Fox / Mann / Regency / Bruin Theatre

948 Broxton Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90024  | map |

News: Last day of operation for both the Village and the Bruin under Regency management was July 25. It has gone dark while the owners decide on the next step. The building also includes five retail/restaurant spaces. 

Opened: December 21, 1937. It's right across the street from the Fox Westwood/Village Theatre. The last film to run when Regency Theatres closed the house was "Twisters" with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell. The photo by Bill Counter was taken on the last day of operation: July 25, 2024.

Phone: 310-208-8998     

Website: www.regencymovies.com - "No Showtimes..."  | Bruin & Village on Facebook |

Architect: S. Charles Lee

A rendering of the unnamed theatre from the S. Charles Lee office. It's on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. With any of these UCLA items you can go to Calisphere and click through to much larger views on the UCLA Library website.

The first floor plan. It's on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. UCLA also has a smaller detail just showing the theatre.

A sheet of the plans showing various interior details. It's on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection.

Seating: 876 at opening, currently 670 -- all on one floor.

Screen size: Currently it's 50' wide, out in front of the original proscenium. There's about 8' of depth behind the screen but really no stage to speak of -- this was designed strictly as a film house.

For decades it was still a major first run venue. Since 1973 it had been operated by Mann Theatres after Ted Mann purchased the Fox West Coast chain from National General Corp. In 2010 Mann had declined to renew their leases at both the Bruin and the Fox Westwood/Village Theatre across the street. 

It became a part of the Regency Theatres circuit in 2010 when they stepped up and kept the theatres in operation. The L.A. Times ran a story about the transition: "2 Historic Westwood Theaters Saved From Possible Closure" in April 2010.

The building is owned by the Margaret Skouras Martyn family.  

Closing: The last day of operation by Regency of both the Bruin and Village was July 25, 2024. Their leases were up. Thanks to Manager Obet Maldonado for a terrific job caring for the two theatres. The final film to play the house was "Twisters." Regency shared a nice clip of the marquee being turned off that night on the Regency Village and Bruin Theatres Facebook page. In a July 26 Hollywood Reporter story Seth Abramovitch talked about the final night and the future of the two theatres.  

Status: The building's owners are looking at options. No plans have been announced.

 

Lobby views:

Looking toward the inner lobby in 1937. The auditorium is off to the left. It's a Luckhaus Studio photo on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. Yes, that's a bear in the carpet design.

 

S. Charles Lee's design for the bear carpet. The plan is on Calisphere from the UCLA S. Charles Lee Papers Collection. 

A peek into the lobby in 2007. Photo: Bill Counter

 

 

A deeper view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

 

 

An inner lobby shot. Thanks to George Vreeland Hill for this 2022 view, one of nine photos of the Fox and Bruin in a post on the SoCal Historic Architecture Facebook page.

A doorway leading into the auditorium. It's a 2010 photo by Senorsock on the Cinema Treasures page about the Bruin.

The view back out toward the entrance. Photo: Don Solosan- Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation - 2010. Thanks, Don!

The LAHTF is actively involved in the study and preservation of the vintage theatres in the L.A. area. The group frequently supports events and offers tours of various historic theatres. www.lahtf.org | LAHTF on Facebook

Looking back from deeper in the lobby. The stairs at left go up to the booth and restrooms. At the right note a bit of the colonial revival detailing that Lee liked to mix into his moderne designs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

S. Charles Lee's sign pointing us upstairs. Photo: Don Solosan- LAHTF - 2010

 

 

 

The snackbar the day after closing. Photo: Bill Counter - July 26, 2024

 

 

Upstairs:

 

The lounge area. Additional ADA restrooms have been added on the main floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

 

 

The booth door is in that alcove at the center. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022

 

 

The booth: 

 

The equipment in 1994. The theatre was equipped for 70mm in 1978 with two of the Norelco DP70 projectors from the Carthay Circle that had been installed there for the run of "Around the World in 80 Days" in 1956. Here both Norelcos were still in place. The xenon lamps at the time were by LP Associates.

Thanks to Thomas Hauerslev for sharing this photo on the DP70s in California page of his wonderful site In70mm.com. It's the place to visit for information about 70mm projector history, news of 70mm festivals and more.

A look across the booth in 2017. It's a Christie digital unit on the left along with one remaining Norelco and a Christie platter beyond. Thanks to John Hough and Mark Mulhall of OrnateTheatres.com for the photo.

A closer look at the Norelco -- now with a Strong lamp. Thanks to John Hough and Mark Mulhall for the 2017 photo.

