Early in 2002 I got a postcard from the company that owned the ABC Entertainment Center (which included this theatre), announcing they were going to tear everything down and replace it with a new office building and a park. Whenever I went there after that, it was more special because of knowing that it might be the last time. And one day, sadly, it was.
Ross, I am so glad you posted this. I saw Serving Sara at this theatre, although it was a week or two prior to when this photo was taken and the movie was still in one of the big rooms. Thanks for the memories!
Thanks for the compliment, Ross! I publish that blog and someone recommended that I post the photo here, so I have. I am glad to help save part of the history of the Mann Plaza.
Rooms 1 and 2 were big, but rooms 3 to 13 were rather small. I still loved the place despite it all, I guess I’m just sentimental. I will especially miss the large lobby area adjacent to the two big rooms, and the rarely used second concession stand, which was actually walled up by the time I made my final trip there.
I looked at a pdf brochure about the place, it looks like the seats were removed. Assuming the projector is gone too, how much would it cost to get the place running again, not counting the lease?
Thanks Jeff for those pictures, they bring back fond memories. I haven’t been to the theatre since January, the last two films I saw were Boondock Saints 2 and Twilight 2. When I saw Boondock, I was the only one in the auditorium! I watched the end of the film from the front row, and I suddenly got very sentimental. I got a strange feeling about the history of the place, and I tried to imagine what it must have been like to see movies like ET or Return Of The Jedi on a Saturday afternoon back in the heyday. I will always miss the Beverly 13.
Unfortunately I only have vague memories of going to the movies in the valley in the 70’s or early 80’s when I was a kid. I do remember seeing the Star Wars re-release in 1979 and Superman 2 in 1981, and I know I saw one of those at least at the Topanga. I was looking forward to visiting the furniture store and seeing the dining room sets sitting on the slanted floors and smelling the old popcorn smell, but I see now that I am too late. I have visited at least four theatres in California that were eventually closed and/or torn down, and it makes me sad to see a part of history fading away.
I thank God for Regency saving the Village and Bruin theatres, I saw Revenge Of The Sith at the Village twice and it will always be my favorite Star Wars memory (well after seeing the first one when I was a kid of course!).
I was heartbroken to find out about this. I was looking up the listings at the Mann site to see what was playing there today, only to find out they are closed. Early in 2007 I went to see Children Of Men starring Clive Owen. That movie was very special not only to me, but also to the staff working at the Festival. I saw it several times, both from the main floor and also from the balcony, and enjoyed hot dogs and soda while I was there. I have the movie on Blu Ray and I know a tear will come to my eye when I watch it again.
I watched “Tamara” in auditorium 2. I was very happy to see the place back in business, it looks like it’s had a thorough cleaning. One thing that made me sad though, the extra concession in the hallway leading to the big rooms is gone, there’s just a wall there now.
Just to put an update here, it’s no longer “soon to be demolished”, it IS demolished. There’s nothing left but the metal skeleton of the place (they are taking it down piece-by-piece), and even that will be gone very soon.
When “Chicago” was playing on the weekends, the main room was packed wall-to-wall. I remember one Saturday in particular, and the trailers before the movie included “Le Divorce”, “View From The Top”, and “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days”. I saw that room packed with happy people having a good time and thinking why oh WHY couldn’t this last forever. When Chicago left and they started showing things like the remake of “The Italian Job” and “League Of Extraordinary Gentleman” I stayed away, because I wanted to remember it for that last really good night I had there.
One of the things I loved about this theater was it’s so beautiful, it even made going to lesser movies an event. I couldn’t tolerate Alien 3, Diabolique (the remake), Flesh And Bone, and several others in a cheap theater, but at the Century Plaza they were still fun nights for me regardless of the quality of those films. And as for watching good or even great movies there, oh my God, I was in movie heaven. I’ll never forget watching the re-release of Blade Runner in 1992, after ten years of watching it on video I finally got to experience it in a great cinema. If only there was some way to save it from demolition sigh.
I was a big fan of the Loews Century Plaza Cinemas in Century City at the (former) ABC Entertainment Center, and had hoped to someday travel to New York to visit the Astor because this website said it was similar. Now that it seems the Astor is going to be closed in August (according to another post on this page), I guess the great era of Loews' old theatres has come to an end. Does anybody know of another great old theatre that ISN’T scheduled for demolition/closure?
Room one and Room two were beautiful rooms, especially because they were NOT stadium seating. If I had won the big 200 or 300 million “Powerball” lottery I would have bought the ABC Entertainment Center (which the cinema was part of) and saved the theater. It’s a piece of history that will be sorely missed.
Status should read Demolished though.
Early in 2002 I got a postcard from the company that owned the ABC Entertainment Center (which included this theatre), announcing they were going to tear everything down and replace it with a new office building and a park. Whenever I went there after that, it was more special because of knowing that it might be the last time. And one day, sadly, it was.
