Mann Plaza Theater
1067 Glendon Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
1067 Glendon Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
16 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 28 comments
The Regent and the Plaza were both Laemmle Theaters. The Bruin, Village, and Mann’s Westwood were Mann Theaters. Then there were two UA Theaters, the UA Westwood (later the Festival) and the UA Cinema Center on Westwood Blvd. (now a CV Pharmacy). Not sure whether the Avco Cinema Center and Crest were associated with any larger corporate chains.
WAS JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THE FIVE MANN THEATERS OPERATED IN THE VILLAGE DID WELL ALL FIVE WITHIN SHORT WALK OF EACH OTHER, I WAS C..O.O. DURING THIS TIME 1980, NATIONAL, REGENT, FOX VILLAGE, BRUIN, AND MANN WESTWOOD 3 Later 4
June 30th, 1967 grand opening ad in photo section.
For anyone who is interested, there is a new youtube video which shows both video footage and still of the Plaza dating from back in the 1970’s (note: the video footage is located in the middle of the video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xad6gLpKG9A
Status should read Demolished though.
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.
Great photo of the theater found on this blog.
Westwood Village in the 70’s was, indeed, Southern California’s premier entertainment spot, much like the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica is today. The fantastic Plaza Theater was a part of this excitement as Westwood was THE spot for first run movies. Yet, in its being located on quiet Glendon Ave. and in its focus on art films, the Plaza had a cozy, private feeling to it. I was always thrilled to catch a movie there! What is worse than the Plaza being demolished is the way that entire block of Glendon Ave. has been disfigured, and a charming piece of Los Angeles has taken on the look of a boring Orange County shopping complex. But that’s the way things go. Thanks for all for the great posts in tribute to this great movie theater.
It took forever because of the zoning in the area and the neighbors on the east side of the property.
Status should be closed/demolished.
Wow! Those are huge complexes. I wonder how many apartment units there are in all? It seems like it has taken the forever to build these.
“Rocky” was in its initial run at the Plaza in December 1976. The ad is from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2qv5an
They’re building a luxury apartment complex over there now. I think it’s called The Palazzo; it actually takes up both sides of the street.
Has a new building been erected on the site of the Plaza yet? If so, what is in the new building?
http://www.wftv.com/news/11010356/detail.html#
Another case of a car ramming into a movie theater.
I add this, because in the late 1970s (1978?) a car rammed into the north side of the Plaza.
The theatre is gone. I was in Westwood Village the other day and couldn’t help but notice the huge hole in the ground where the Plaza once sat. The whole block of Glendon to the north of where the theatre was located is being redeveloped.
Even though it is demolished, I would, for the record,clarify the seat count. It was 650,not 500, since there was a balcony. It will be missed.
I went to this theater many times in the late 1980s when Westwood Village was the place to see movies for people from miles around. I would even drive down to Westwood from the San Fernando Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley because the large concentration of single screen theaters ensured I would be able to see something. In the 1980s the eastern side of Westwood Village along Glendon Avenue where the Mann Plaza Theater was located was just as busy as any other street in Westwood Village. However, the eastern side of Westwood Village was the first area of Westwood Village to feel the pinch as theatergoers and visitors moved to other areas beginning around 1990. There were many stores, including a Tower Records on Glendon Avenue. The Tower Records moved west to Westwood Boulevard (and is now closed) and many other shops on Glendon Avenue closed. This left Glendon Avenue and the eastern side of Westwood Village as something of a ghost town in recent years.
I went to this theater many times in the late 1980s when Westwood Village was the place to see movies for people from miles around. I would even drive down to Westwood from the San Fernando Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley because the large concentration of single screen theaters ensured I would be able to see something. In the 1980s the eastern side of Westwood Village along Glendon Avenue where the Mann Plaza Theater was located was just as busy as any other street in Westwood Village. However, the eastern side of Westwood Village was the first area of Westwood Village to feel the pinch as theatergoers and visitors moved to other areas beginning around 1990. There were many stores, including a Tower Records on Glendon Avenue. The Tower Records moved west to Westwood Boulevard (and is now closed) and many other shops on Glendon Avenue closed. This left Glendon Avenue and the eastern side of Westwood Village as something of a ghost town in recent years.
As of the end of May 2005, the Plaza Theatre is no longer standing.
I was lucky enough to catch the 4:30 show of Napoleon Dynamite at The Plaza during its last day, Thursday 10/21/04. I just moved to Los Angeles, so it was my first and only visit. I got to sit by myself in a very awesome balcony and watch the Norelco humming away in the booth project one last time. The setup and presentation were great; unfortunately it is situated next to a quite large vacant lot. Construction is supposed to begin soon on a retail/ condo complex on the site. I walked by it on Monday, and they were taking the poppers out of the stand.
It survived one more week. The official closing has been pushed back a week to Thursday, 10/21. Napoleon Dynamite will be the last film for The Plaza. I will keep everyone updated if anything should change!
Sad news-I work at the Plaza and as of now, October 14 will be the last day. It is set to be demolished and a shopping center will be built in it’s place(Just what Westwood needs)!
The staff is bumed about this little gem closing. If you haven’t seen a film here yet, please do, or make one last trip to the Plaza to see one last film here. The small but cosy balcony is a must!
official webpage / showtimes
View link
The plan may be to close it down, but so far, the theatre is still open, thankfully.