Regency Village Theatre
961 Broxton Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
961 Broxton Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
86 people
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Regency Theatres (Official)
Additional Info
Operated by: Regency Theatres
Previously operated by: Fox West Coast Theatres, Mann Theatres
Architects: Percy Parke Lewis
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Styles: Mission Revival
Previous Names: Fox Village Theatre, Fox Westwood Village, Mann Village Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
310.248.6266
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Apr 13, 2014 — Santa Monica to get two ArcLights
- Apr 12, 2010 — All About the Regency Village, Regency Bruin & Majestic Crest Theatres
- Mar 31, 2010 — Regency acquires Bruin, Westwood Village cinemas
- Jul 9, 2007 — TRON...Happy 25th!
- May 25, 2007 — Culver City memories
- Apr 20, 2007 — When will retro be more in style?
- Nov 17, 2006 — Five L.A. area showcase theaters go NEC Digital
- Sep 1, 2004 — The Movie Palace Series: Gallery (Part One)
Located in Westwood Village, a purpose-built retail, leisure and residential development which was constructed in 1929. The Fox Village Theatre opened on August 14, 1931 with Marie Dressler in “Politics”. It is designed in a Spanish Mission style decoration (similar to the Carthay Circle Theatre, Fox Arlington Theatre, Fox Florence Theatre). It was built for the Janns Corporation and was later taken over by Fox West Coast Theatres chain. A feature of the building is the huge ‘wedding cake’ tower which is still virtually unchanged today, and still sports its original neon lighting. Seating in the auditorium was provided for 1,489 in orchestra and balcony levels. The backstage areas, including dressing rooms and storage areas were bricked off in the 1940’s after ‘damage’ although what kind of damage is not stated in any current sources.
The Village Theatre was remodeled and reopened on October 18, 1951, increasing the seating capacity to 1,535, and given a ‘Skouras’ look when plaster gold swirls were added to the side-walls near the stage area, along with upgrades for the exits, lobby and new seats and carpet were also added. Also at this time the California Gold Rush artwork in the lobby was added. (You can see the same artwork in a few other Fox houses in Southern California like El Portal Theatre (North Hollywood), California Theatre (Huntington Park).) The artwork near the restrooms, was also added during the renovations. Before that remodel there was a small patio outside, but this was bricked over and the artwork covers this area now. The Village Theatre stayed the same until the late-1970’s (except for the new CinemaScope equipment in the 1950’s).
For “The Deer Hunter” engagement, the Village Theatre got new 70mm projection equipment, a new larger screen, and a new main title waterfall curtain. The old screen was half as tall as it is today. The theatre also got a new, less flattering carpet in the early-1980’s.
Fortunately, the “Fox” tower sign was refurbished in the late-1980’s.
The last remodel was around 1998-99, when the Village Theatre got new seats and carpet, and now seats 1,341 people.
After more than 70 years as a first run movie palace, the Village Theatre is still one of the sites for Hollywood’s biggest movie premieres.
Regency Theatres replaced Mann Theatres as the movie operator on April 1, 2010.
On July 21, 2024 it was announced that the Regency Village Theatre would close on July 25, 2024, together with the Regency Bruin Theatre across the road.
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Recent comments (view all 486 comments)
To Haineshisway:
We always called that fellow “Preview Henry” and I’m sure I know the guy you’re talking about. And yes, I remember Fred Astaire being at the theater for “The Godfather.” You almost certainly saw me at the door taking tickets. Among the ushers at that time was Zach Horowitz, later the president of Universal Records. Lots of interesting people, both as customers and workers. I’ll have to read your book!
Stumbley - I think you’ll get a kick out of the book - sorry the link isn’t clickable but just cut and paste it into your browser or search the title on Amazon in “Books” - and yes, the character of Preview Harvey is inspired by Preview Henry. I was a preview nut and saw him at all the previews and chatted with him many times. The studios adopted him - he was their good luck charm :) I just tried to imagine what his life might have been, but that part’s pure fiction as I didn’t know him beyond the previews. But the Village is as big a player in the book as the character - as are all the other Westwood theaters and other theaters around LA.
Here is a clickable link for “Preview Harvey” by Bruce Kimmel.
This theatre had the World premiere of the Oliver Stone movie “JFK”.
