UCLA Nimoy Theatre
1262 Westwood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
1262 Westwood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
45 people
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Edited from “Neighborhood Theaters: Room for Dreams, Big and Small†by Patrick Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, July 10, 2007:
The handsome old Westwood Crest Theater, a 1940-era movie house on Westwood Boulevard is a lovely theater, but saddled with a crushing disadvantage. With one screen, its fortunes fluctuate by the luck of landing a hit picture; a multiplex can book hourly showings of a popular film while relegating a fading flick to a smaller theater. The only reason the Crest still exists is that it is owned by one man, Robert Bucksbaum, who bought it in 2002 and operates it as a labor of love.
Still, business there has not been good. Bucksbaum is now in negotiations with an investment group to sell the land the theater sits on in return for a series of five-year leases that will allow him to continue operating the theater. Bucksbaum says his biggest problem has been finding a consistent flow of product. Studio distributors, more at home dealing with big chains, rarely go out of their way to support a family theater owner like Bucksbaum.
Bucksbaum originally had a deal with Disney, but that quickly dissolved. He then struck a deal with 20th Century Fox, which also went south after a series of booking disputes too complicated to detail here. Suffice to say that Bucksbaum feels that, as a one-man show, he was treated like a second-class citizen.
“My livelihood depends on this one theater — I don’t have 3,000 other theaters to fall back on,“ says Bucksbaum, who also runs ReelSource, a box-office data firm. "At first, everyone said they’d throw me a bone. But in practice, it was the complete opposite. They had the attitude — ‘You’re one little guy. What could you possibly do for us?’ "
The Crest has become essentially a second-run art house, largely playing movies that have already opened at other theaters. Bucksbaum has only one first-run commitment this summer, New Line’s “Hairspray,” which opens later this month.
All the good movies in the world may still not save the Crest. Like the other aging one-screen theaters that populate Westwood, it’s a gas-guzzler in a neighborhood full of Priuses. All those lights on its marquee come with a cost â€" Bucksbaum complains that his electricity bill probably rivals any theater in the country.
But the Crest is an invaluable link to our past, when it didn’t take half a day to drive across town. As Bucksbaum puts it: “I think people would like to have some ties to their roots and to their neighborhood, to what this city was like 50 years ago.”
That probably makes Bucksbaum a crazy dreamer. But in many ways Cuban is a crazy dreamer too, trying to drag movie exhibition into the 21st century. Having sat in the lap of a theater owner as a boy, I like hearing about dreams and schemes. To me, it sounds like the crazy talk of people who really love movies.
Everyone within normal travel distance of greater Los Angeles, who are devotee’s of the classic single screen theaters, should jump onto their Pogostick or catch a train to SANTA ANA and see the fabulous display of JOSEPH MUSIL’S CREST THEATRE.
Artistically shown is everything from early pencil drawings, blue prints, molds, models and beautiful photographic collection -the entire side wall of his museum/auditorium is devoted to the CREST.
I would advise calling first for an appointment 714-667-6959 as Mr. Musil’s (formerly known as the “Salon of the Theatres” -now the AMERICAN MUSEUM OF THEATRICAL DESIGN) does not keep normal shop hours… You’ll need to offer a handsome donation because it’s well worth the normal price of admission and this is a non-profit organization with volunteer docents! www.josephmusil.com
Mr. Musil is an amazing iconic tower of authority regarding countless American theaters. He was profesionaly trained in Milan, Italy and has provided his services to theater giants across America, further providing a wealth of designs and models for numerous Disney projects both locally, France and Japan.
The only other point I might add was a comment from an overseas visitor during the 2005 THS Conclave; “Your museum tour and stage show was the absolute highlight of the entire tour.” -Need I say more?
Simon Overton -Volunteer stage manager.
Now the simulation of the lights dimming…that would be cool. I have seen a picture of the concession area and it is fantastic. Joe Musil designed the interior and what a beautiful job he did.
John – Thanks. And I did not get shots of the concession are, not this time around at least. My goal was simply to capture the auditorium. However, I am still working on some unshown shots of the walls, murals and screens, including (maybe) a simulation of the lights dimming.
James, Great looking pictures of the auditorium. Did you happen to take any pictures of the lobby area/concession area?
Tom – Glad you enjoyed! I was sleepless last night, so put up the link to my pics in this forum. I plan to add more images from the shoot I did – more angles, more murals. For those who want to see it http://www.jamesgordongallery.com/crestslides (Flash), or http://www.jamesgordongallery.com/crestweb (web pages). Pass the word along.