Ross, I am so glad you posted this. I saw Serving Sara at this theatre, although it was a week or two prior to when this photo was taken and the movie was still in one of the big rooms. Thanks for the memories!
Thanks for the compliment, Ross! I publish that blog and someone recommended that I post the photo here, so I have. I am glad to help save part of the history of the Mann Plaza.
Rooms 1 and 2 were big, but rooms 3 to 13 were rather small. I still loved the place despite it all, I guess I’m just sentimental. I will especially miss the large lobby area adjacent to the two big rooms, and the rarely used second concession stand, which was actually walled up by the time I made my final trip there.
I looked at a pdf brochure about the place, it looks like the seats were removed. Assuming the projector is gone too, how much would it cost to get the place running again, not counting the lease?
I would be interested in running it if someone was willing to invest in it with me.
Thanks Jeff for those pictures, they bring back fond memories. I haven’t been to the theatre since January, the last two films I saw were Boondock Saints 2 and Twilight 2. When I saw Boondock, I was the only one in the auditorium! I watched the end of the film from the front row, and I suddenly got very sentimental. I got a strange feeling about the history of the place, and I tried to imagine what it must have been like to see movies like ET or Return Of The Jedi on a Saturday afternoon back in the heyday. I will always miss the Beverly 13.
Unfortunately I only have vague memories of going to the movies in the valley in the 70’s or early 80’s when I was a kid. I do remember seeing the Star Wars re-release in 1979 and Superman 2 in 1981, and I know I saw one of those at least at the Topanga. I was looking forward to visiting the furniture store and seeing the dining room sets sitting on the slanted floors and smelling the old popcorn smell, but I see now that I am too late. I have visited at least four theatres in California that were eventually closed and/or torn down, and it makes me sad to see a part of history fading away.
I thank God for Regency saving the Village and Bruin theatres, I saw Revenge Of The Sith at the Village twice and it will always be my favorite Star Wars memory (well after seeing the first one when I was a kid of course!).
I saw Boondock Saints 2 last night in house #3 and loved it! If I get a chance I will watch a show in house #2 soon!
I can’t get their homepage to work.
I was heartbroken to find out about this. I was looking up the listings at the Mann site to see what was playing there today, only to find out they are closed. Early in 2007 I went to see Children Of Men starring Clive Owen. That movie was very special not only to me, but also to the staff working at the Festival. I saw it several times, both from the main floor and also from the balcony, and enjoyed hot dogs and soda while I was there. I have the movie on Blu Ray and I know a tear will come to my eye when I watch it again.
Thanks for the pictures, Mark. I’ve always regretted not taking any myself during the final year.
I watched “Tamara” in auditorium 2. I was very happy to see the place back in business, it looks like it’s had a thorough cleaning. One thing that made me sad though, the extra concession in the hallway leading to the big rooms is gone, there’s just a wall there now.
Just to put an update here, it’s no longer “soon to be demolished”, it IS demolished. There’s nothing left but the metal skeleton of the place (they are taking it down piece-by-piece), and even that will be gone very soon.
When “Chicago” was playing on the weekends, the main room was packed wall-to-wall. I remember one Saturday in particular, and the trailers before the movie included “Le Divorce”, “View From The Top”, and “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days”. I saw that room packed with happy people having a good time and thinking why oh WHY couldn’t this last forever. When Chicago left and they started showing things like the remake of “The Italian Job” and “League Of Extraordinary Gentleman” I stayed away, because I wanted to remember it for that last really good night I had there.
One of the things I loved about this theater was it’s so beautiful, it even made going to lesser movies an event. I couldn’t tolerate Alien 3, Diabolique (the remake), Flesh And Bone, and several others in a cheap theater, but at the Century Plaza they were still fun nights for me regardless of the quality of those films. And as for watching good or even great movies there, oh my God, I was in movie heaven. I’ll never forget watching the re-release of Blade Runner in 1992, after ten years of watching it on video I finally got to experience it in a great cinema. If only there was some way to save it from demolition sigh.
I was a big fan of the Loews Century Plaza Cinemas in Century City at the (former) ABC Entertainment Center, and had hoped to someday travel to New York to visit the Astor because this website said it was similar. Now that it seems the Astor is going to be closed in August (according to another post on this page), I guess the great era of Loews' old theatres has come to an end. Does anybody know of another great old theatre that ISN’T scheduled for demolition/closure?
Room one and Room two were beautiful rooms, especially because they were NOT stadium seating. If I had won the big 200 or 300 million “Powerball” lottery I would have bought the ABC Entertainment Center (which the cinema was part of) and saved the theater. It’s a piece of history that will be sorely missed.