National Theatre
10925 Lindbrook Drive,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
10925 Lindbrook Drive,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
64 people
favorited this theater
Showing 226 - 250 of 757 comments
Commercial opportunities in Westwood are a dime a dozen- and after some of the rents are paid, you’re lucky to have a dime.
Granted, this is all blamed on a shooting 20 years ago which killed one person. The elderly in Santa Monica have killed more people with cars than shootings have in Westwood, but whatever.
No, whoever is running Westwood needs to be the subject of a 60 Minutes investigation. One of the nicest parts of LA and the list of established businesses that have come and gone reads like a list of Fortune 1000 companies. This place couldn’t even support a McDonalds!
Goofball rents and leasing agreements made on Bizzaro World play more than a little role in Westwoods ennui, I’d love to see THAT blamed instead of a shooting the next time I read an article about why westwood is so vacant.
“The property owner, Simms Development corp, determined to demolish this irreplaceable theatre, even turned down an offer to buy the building, Simms plans to replace the theatre with "a one-story commercial space with rooftop parking.”
Wow, that is one smart developer! A one-story commercial space with rooftop parking….hmmm, that sounds very similar to a structure just across the street and about 50 yards south of the National. The one that used to be Hollywood Video, which closed about 6 months ago and has sat dark and vacant ever since. Even the damm Gap couldn’t make it in Westwood. Retail in Westwood has been dead for years, and that particular corner is the worst since it is a block or so off the beaten path. Smart move not selling the theater, Mr. Simms! And good luck!
Yup, it’s me. I was at the National in ‘84 the Regent in '85, Coronet and Plitt in '86 (during the whole embezzlement crackdown period) then went back to the National again in '89 for a short PT phase, got fired by the manager Isaac for eating M&M’s on duty, we still joke about that to this day. Made alot of good friends at the theatres.
It’s funny how the 3 phases of the 80’s changed, the early 80’s; fun & creative, still had the 70’s vibe, mid-80’s; drastic changes take over, any trace of the 70’s wiped out though still a fun and somewhat creative time, late 80’s; it’s over, heavy restrictions, rules, punishment, Orwell’s 1984. This is the period we’ve basically (more or less) been stuck in, more intensely with each passing decade.
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D. Packard,
I knew a Damon Packard that worked at the National Theater. I think that he lived in the Venice area. Could that be you?
My friend lives right next to the Cinerama in Seattle, he seems to think it’s not going to last long either but I told him Paul Allen (who i knew back in the 80’s) helped revive and save it a few years back. Yea it’s a sad scene in L.A., but hey we still have the Village, Chinese and Cineramadome, even though they ruined the front entrance & marquee display at the Dome & Chinese, (why did they do that? the old display looked so much better in the front at the Chinese, as did the large rotating posters that used to straddle aside the dome) not to mention conglomerated them into hideous mega shopping complexes. But, what can you do.
I got some photos of the downstairs lobby under deconstruction as well as he blueprints sitting near a door mentioned above. I’ll send them to Cinemaour for posting soon. Sad. I am in the process of relocating back to Seattle and the closing of the National and the NuWilshire in my old neighborhood in Santa Monica felt like a signal to leave LA. I’ll be in LA frequently for work, but when I am not I’ll have my beloved Cinerama in Seattle which was spared the National’s fate.
Hi, I used to work at the National for most of the 80’s. I have a lot of great memories from there. Good times and good friends. The polyester uniforms and hypnotic carpet were the best.
Holy jeez i remember the monitors at Topanga Plaza too—and I think your right, they may have only been for Universal releases. Topanga Plaza and the Northridge Fashion Center (& Malibu Grand Prix arcade) were my stomping grounds as a kid in the late 70’s/early 80’s
D. Packard:
Regarding your “Road Warrior” question, if you’ll scroll up to the NATIONAL’s exhibition history (posted by Michael Coate on May 14, 2007) you’ll see “The Road Warrior” is listed in the 1983 section as a three-week re-release.
And, yes, “The Road Warrior” initially came out in 1982. (The Westwood Village run was at the BRUIN and ran from May 21-June 10 according to 70mm in Los Angeles.)
I remember watching trailers for Cat People, D.C. Cab, and Rumble Fish on one of those monitors at the Topanga Plaza. I might be wrong about this, but I think they might have been installed by Universal, seeing as all the trailers were for their movies.
