This one breaks my heart. My fav theatre as a kid growing up in LA. My other fav was the ABC Century Plitt. Saw Superman, Indiana Jones and had a great date for Top Gun. A little over a year ago I brought my 7 yo son to Westwood to see the new Indiana Jones movie and for some reason I thought it was at the National. When we pulled into Westwood Village from Wilshire I was in complete shock to find a hole in the ground where the massive National once stood. Knowing there was only one other theatre in Westwood the movie could be showing, we bought our tickets at the Village Theatre and once we got situated in our seats, much to my surprise, tears started to roll down my face. I couldn’t believe I was crying about a movie theatre being torn down…this place was special. Ah, the impact of the movies and the places you see them.
Two of my favorite LA Movie Theatres are long gone now and the PLITT was one of them (the National in Westwood is the other). Saw JAWS there (5 times)among many others. The last movie I saw in the large theatre (before it was chopped up) was the director’s cut of ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA. What a great experience, in those bouncy red chairs with the tall backs. One day, in 1991, I was working on a movie and the lead actress got sick and the crew was released early for the day. I was happy I could go to the (now) AMC to see an early bird showing of DANCES WITH WOLVES. The movie was $4. The parking was $36!
Oh, and of course the offence grows the longer that huge hole in the ground remains empty. The “logic” behind tearing the theartre down really hurts.
This one breaks my heart. My fav theatre as a kid growing up in LA. My other fav was the ABC Century Plitt. Saw Superman, Indiana Jones and had a great date for Top Gun. A little over a year ago I brought my 7 yo son to Westwood to see the new Indiana Jones movie and for some reason I thought it was at the National. When we pulled into Westwood Village from Wilshire I was in complete shock to find a hole in the ground where the massive National once stood. Knowing there was only one other theatre in Westwood the movie could be showing, we bought our tickets at the Village Theatre and once we got situated in our seats, much to my surprise, tears started to roll down my face. I couldn’t believe I was crying about a movie theatre being torn down…this place was special. Ah, the impact of the movies and the places you see them.
Two of my favorite LA Movie Theatres are long gone now and the PLITT was one of them (the National in Westwood is the other). Saw JAWS there (5 times)among many others. The last movie I saw in the large theatre (before it was chopped up) was the director’s cut of ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA. What a great experience, in those bouncy red chairs with the tall backs. One day, in 1991, I was working on a movie and the lead actress got sick and the crew was released early for the day. I was happy I could go to the (now) AMC to see an early bird showing of DANCES WITH WOLVES. The movie was $4. The parking was $36!