James—Beautiful series. Thanks! tom
Want to take a look at the murals inside. I did an independent, free photoshoot of them to show up the lovely glowing look. View at the theatre site, www.westwoodcrest.com, then click on special events, and then on the link to the Majestic Crest Pictures. Or go directly to the slideshow at my site http:www.jamesgordongallery.com/crestslides. I am not affiliated, and the images are not for sale. I am a photographic artist and I love the cinema.
GCC operated it when Loew’s left the California market. Among the other main theatres they picked up from Loews was the Loew’s on Hollywood Blvd. (aka. Paramount/El Capitan), Holly, Beverly (in Beverly Hills), Picfair, ElMiro and others.
It must have been an art house in January 1950 as the features were “Donizetti’s Opera” and “This Wine of Love”, according to an ad in the LA Times.
They’d never do it, and it would be nice if the owner replaced those backlight mural type signs on the marquee with the old style movable lettering. The theater would look a little more like a restoration than a renovation. That said, given how much Westwood has changed since I visited when I was a kid in the 1970s, it’s a miracle the building still stands and still retains as much of its original character as it does. Interesting that GCC (General Cinema) owned it for a time.
The only thing that might be original at the Crest is the facade area near the vertical sign above the marquee. The rest of the theatre is the Disney remodel.
architect85: You can email me at I did some research on Hawes and will get it to you, if you like.
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN GET INFORMATION ON THE ARCHITECT ARTHUR W. HAWES??
The new owner has changed the theatre’s name to the Majestic Crest.
Why is it still listed as the Westwood Crest?
I’m still waiting for photos on the Look Inside column!!
I went to the Crest for the first time today and saw “Munich.” The Crest is a theater that I have known about for some time now and have wanted to go to but had actual just never gone to. I do not know why I had never gone to this theater before because in the late 1980’s, during the heyday of Westwood Village, I was watching movies in Westwood every weekend. Maybe it was because the Crest is south of Wilshire Boulevard and therefor really out of Westwood Village. I did however once make it next door to the now defunct Coronet Theater to see “The Doors.” The Crest is a gem of a theater worth making a trip to. The auditorium is very nice with murals of the old Hollywood skyline on the walls. It is great this single screen theater survives.
“Shouldn’t this be listed as being located in Westwood, not Los Angeles?”
Westwood is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles. The Crest is south of Wilshire, which distinguishes it from being in the part of Westwood called the village, where many of the fine premiere houses are located, like the Mann Village and the Bruin.
CALLING ALL THEATRE / MOVIE ENTHUSIASTS!!!
T'he Los Angeles Theatre' on South Broadway, LA is playing host to the UK television show ‘Dead Famous LIVE’. We are currently looking for people who would like to come along as part of the studio audience.
‘Dead Famous LIVE’ is a studio entertainment show all about Hollywood History and the paranormal. We will be welcoming celebrity guests on to the show and investigating famous locations around Hollywood which are rumoured to be haunted including the Los Angeles Theatre itself.
This is an invaluable chance to get access to the Los Angeles Theatre, the place where Charlie Chaplin’s ‘City Lights’ premiered in 1931 and to have a thoroughly great day out! (And its free!!)
We’re transmitting ‘Live’ back to the United Kingdom so expect it to be exciting and fun!
We will be filming on three days from 11th – 13th November between 11.30am – 4pm. If you are interested in coming on one or all of these days then email me for tickets!
.uk
I look forward to your responses!
Another AKA for this theater is the Majestic Crest.
Loew’s 1967 annual report mentions the chain’s acquisition of the Picfair, Beverly, Crest, and other Statewide Circuit theatres. See pages 5 through 8.
I saw Rosemary’s Baby at the Crest during it’s exclusive engagement during the late 1960’s. Luckily, I was unprepared for the film, and found it one of the most engrossing movies I’ve ever seen. The Crest was a an Art Deco masterpiece in the Sixties, and I am so happy to say it stands just as handsomely in the new Millenium. And, best of all—and almost unique in Los Angeles—they still show current feature films there! Westwood is like the last refuge of individual movie theaters, what with the Bruin and the equally exquisite Fox Village (I know, it’s really a Mann Theater, but let’s remember it’s heritage), located across the street from each other in the heart of Westwood Village.
The seating capacity of the Crest Theatre is 500.
The first operators when it became the Uclan Theatre were the independent circuit Dietrich and Feldstein.
Theatre interior designer Joe Musil was responsible for the current renovation carried out in conjunction with the Disney Organisation. He was also responsible for the 1993 restoration of the Cecchi Gori Fine Arts /theaters/212/ and the El Capitan Theater /theaters/17/
Westwood is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, not a separate city.
(Then again, so is Hollywood, yet we have some listings here under that “city” name.)
P.S. I mention the Federal offices because Mr. Hawes was born in England.