P.S.—Bummer about the National. My wish for Santa this year is to find out that it is only being remodeled and Robert Redford is turning it into one of those Sundance theaters he was supposed to open.
i was down in westwood last night w/a friend, we were gazing in thru the National windows at 3am, it’s all being gutted out. Design plans (c. from 1970) were laying on the floor, Feast of Love posters & marquee are still up. We walked to the back and I lamented how i spent half my life waiting by those exit doors back in the early 80’s to sneak into Star Trek II or Krull or Temple of Doom for the 100th time (this was before working for Mann Theatres starting in ‘84, from then on i never had to sneak in) Are they still planning in demolishing the place, erecting an apt bldg? A hardware store? A barber school? what are the gonna do with it does anyone know?
Also, I vaguely recall when Road Warrior was playing there in 70mm (Jan of '83) but i think the film came out in the summer of '82 was that a re-release or hold-over of some sort? I seem to recall (unfortunately) seeing it at a smaller theater in Westwood sometime in '82 and somehow missed the National engagement. And does anyone remember how in that year ('82) they had TV monitors up all over the place, store windows, inside malls, etc and would run 24 hours a day constant trailers & featurettes for all the summer blockbusters, The Thing, Dark Crystal, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, etc
I recall experiences like waiting for a bus at 2am and watching clips from the Thing and the making of The Dark Crystal in some business store window. Sigh, only in those days
Was there any truth in the rumor that Robert Redford offered to buy the National for $12million & was turned down by the landlord?
No fighting!
This was just a weak case for landmark status..
Are you guys going to fight? Is it OK if I watch?
For the purposes of those who would like to save buildings, our personal definitions of the word landmark are of no relevance anyway. If the City’s Cultural Heritage Commission says that a pile of decaying wood is a landmark, then that pile of wood gets official protection. If the commission says that one of the last surviving theatres designed by noted local architect Harold Levitt is not a landmark, then the theatre goes without that protection, no matter how many of us consider it a valuable example of late midcentury modern design and worthy of preservation.
A building of historical significance………
longislandmovies, what is your definition of a landmark?
This theater is very nice but it is NOT a landmark!
There was at least one building that was declared a cultural-historic monument by the City of Los Angeles when it was only 42 years old; the 1958 Holiday Bowl on Crenshaw, by Armet & Davis, was declared in 2000. Unfortunately, the declaration was not enough to save the place and it was demolished in 2003. There may be other buildings that were declared when they were even newer, but I’m unaware of them.
It’s possible that declaring buildings so recent has actually emboldened owners of interesting, potentially landmarkable structures to try to get rid of them or drastically alter them before they get to the age where they might be declared. Maybe that’s why the owners of the National are so eager to tear it down now. In a few years years there might be so many supporters of landmarking the building that it would be too late for the owners to easily get a permit to demolish it.
Our there any buildings in the US built as recently as 1970 that have been declared historic?
Looks like the end is finally, really upon us –
View link
I heard from a friend that the vote from the commission was 4-0 againist Landmarking for the National.
Here is a March 1984 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/3byyfm
after studying that footage a bit more I can definately say that IS The National, all of it! Lots of shots of the lobby, concession stand, and a bit of the ext. It was just so dark and fuzzy was hard to tell at first, i mean for gosh sakes i should know I worked at the place back in ‘84!! Now who is that usher and where is he now?
yup. thats the national
friend of mine said they had a private screening at the National few days ago but i don’t believe him (he tends to exaggerate things) said he drove by and saw people milling about inside. I drove by the other night at 2am, (best time to drive anywhere in L.A.) wierd how they left all the interior posters, banners & Feast of Love marquee up, to the average passer-by looks like the place is still operational. There was actually a sign that said “private screening tonight” but i think thats possibly been up there for weeks/months. It looks like the National was just abandoned with everything still in place, frozen in time, playing Feast of Love. Or it’s still playing Feast of Love permanantly in another dimension running at a higher frequency, therefore we don’t see any patrons or employees.
Footnote of interest, I found this rare footage on Youtube of audience reactions of The Exorcist in 1973 (wish the quality was better) I could sware there are some shots of The National in there but it’s hard to tell. Here’s the link View link
What do you think..is that the National?