A view across the platter toward the one remaining Norelco. The event attracting all the booth tourists was the 2017 Theatre Historical Society Conclave. Photo: Bill Counter

 

 

The auditorium:  

 

A peek in the left aisle. Originally there were stenciled designs on the side walls and ceiling done with black light paint. Photo: Bill Counter - 2022 

Another look at the front of the auditorium. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2010

The aisle-level auditorium vista. Sorry, no vintage end standards to look at. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2010. Thanks for all your photos, Don!

Manager Obet Maldonado talks about the theatre to visitors on a tour for the 2017 Theatre Historical Society Conclave. Thanks to John Hough and Mark Mulhall of OrnateTheatres.com for the photo. 

 

A look to the rear of the house in 2017. Photo: John Hough and Mark Mulhall - OrnateTheatres.com 

Looking behind the auditorium curtains at a 2010 LAHTF "all-about" tour of the theatre. The photo by Senorsock appears on Cinema Treasures.

Backstage at the Bruin. We're looking up at the original proscenium. The current screen is mounted out in front. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017

 

More exterior views: 

1938 - The Bruin running "Bringing Up Baby" and "Big Broadcast of 1938." Thanks to Jon Haimowitz for the post on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles. "Baby" was a February release.

1938 - A photo in the wonderful Bruce Torrence Hollywood Photograph Collection. Have a spare afternoon for some fun? Browse the other 250 or so theatre photos in the Torrence collection.

They were running Lloyd Bacon's "Boy Meets Girl" with James Cagney, Marie Wilson and Pat O'Brien along with "Mother Carey's Chickens" with Ruby Keeler. Both films were July releases. The photo also appears in the Los Angeles Public Library collection and in the AMPAS Tom B'hend and Preston Kaufmann Collection where it's credited as being from Marc Wanamaker.

1943 - Evidently they were shooting some footage for backgrounds. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for posting the shot on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

1947 - The December 30 premiere of Hitchcock's "The Paradine Case" at both the Bruin and Fox Westwood Village. No more milk glass letters. The Life photo appeared on the Regency Village and Bruin Facebook page. Check out their Bruin Theatre Vintage Photos set on the page.

1948 - The premiere of "The Adventures of Casanova" at the Bruin in a photo from the Regency Village and Bruin Facebook page. The shot also appears on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

1952 - A photo of the theatre from the Richard Wojcik collection that he posted on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles.

1955 - A premiere, presumably at the Fox Westwood. The Bruin has Frank Capra's "Here Comes The Groom" with Jane Wyman and Bing Crosby," a September release. It's a Ralph Morris photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1956 - A photo from the collection of Bruce Kimmel that he shared on Photos of Los Angeles. On the marquee: Alec Guiness in "Ladykillers." The AMPAS Tom B'hend and Preston Kaufmann Collection also has a version of the shot.

1965 - Thanks to Bruce Kimmel for sharing this photo of the Bruin playing Woody Allen's "What's New Pussycat?," a June release. It's on Photos of Los Angeles where Bruce notes that between the Bruin and the Vogue he saw the film 20 times in a row.

 

 

1974 - "Godfather Part II." Thanks to Jason Horton for sharing this shot in a post for the Lost Angeles Facebook group. 

 

 

1979 - A sneak of Coppola's unfinished "Apocalypse Now" in May. It's one of a number of photos of theatres once operated by Ted Mann that are displayed at the entrance to the new Ted Mann Theatre at the Academy Museum. The film opened at the Cinerama Dome on August 15, 1979. The Academy's display, where they give it a 1978 date, credits the photo to George Rose / Hulton Archive / Getty Images. Gregory B. Trotter comments: "To be exact, it was Friday May 11, 1979. It's one of those embedded experiences that are hard to forget."

1981 - The theatre playing Stallone's "Nighthawks" in April. Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images website for the photo from their collection.

1982 - A fine view in April during the run of "Chariots of Fire." It's a photo from the American Classic Images collection. 

 

 

1982 - "Blade Runner" playing in 70mm. The film was a June release. Thanks to Richard DuVal for locating the photo for a post on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page. 

 

 

1983 - "The Lords of Discipline" was out in February. Thanks to Richard DuVal for including this shot on his wonderful post of 29 marquee views of the Bruin on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. 

 

 

1983 - A July "Trading Places" view from the American Classic Images collection.  

 

 

1985 - Thanks to Dana Brown Glenn for sharing this photo she took along with seven other Westwood views in a post for the Westwood Village in the 70s and 80s Facebook group. She comments: "In 1985, I took a photography class at Uni High, taught by the awesome teacher, Arnie Rubinoff. Our final exam was to create a photo series book of the topic of our choice. I present to you, my final project, 'Teenage Hangouts in Los Angeles,' for which I got an 'A.' Lots of memories of long gone places."

