Don’t pull that curtain down just yet. Two landmark theaters in Westwood that had been facing closure will remain in operation after a theater chain agreed to take them over earlier this week.
Beginning Thursday, Calabasas-based Regency Theatres will run the historic Village and Bruin theaters, said Lyndon Golin, the company’s chief executive.
The fate of the theaters had been in jeopardy since last year, when the previous operator, Mann Theatres, announced that it would let the leases on each property expire in March 2010.
Westwood residents and architectural preservationists had rallied against that possibility.
“This was a big, big, big worry,” said Marc Wanamaker, a historian who is writing a book about Westwood. “We expected the two theaters to close, period. So this is really good news.”
Once known for its vibrant movie-going scene and ornate, single-screen theaters, Westwood has lost several theaters to closures and demolitions in recent years as audiences have flocked to nearby multiplexes.
But the loss of the 1,300-seat Village Theatre and the 670-seat Bruin would have devastated Westwood, Wanamaker said.
The Spanish Colonial Revival-style Villager, known for its 170-foot tower emblazoned with neon letters that spell “Fox,” has long been a favorite for movie premieres.
Just across Broxton Avenue, the Bruin boasts a wrap-around marquee that makes it one of Westwood’s most distinctive buildings.
Had Regency not stepped in, the theaters might may have been converted into retail space or demolished, said Hillsman Wright, a preservationist who runs the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation.
— Kate Linthicum
Photos: L.A. Times