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Laemmle's Monica Film Center

1332 2nd St. Santa Monica, CA 90401  | map |


Opening: February 18, 1970 as a twin theatre, the Monica I and II. The opening films were "Oliver!" and "Topaz." It's on the west side of the street between Santa Monica Blvd. and Arizona Ave. For years the complex has been Santa Monica's premiere showcase for foreign and specialized releases. The photo is courtesy of Laemmle Theatres and appeared with a February 2016 L.A. Weekly article "Laemmle Returns...

Phone: 310-478-3836    Website: www.laemmle.com

Architect: Stanley Borbals did original 1970 design. 

The larger theatre in front, with 737 seats, got split in 1981 into 3 small theatres resulting in Laemmle's Monica 4. The seating as a 4 plex was 1,076 (152, 217, 235, 472).

The complex closed in May 2014 for renovations. "The cinema environment is about to get more competitive in Santa Monica" said Laemmle CEO Greg Laemmle at the time the new plans were publicized. He was referring to the new ArcLight complex then underway at the nearby Santa Monica Place mall. Santa Monica Daily Press had a story about the Laemmle construction project in October 2014. L.A.Magazine also had a story about the theatre's reconstruction.

It reopened as the Monica Film Center in January 2016. There are now six screens on two floors. The street end of the original front theatre that had been triplexed in 1981 was turned into a restaurant, leaving the back two-thirds as the new screen #1. The original back theatre became new screens #2, #3, and #4. The main floor's four screens range in size from 46 to 138 seats. The two new second floor theatres, #5 and #6, each seat 25. Total seating is now 376.

Food service was upgraded to include salads, alcoholic drinks, sandwiches and pizza. A restaurant spreading over the first and second floors (and with outside seating) seats 181. A second restaurant is a 3,000 square foot open air space on the roof with seating for 165 and an ocean view. The restaurant spaces are leased to other operators.

In August 2019 it was announced that the Laemmle circuit was for sale. See the page on the Royal Theatre for links to a number of news stories. It was later decided to keep the circuit in the family. All the houses were shut down in March 2020 due to Covid restrictions. The theatres eventually reopened but several complxes (Claremont, Pasadena Playhouse 7, Noho 7) were sold to keep the circuit solvent.

Interior views: 
 

Looking into the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018



The main floor lobby with auditorium #1 on the left and #2, 3 and 4 as well as restrooms down the hall. Screens #5 and 6 are upstairs. It's a photo from Jenny L. on Yelp.



Looking down toward the entrances for #2, 3 and 4. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 



A view back toward the entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018



An upstairs lobby view from Jean L. on Yelp



Looking toward the street in the second floor lobby area. It's a photo from Jenny L. on Yelp.



The second floor lobby at night. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018



The back of the second floor lobby with entrances to screens #5 and 6. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018



A construction view of one of the auditoria from a November 2015 post on the Laemmle blog



A view of one of the completed auditoria from Laemmle Theatres that appeared with a February 2016 L.A. Weekly article "Laemmle Returns..."



Auditorium #1, the large downstairs house. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018 



The rear of auditorium #1. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018



A shot of upstairs auditorium #6 from Megan D. on Yelp

  Earlier interior views:
 

The lobby in 1970. The photo is one displayed in the lobby at Laemmle's Royal Theatre
 
 

The large auditorium in 1970. It's another photo on display at the Royal. This auditorium became three when the complex was turned into a 4 plex in 1981.



The largest auditorium in the 4-plex days. It's a photo that had appeared on the Laemmle website.



Thanks to Scott Neff on Cinema Tour for this 2004 lobby photo.



The view toward the entrance. Photo: Scott Neff - Cinema Tour - 2004
 

More exterior views: 
 

A February 14, 1970 pre-opening photo by Leslie Storrs from the Santa Monica Public Library. On the marquee are the opening films "Oliver!" and "Topaz." Thanks to Joshua Mark for spotting it in the collection for a post on the You know you grew up on the Westside... Facebook group.



A 1970 entrance detail. The photo is one displayed at the Royal Theatre



A c.1977 photo from the Sean Ault collection. "The Toy" was a 1976 release. The marquee was advertising "Films From Poland" on screen #2.
 


Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images website for this April 1982 photo of the theatre as the Monica IV.



The theatre in 2007 as a fourplex. Photo: Bill Counter 



The view down from the parking garage across the street. Thanks to Don Solosan of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation for his c.2009 photo. 



Thanks to Don Solosan for this great c.2009 shot of the theatre's neon. 



A c.2010 view of the Monica boxoffice on Wikipedia, from their article on Santa Monica.



A rendering of the new facade of the Monica Film Centre that had appeared with a 2014 Santa Monica Daily Press article by David Mark Simpson.



A 2016 look from across the street from Doug Simmons on the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles. Thanks, Doug!



A closer facade view. Thanks to Doug Simmons for the 2016 photo on Photos of Los Angeles.



A shot from across the street. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018



The theatre at night from the garage. It's a photo by Angela R. on Yelp.  
 

The Monica in the Movies: 

James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss go to the Monica 4 for a film in Nicole Holofcener's "Enough Said" (Fox Searchlight, 2013). 
 

He likes to talk during movies. "You have to whisper." "I am whispering," he says. She gets a bit upset because his mode of whispering is quite loud. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for another shot of the pair in the auditorium.

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Monica for lots of links to additional exterior photos.

The Cinema Tour page has a number of 2004 photos from the Scott Neff collection, including lobby views.

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