Los Angeles Theatres: UA Westwood / Egyptian / Odeon Cinema / Mann Festival

10887 Lindbrook Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90024 | map |

Opened: April 23, 1969 as the United Artists Westwood in the east end of a building that was originally a Ralph's supermarket. The building at Lindbrook and Westwood Blvd. was constructed in 1929 and was one of the first six buildings in Westwood Village. Photo: Bill Counter - 2007

The other UA Westwood: In 1972 United Artists opened a 4 plex south of Wilshire Blvd. called the UA Cinema Center. In 1983 it became the UA Coronet and ended up as a triplex called the UA Westwood.

Architect: The building was designed by Russell Collins for Ralph's.

Seating: 595 during the UA era. It was 494 downstairs and 101 in the balcony.

The opening film was John Derek's "a boy...a girl." Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating the April 23, 1969 opening day ad. Visit his site: Movie-Theatre.org

A 1973 student discount card for the circuit. Thanks to Peter Chacona Chaconas for sharing this on the Mid Century Modern private Facebook group. He found it at an estate sale.

The September 26, 1975 ad in the Times for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." There had been a sneak at the Fox Venice on September 25. Richard Stegman, Jr. notes that it ran at the UA Westwood from September 26 through December 11. On the 12th it was replaced at this theatre by Gene Wilder's 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother." "Rocky Horror" was moved to the nearby UA Cinema Center. That complex at Wellworth and Westwood was later rebranded as the UA Westwood when they lost this house.

This image appears courtesy of Lisa Kurtz Sutton on the Rocky Horror Wiki page about the theatre. Thanks to Troy Martin for locating it. The film also had long midnight runs at the Tiffany and at South Pasadena's Rialto Theatre. It still continues at the Nuart.

It was remodeled by UA in 1983 and reemerged on December 14th as the UA Egyptian Westwood with "Silkwood" being the first film. Thanks to Brade48 for sharing this ad on Cinema Treasures.

Another December 1983 UA Egyptian pre-opening ad. The UA Coronet was the complex south of Wilshire. Thanks to Mike Rivest for finding the ad.

Cineplex Odeon took over the lease and remodeled again for a June 15, 1988 reopening as the Odeon Cinema. The interior was standard late 80's Cineplex Odeon with marble in the lobby, tube lights on the walls between acoustic panels, etc. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating the ad.

In 1988 Los Angeles designated the building Historic-Cultural Monument #360. In 1992 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

After Cineplex Odeon lost their lease, a bidding war resulted in operation by Mann Theatres and a new name: Mann Festival. It reopened June 4, 1993.

In the booth: It's unknown what gear was in in the booth when the house opened in 1969. By 1978 a former manager (who also ran the booth) reports that it was one 35mm Century, a Dolby CP50 processor and a platter. He noted that the installation of 70mm capability came with the 1983 remodel into the UA Egyptian. Again it was one machine and a platter, this time a Century JJ2 35/70 machine.

Michael Coate notes that "Rambo" played in 70 in 1985 and "Big Trouble in Little China" was in 70 in 1986.

Cineplex Odeon's booth installation was initially two Norelco DP75 35/70 projectors. Bill Gabel reports that later that was one machine and a platter. Michael Coate notes that 70mm engagements included the restored "Lawrence of Arabia" after its long run at the Century Plaza as well as a number of midnight shows including "Apocalypse Now," perhaps that one in 1992.

A 1994 photo taken by Thomas Hauerslev when the theatre was the Mann Festival. Their installation was one Norelco DP70 and a platter as seen here. The photo appears on the DP70s in California page of Mr. Hauerslev's terrific site In70mm.com. It's the place to visit for information about 70mm projector history, news of 70mm festivals and more.

Closing: Mann closed the theatre July 30, 2009. Martha Groves had an August 2009 story about the event in the L.A. Times: "Theaters Fading to Black in Westwood."

After closing, the space sat vacant for a decade. In August 2019 what remained of the interior of the theatre portion of the building was stripped out in preparation for a new tenant. The building is operated by Topa Management Co. The leasing broker was RKF at 310-593-0777.

Status: It's now a bouldering gym called Sender One Westwood. They finally got open in February 2024. Alice Kao, CEO of Sender One, announced in November 2019 that the space has been leased for her firm. See their announcement for more details. The opening was delayed due to Covid and other issues.