 

1986 - "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" with Bette Midler and Richard Dreyfuss playing the Bruin. Thanks to Jay Jennings for sharing this one as a post on the Westwood Village in the 70s and 80s Facebook group.

1987 - A wonderful look toward the Village and Bruin Theatres from the Richard Wojcik collection. It was a post of his on Vintage Los Angeles.

 

 

1988 - "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" on the marquee. It was a December release. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing the two photos he took during that run in a post on the Movie Palaces, Theatres & Cinemas Facebook page. 

 

 

1988 - "Tucker" at night. The exterior of the Fox Oakland appears in the film and the lobby of the Oakland Paramount was also used. Photo: Richard DuVal 

 

 

1989 - "Batman" mania. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this photo in a post on the Cinema Treasures Facebook group that included thirteen other shots taken during the Westwood runs of the original film and its sequels. 

 

1990 - A nice display for "Joe Versus the Volcano." This Richard DuVal photo popped up on the Classic Hollywood/Los Angeles/SFV Facebook page. 

 

 

1991 - Robin Hood was atop the Village Theatre in June shooting a flaming arrow (yes, real flames) toward the Sherwood Forest on top of the Bruin's marquee. See the Village shot. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing his two photos of the "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" premiere as a post on Photos of Los Angeles. 

 

 

1991 - "Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear" in late June. Thanks to Richard DuVal for his photo. This shot and the one below appeared as a post on the Facebook page Movie Palaces, Theatres & Cinemas. 

 

 

1991 - "Naked Gun" at night. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing his photo. 

 

1993 - Arnold atop the marquee for "The Last Action Hero." Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing his photo on the Westwood Village in the 70s and 80s Facebook group. Also see a closer view, one Richard shared in a huge post of Bruin shots on the private Photos of Los Angeles group.

1995 - The Bruin in July. It's a photo from the Richard Wojcik collection appearing on Vintage Los Angeles. Thanks, Richard!

2001 - A view of the two theatres from the website of Behr Browers Architects. It's on a Mann Theatre Westwood page where they discuss a 12 plex that Mann was planning at the time that would have incorporated the Village and Bruin Theatres as well as adding more screens.

2001 - Thanks to Behr Browers Architects for this lovely photo. It's on a Bruin Theatre page where they note that their firm did renovations and technical upgrades for Mann Theatres. The firm did many projects for Mann including the 2001 restoration work at the Chinese.

2005 - "Million Dollar Baby." Thanks to Oleg S. for sharing his photo on Flickr.

 

 

2006 - Thanks to Richard DuVal for this shot taken during the run of "The Sentinel," an April release. He shared it in a post on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page. 

 

 

2006 - "Hollywoodland" was an early September release with Adrien Brody, Diane Lane and Ben Affleck. It's a photo by Ruchi Sharma. Thanks to Arnold Darrow for locating it on Pinterest and sharing it on a Facebook post. 

 

 

2006 - A lovely view with the Bruin playing the late September release "The Fountain" with Rachel Weisz and Hugh Jackman. Over at the Village it was the animated penguin film "Happy Feet," out in November. Thanks to Martin Treu for sharing this photo on his Signs, Streets and Storefronts Facebook page. 

 

He notes that the two theatres "...coexist across Broxton Avenue as a sort of YIN and YANG of cinema architecture, paired for our pleasure. One beckons from afar, with the definitive Los Angeles theatre tower feature, so visible to motorists as they speed down the open arteries of 1930s Los Angeles, the ultimate automobile city. The Bruin, sleekly concave in contrast to the Fox's rocket-like convex form, suggests a gateway, a portal as open and welcoming as the arms of a mother or lover. Together, they render this intersection one of the most dynamic, charged, electric places in America."

 

 

2007 - "Resident Evil: Extinction" was a September release with Mila Jovovich. Photo: Bill Counter

2007 - A boxoffice and terrazzo view. Photo: Bill Counter

2009 - Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing this "Ingloious Basterds" shot.

2010 - "Edge of Darkness." Photo: Bill Counter

2017 - Thanks to Paul Wright for this "Fate of the Furious" photo, a post on the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles. 

 

2019 - Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood" was a July release. Thanks to George Vreeland Hill for sharing this photo along with three others he took in a post for the Lost Angeles Facebook group. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for shots of Margot Robbie at the theatre in the film. 

2019 - Thanks to Richard Wojcik for this lovely "Once Upon a Time..." view. He shared it with several other items about the film in a post for the Mid Century Modern private Facebook group. 

2019 - "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" was an October release. Thanks to Eric Cade for sharing this shot as a comment to Brian Witt's post on the Historic Film Locations Facebook group about the theatre's appearance in "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood." 

 

 

2019 - One of the big hits of the year. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing his photo in a post of 29 Bruin marquee views on Photos of Los Angeles. The film was a December release.

