news until another operator takes over and commits to this theatre. Mann probably realized they wouldn’t be able to book any 3-D movies without digital projection.
Good news. It looks like the month to month will be going on longer than originally anticipated. They just re-installed digital projectors.
So the consensus seems to be that Mann will continue running both the Bruin and Village on a month to month lease after April 1.
Has anyone heard anything about Johnny Brenden, Ted Mann’s grandson, who now runs Brenden Theaters out of Las Vegas? It sounds like a longshot, but that’s the name that I keep hearing.
@ Chris Utley, they still run screenvision in digital but it plays on a little mini-projector. Their NEC’s are long gone.
If Laemmle ran the Village it would drain alot of money out of that chain. When Laemmle was in Westwood, they had to have Pacific Theatres book the Regent and Plaza for them. The cost of the lease for the Village and Bruin is at the million dollar mark a year.
Mann is playing themselves. And us.
if no one else is willing to commit to a multiyear lease, then I guess it makes sense for Mann to continue month to month, since April is when the blockbusters start coming out. Blockbuster season is usually April thru July or maybe August. But things are usually pretty dead at the boxoffice in September. Maybe Mann will keep going month to month thru July, then if no one has signed a lease yet the Village and Bruin will go dark.
To all you you here:
Instead of speculating, why don’t you just go back and read the first line of what was posted by Talionis on Mar 3, 2010 at 1:33pm.
Talionis has a friend over there he wrote on Mar 3, 2010 at 1:33pm. They know whats going on…
Hey, Laemmle has to do something. Sunset 5 is being slammed by the Arclight. Encino Town Center as well. The Royal and Monica 4 Plex are losing out to The Landmark.
Laemmle running the Village, that’s funny.