Music Hall 3
9036 Wilshire Boulevard,
Beverly Hills,
CA
90211
9036 Wilshire Boulevard,
Beverly Hills,
CA
90211
13 people
favorited this theater
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The page should be updated. The Lumiere Cinema group beat back the hostile takeover attempt by Blue Fox. They run the theater outright.
Please update, currently open. Showing movies. Guess the renovations will be done soon. current website lumierecinemala.com
Please update, rename Music Hall 3, Lumiere dosen’t own the theatre anymore as per variety.com article
From Variety.com Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills Acquired By Blue Fox Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)
By Pat Saperstein
Music Hall AP The historic Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills has been acquired by film distribution company Blue Fox Entertainment, which will renovate the three-screen complex for a planned October reopening.
Blue Fox, a 6-year old company based in Century City, sees taking over a long-term lease on the theater as a natural extension of its independent film distribution and sales business. Blue Fox owner James Huntsman says “People are going to be blown away” when they see the new design for the theater, which is the only multiplex operating in the city of Beverly Hills.
Built in 1936 and opened in 1937, the art deco landmark had been part of Laemmle Theaters until 2019, when a trio of Laemmle vets took over briefly to run it as the Lumiere until the COVID pandemic closed down theaters.
Huntsman says there’s a need in Los Angeles for space for premieres, special screenings and four-wall bookings. The Blue Fox Theater will also program foreign and arthouse films from Blue Fox and other distributors, and Huntsman hopes the remodeled theater will prove attractive to bookers from the most prominent specialty labels.
“The renovation is quite extensive,” Huntsman says, and will include an expanded lobby and totally reimagined concession stand with unique offerings of beer, wine and food. All three auditoriums will be retrofitted with new screens and fully reclining seats.
The centrally-located theater on Wilshire Boulevard at Doheny will be a natural fit for Q&As and panels and other special events, according to Huntsman, “We want to connect filmmakers with the community.”
The largest auditorium currently has a 35mm projection system which will be retained for use during special screenings.
Designed by architect Wilfred B. Verity, the theater had been in continuous use until the pandemic, and also served as a studio for KLAC in the 1950s, where Betty White’s first sitcom, “Life With Elizabeth,” and “The Liberace Show” were filmed. It was originally known as the Elite and became the Music Hall in 1945.
“We believe there is strong demand for ‘a night at the movies’ and are fully committed to invest in its future,” Huntsman says.
William Gruenberg, theatrical distribution advisor for Blue Fox, will oversee film buying. Theater designer Fred Dagdagan, whose credits include the Television Academy Theater in North Hollywood and the Steven J. Ross Theater on the Warner Bros lot, is handling the renovation.
Blue Fox has distributed films including “Young Hearts,” Julie Delpy’s “My Zoe,” “Sometimes Always Never,” “Abe,” “A Simple Wedding” and “Killerman.”
Laemmle press release today:
This evening Laemmle Theatres will cease operation of the Music Hall Theatre in Beverly Hills.
Laemmle Theatres President Greg Laemmle said, “It has been my family’s privilege to operate the Music Hall for 45 years but it’s time to end our stewardship. For the sake of efficiency, we plan to use the other screens in our circuit to provide a platform for the types of films we’ve been showing in Beverly Hills.”
Laemmle began operating the Music Hall in 1974 and has shown literally thousands of movies from all over the world. Bergman’s SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE was one of the first films we played there. LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and MY LIFE AS A DOG were hits in the 70’s and 80’s.
According to CinemaTreasures.org, the Music Hall first opened in April 1937 as the Elite Theatre, with seating for 824.
There is a distinct possibility of a renaissance, and movies and moviegoers will return to 9036 Wilshire Boulevard, but if it happens it will be after a hiatus and with different operators.
This became the Music Hall (Beverly Hills) on August 8th, 1945. Grand opening ads posted.