 

 

2021 - "No Time To Die" playing in October at both the Village and the Bruin. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing 17 images taken during the film's run at various theatres around town that appeared on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page. Also see his "No Time" post on the Movie Palaces, Theatres & Cinemas Facebook group. 

2022 - Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this "Spiderman: No Way Home" shot by an unknown photographer in a Cinema Treasures Facebook post post of 16 marquee views of the various films that played the theatre in 2022. 

 

 

2022 - Thanks to George Vreeland Hill for this view, one of nine photos of the Fox and Bruin in a post on the SoCal Historic Architecture Facebook page.  

 

 

2022 - The ticket lobby. Thanks to George Vreeland Hill for sharing his photo.

 

 

2022 - The view from the tower of the Village Theatre. Thanks to Mike Hume for the photo. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for historical data and thousands of great photos of the many theatres he's explored in the L.A. area and elsewhere. 

 

 

2022 - A closer look from above. "Get Your Buns in Theaters." That's Broxton Ave. at the bottom and Weyburn on the right. Photo: Mike Hume 

 

 

2022 - A great shot used by the L.A. Conservancy on Facebook to advertise their two day October tour of Westwood and UCLA.  

 

2023 - The "Barbenheimer" smackdown. Mr. O. holding forth at the Village vs. the Lady in Pink at the Bruin. Photo: Bill Counter - July 20 

 

 

2023 - A closer view of the "Barbie" signage. Photo: Bill Counter - July 20 

 

 

2023 - "Barbie" at night. Many thanks to Jon Olivan for sharing his July 24 photo in a Facebook post.  

2024 - A view from across the street on the final day of operation. Photo: Bill Counter - July 25

 

See a fine night shot that evening taken by Seth Abramovitch for his July 26 Hollywood Reporter story. On the Regency Village and Bruin Theatres Facebook page they shared a nice clip of the marquee in action and then being turned off for the last time

 

 

2024 - The new funereal appearance after closing. Photo: Bill Counter - July 26

2024 - A look over to the Village. Photo: Bill Counter - July 26 

 

2024 - The dark mode at night. Photo: Bill Counter - August 11

 

The Bruin in the Movies:

The Bruin is seen in John Frankenheimer's "The Young Stranger" (RKO, 1957). It stars James MacArthur as a 16 year old son of a wealthy movie producer who gets into a scuffle with the obnoxious manager of the theatre. He's unable to convince his father he was acting in self defense. Kim Hunter and James Daly are his parents. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for another shot of the theatre plus several views of the sets they used for the boxoffice area and interiors. Thanks to Veteran projectionist Mike Schleigel for commenting about the theatre's use in the film.

Lots of the Bruin is seen in Hall Bartlett's "The Caretakers" (United Artists, 1963). Bruce Kimmel comments: "We get great exterior shots of Polly Bergen walking up to the theater and buying a ticket, then great lobby shots as she enters the theater, and best of all, great auditorium shots when she goes beserk and runs up in front of the screen. Amusingly, I saw a sneak preview of 'The Caretakers' AT the Bruin – it was quite odd to be sitting in the auditorium watching Miss Bergen go berserk in the same auditorium!"  See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for seven more shots from the scene at the theatre. 

This 1965 view looking down on the Bruin from the tower of the Fox Westwood is part of a minute and a half home movie clip on You Tube featuring Robert Redford at the Fox. It was shot by Roddy McDowell.

 

We get a shot of Richard Gere at the Bruin's entrance in Paul Schrader's "American Gigolo" (Paramount, 1980). Thanks to Yuri on the site Movie Tourist for the screenshot. See the Historic L.A. Theatres In Movies post for views of the Fox Westwood and the Egyptian from the film.

 

We see the Bruin along with four other Westwood theatres plus a finale at Grauman's Chinese in Vernon Zimmerman's "Fade to Black" (American Cinema, 1980). It's a tale of an unhappy film buff on a killing spree. Thanks to Colonel Mortimer for the screenshot. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for shots of the other theatres from the film. 

The theatre went back to 1969 for Quentin Tarantino's epic "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood" (Sony, 2019). Here Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate is trying to talk the Bruin's cashier into letting her in to see "The Wrecking Crew," a film she was in. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies pages for 20 more Westwood shots as well as views of the Cinerama Dome, the Pantages, Vine, Vogue, Ritz/Pussycat and Grauman's Chinese from the film.  

The Bruin Theatre on video: See the short video "Insiders Peek #4: Village, Bruin, Crest" on the LAHTF YouTube channel.

More information: See the Bruin pages on Cinema Treasures and Cinema Tour. Check out the Bruin Theatre Vintage Photos set on the Regency Theatres Facebook page.

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