Post-closing interior views:

A look toward the screen in the stripped theatre. Thanks to Steve Whalen for this photo and his others that appear here. They were a post on the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Facebook page.

The view over to the house right wall. Note the 80s Cineplex Odeon designs on the wall. Photo: Steve Whalen - August 2019

Looking over toward where the house left wall and lobby had been. Marc Edward Heuck notes: "The seats were taken out when it first closed; many of them wound up at the New Beverly." Photo: Steve Whalen - August 2019

A detail of the Lamella style roof. Photo: Steve Whalen - August 2019

The interior as the Sender One gym. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2024

More exterior views:

c.1939 - A postcard view west on Lindbrook toward Westwood Blvd. It's a photo by Bob Plunkett from the Ernest Marquez collection at the Huntington Library. Thanks to Jack Feldman for locating it in the collection and sharing it in a post for the Images and Memories of Los Angeles Facebook group. He also has it on an Early Views of Westwood W&PA Museum page.

c.1939 - A photo by Herman Schultheis that's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1940 - An Ansel Adams photo from the Fortune Magazine collection. It's on the Los Angeles Public Library website. We're looking north on Westwood Blvd.

1973 - In the lower left the National is running "The Last of Sheila," a June release with Dyan Cannon, Richard Benjamin, James Mason and James Coburn. The UA Westwood is over on the right. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the image when it was for sale online.

1973 - A look at the entrance during a promotion for the June American-International release "Dillinger" with Warren Oates, Ben Johnson and Michelle Phillips. Thanks to Zubi for locating the trade magazine photo for a post on Cinema Treasures. The door of the car notes that the film was playing the nearby United Artists Cinema Center and at the Pantages.

1974 - The UA Westwood running Martin Ritt's "Conrack," a March release with Jon Voight and Paul Winfield. Thanks again to Sean Ault for locating the photo.

1980 - "Fatso" playing the UA. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this photo he took as a post on the Westwood Village in the 70s and 80s Facebook page. Neeb later shared this one on Cinema Treasures.

1983 - A July photo that had appeared on the now-vanished site American Classic Images.

1984 - A William Reagh shot giving us a look down on the building when the theatre was running as the UA Egyptian. The photo is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

1989 - "Ghost Busters II" playing at the Odeon. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this photo he took in a post for the Westwood Village in the 70s and 80s Facebook group.

2006 - Thanks to Adam Martin for this photo of the Mann Festival appearing on Cinema Tour.

2007 - Looking west on Lindbrook toward the theatre's entrance. Photo: Bill Counter

2007 - The west end of the building. The theatre is over there on the right. Photo: Bill Counter

2008 - "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this as a post on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page. The post includes two additional "Journey" shots plus a post-closing view taken by Emile Dillon.

2009 - A post-closing view. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for his photo.

2015 - A commemoration of the run of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." The city declared October 30 to be "Rocky Horror Picture Show Day."‎ Lou Adler, Tim Curry and Sal Piro were present for a ceremonial unveiling of a plaque to be mounted outside the theater. This shot appears on a Rocky Horror Wiki page about the theatre. Thanks to Troy Martin for noting that there's also a page on that site about the 40th anniversary event.

2017 - The theatre space was still for rent. Photo: Google Maps

2019 - A view east in August as interior demo was happening. Photo: Steve Whalen - Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Facebook page. Thanks, Steve!

2019 - An October photo looking west toward Westwood Blvd. There was nothing on the marquee at this point about the new tenant, Sender One. Photo: Bill Counter

2024 - The remodeled theatre as the Sender One climbing gym. Photo: Bill Counter - February 29

2024 - The boxoffice. Photo: Bill Counter - February 29

More information: See the Festival Theatre page on Cinema Teasures. Visit Cinema Tour for some additional 2006 exterior photos. There's a small 1998 photo of the theatre by Don Ceppi on the Silver Screens page about Los Angeles Theatres. Wikimapia has a 1929 construction photo.

2 comments:

UnknownMarch 12, 2022 at 8:43 AM
I was a manager there in the late 70's, they had one century 35mm projector and a platter by the time I got there in '78 and a dolby cp50 sound processor (we were a non union house so I ran the booth too). They didn't put 70 in (a Century projector) until the Egyptian remodel. It also had a slightly bigger capacity than you have here, it was 494 downstairs and 101 upstairs for 595.