At its peak in the mid- to late-1960s, the Walter Reade Organization operated two flagship movie houses in Beverly Hills, California. The Beverly Hills Music Hall on Wilshire Boulevard hosted many first-run foreign films and prestige releases, including the world premiere of John Cassavetes' “Faces.” The Music Hall was the exclusive exhibitor in the region of the 1968 Russian production of “War and Peace.” (see photos) All the movie industry elite turned out for that long-running “hard ticket” engagement, including Katharine Hepburn, Warren Beatty with Julie Christie, Mike Nichols, Joanne Woodward, James Coburn and scores of others. Theater staffers were required to wear Russian tunics on duty, and the doormen wore full-length Cossack coats, fur hats and accessories. The second Walter Reade cinema in Beverly Hills was the Beverly Canon, which also exhibited the company’s licensed foreign films and was the site of world premiere screenings, including Peter Bogdonovich’s “Targets.”
I quite agree. Every time I have been by the Music Hall or even attended a rare screening there, the auditoriums are almost bare. I heard that Sharon Stone and Faye Dunaway have frequented the theater, but never see them there.
I go often and have yet to see the theater full. They can’t be making any money. To save this theater, that sits on desirable Beverly Hills land, formulate a plan now before it becomes actively threatened. By that time, it’s often hard to turn things around.
I’m surprised this venue is still around.
Architect J. Arthur Drielsma designed the renovation of the Music Hall for Herbert Rosener that is featured in the 1960 Boxoffice article that Tinseltoes linked to earlier. The project involved completely rebuilding the gutted interior as well as redesigning the front.
So far, Laemmle has managed to keep this house open a year beyond its reported closing date. The slack real estate market probably has something to do with that.
The Music Hall also has a place in TV history. Betty White’s very first sitcom, 1952’s “Life With Elizabeth”, was produced here.
My bad… saw a piece on the news about the closing of the Music Hall due to lease issues… seemed like the theater was closing THIS weekend… drove past today and it looks like business as usual.
Yeah, and they have showtimes extending past the weekend…
Really? The Laemmle site shows may bookings for the Music Hall in the Coming Soon portion on thier Website.
Sad news. Theater to close this weekend.
In response to a suggestion on their Facebook page of having later screenings, Laemmle replied: “Unfortunately, Beverly Hills municipal code prohibits us from starting movies after 10pm.” That’s not a great help when trying to entice younger movie goers.
Plus BH’s parking rules and enforcement are Draconian.
It’s terrific Laemmle got a one year lease reprieve. But I’d bet the landlord is just buying time until the economy turns around to put retail/office space there.
Yes,great news,the pictures I saw show a beautiful Theatre.
Great news!
This was posted on Facebook today:
Good news, everyone! We finalized a one-year (minimum) extension of operation for the Music Hall in Beverly Hills!
Now we need your advice. Only increased support by the community surrounding the Music Hall will keep it open. What would make you more likely to attend the theater? Extended hours? Changes in programming?… Leave your wish list in the comments below or on our website: http://laemmle.com/generalinfo.php
I suspect the rent rise is just a ploy to close the theatre. Beverly Hills hasn’t been theatre/cinema friendly for a long, long time. Of course I underestand the problem. The Bev Hills folks just don’t have the MONEY to spend $10-15 for a movie ticket. How sad! HA!
This is reportedly likely to close in April, 2011:
View link
The city of Beverly Hills lost the beautiful Art-Deco Warner Theatre back in 1989 and the local landmark Beverly Theatre in 2005.
Thanks vokoban.Sad.
If anyone doesn’t believe me, take a look at this…the only thing that matters in Beverly Hills is money, money, money.
http://www.johnlautner.org/wp/?p=499
The city of Beverly Hills has no historic preservation laws (such as the Mills Act, which allows owners of historic and designated properties to receive tax credits for restoration expenses), or landmark ordinances which, in cases like this, would allow the necessary time to explore alternatives to demolition.