Great news!! I hope so!
Looks like this is sold to Jason Reitman and his group…..
https://variety.com/2024/film/news/jason-reitman-buying-fox-village-westwood-theater-1235893597/
Filmmaker Jason Reitman is working on a deal to take over Westwood’s historic Fox Village Theater in the next few weeks, Variety has confirmed. The approximately 1,375-seat theater has been listed for sale for the past year. Reitman is leading a group of other entertainment industry figures in the purchase, which was first reported by The Ankler’s Transom column.
It’s not known whether Reitman and his associates have plans to keep the venue as a first-run theater or to add additional screens.
Reitman, the director of “Juno” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” is currently at work on “SNL 1975,” a fictionalization of the iconic sketch show’s first broadcast. He’s also a producer on the upcoming “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.”
The Fox Village, built in 1930, has hosted hundreds of premieres over the past 90 years, including Reitman’s own “Juno” (pictured above), “Licorice Pizza” and many others. Recently streaming services including Apple, Disney+ and Netflix have also hosted events for series and films there.
The location also includes a row of retail shops, including a Starbucks, and a parking lot. The distinctive Spanish mission revival -tyle building is topped by a 170-foot neon-lit tower, making it a beacon for filmgoers on the Westside of Los Angeles.
Though the large venue was massively popular with audiences for its first six decades, competition from modern multiplexes with adjacent parking and the downturn in Westwood Village’s foot traffic make it a somewhat challenging location, despite the large number of UCLA students in the area.
The Fox Village stands across from the much smaller 1937 Bruin Theatre, also run by Regency, which was immortalized in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
The Fox Village’s real estate listing, which did not list a price, called it a “Rare opportunity to acquire one of the most iconic assets in Westwood Village,” continuing, “This is a multi-generational asset which has not been previously made available for sale by the ownership adding to the uniqueness and rarity of the offering.”
Regency has run the Fox Village since 2010. It was designated as a historic-cultural monument in 1988.
The movie theater business apparently runs in the family, as Jason Reitman’s late father Ivan Reitman contributed the land and helped develop the building where TIFF’s Bell Lightbox Theater now stands.
The Los Angeles exhibition scene has seen numerous changes since the city was impacted by the COVID pandemic beginning in early 2020, including the closure of the Landmark Pico and the Cinerama Dome and Arclight Hollywood, which is reportedly set for a 2025 reopening.
Article about Reitman’s involvement from the SF Chronicle
https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/whats-going-on-with-fox-village-theatre-westwood-18644666.php
Reitman’s group got it. At least a dozen other directors threw in with him too. I saw Christopher Nolan, J. J. Abrams, Chloe Zhao, Rian Johnson, Spielberg, and James Gunn. Guess Quentin Tarantino isn’t the only director to own a theatre or two…
Here’s the Reitman story
Mike Shaw was the projectionist at the Village Theater from 1973 to 1996. Mike was the projectionist for the premiere of JFK. Oliver Stone hid out in the projection booth to escape the press in the theater lobby. The last hard ticket movie was “The Deer Hunter”. Mike was the projectionist for many world premieres. Mike was the projectionist for Streisand’s “A Star is Born”. Streisand came to the theater after hours to test the sound quality before the premiere on 12/18/76. Move forward to 1983.Once again Streisand came to the theater before the premiere of “Yentel”, Streisand remembered Mike from “A Star is Born”. The idiot who became Mikes boss was in charge of the AC equipment, etc for Mann Theaters. Idiots kid brother in law wanted Mikes Job. The kid was in his 20’s, too immature for the job. Mike was fired. Mike sued for age discrimination, Mike won the case, AC idiot was fired a day after Mike won his lawsuit. All this was related by Ned Fairburn, the projectionist at the Bruin theater. The kid did not last long as the projectionist at the Village. Mike Shaw passed away in Nov 2000. Mike died from the stress of being fired by the AC idiot. The kids sister divorced the AC idiot. Now that the Theater has been sold, a better class of people will be managing the theater. The Skouras family owns the land that the Village theater sits on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyros_Skouras
The Village and the Bruin are closing July 25, 2024:
Westwood, CA: Regency Bruin and Westwood Village Theaters Closing Thursday [Jul 22, 2024]