National Theatre

10925 Lindbrook Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90024 | map |

 

Opened: The debut of the National Theatre was March 26, 1970 with "The Boys in the Band." It was a project of National General Corporation, then the operator of the remnants of the Fox West Coast chain. The location was the northeast corner of Lindbrook and Gayley Ave. Photo: Bill Counter - 2007

 

The opening day ad in the L.A. Times. Thanks to Michael Coate for sharing it from his collection. He included it in a post on the Cinema Tour Facebook page. It also makes an appearance with his post on the Friends of 70mm Facebook page.

The new theatre was featured in a three page article in Boxoffice. Thanks to TJ Edwards for including it on the Cinema Sightlines page about the theatre. 

See the Cinema Sightlines page for TJ's discussion about the theatre. Thanks! 

The National was acquired by Mann Theatres when they bought the chain and operated by them until 2007. The Mann Westwood 4 was just up Gayley from the National. The National hosted many record breaking exclusive runs over the years and was known for its giant screen and terrific 70mm presentations.

Seating: 1,112

Architect: Harold Levitt and Associates

Projectors: Norelco AAII with, originally, Ashcraft Super Core-lite lamps. The boxoffice article refers to the machines as DP75s. But it was just the lamphouse bracket, as seen in the booth photo, that was from a DP75.

Screen size: 26' x 56'

Michael Coate notes that the theatre's longest run was the 26 week engagement of "The Exorcist" in 1974. 

Closing: After Mann closed the theatre April 19, 2007 it reopened and ran as an independent but closed again on October 7, 2007. Michael Coate notes that "Feast of Love" was the last film to play the theatre. 

Status: It was demolished in 2008. Ross Melnick comments: 

"I will never stop being angry about the loss of this theater. Was one of my favorite venues. Amazing. Infuriating because there were offers to buy it as a theatre. Wouldn't need much more than new paint, carpet, etc. Could've even been Imaxed. Owner was determined to tear it down. That it sat as a sad empty lot for years like the remains of Carrie's house felt like some karmic justice."

Lobby areas: 

 

Looking out the boxoffice windows. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

Thanks to Mark for this photo and the many others appearing here. This is one of nearly a hundred images he has shared on the Cinema Tour page about the theatre.

 

 

Inside the front doors. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

Looking toward the stairs. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

The view back to the entrance from near the stairs. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

 The lounge area to the left of the stairs. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

The lounge on the right side of the stairs. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

The stairs to the lobby's upper level. Thanks to Dennis Mahaney for locating this photo. He assembled 42 uncredited images for a 2018 post on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page. Thanks to Richard Wojcik for sharing the post on the Mid Century Modern page in 2022 where it got many comments.

 

 

The stair landing. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

 

Looking up. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

Up the stairs to the house right entrance to the auditorium. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

Another angle on the house right entrance. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

 

On the upper level looking along the snackbar toward the stairs. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

A snackbar view. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

The house left entrance to the auditorium at the end of the bar. The elevator was also in that alcove. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

The men's room by flashlight. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

Liza and Desi Arnaz, Jr. at the National for the 1973 premiere of "Lost Horizon." Thanks to Cliff Scott Carson for locating the photo. 

Auditorium views:

A look in from house left. The auditorium had the fully draped look popular in the 70s. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007. Thanks to Michael Coate for posting it on the Cinema Tour Facebook page. 

 

Along the front curtain. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

A view revealing more of the front lighting cove. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007 

 

Looking to the booth. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007 

 

 

 

Looking in as the curtain opens. Photo: Mark Campbell - 2007

 

 

The screen revealed. Thanks to Mark Campbell for this 2007 photo and the many others here on the page. Head to the page about the National on Cinema Tour for nearly a hundred of his photos plus others by Adam Martin and Scott Neff.

 

In the booth: 

 

Gerald Knowles manning the booth in 1970. It's the photo that appeared with the Boxoffice article reproduced near the top of the page. 

 

 

A 1994 booth view from Thomas Hauerslev appearing with "Construction of the Phillips 'All Purpose' projector DP70," an article on his terrific site In70mm.com. 


More exterior views: 

1970 - "Boys in the Band," the theatre's opening attraction. It's a shot by an unknown photographer that appeared with the Boxoffice article about the new theatre. 

 

 

1973 - The National on March 6 for the world premiere engagement of "Lost Horizon." Thanks to Cliff Scott Carson for sharing the photo.

 

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, later known as the Mann Festival, is over on the right. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the image when it was for sale online.

1973 - The crowd for "The Exorcist," a December 26 opening. Thanks to Stephen Russo for the post for the private Facebook group Mid Century Modern Los Angeles. Provenance of the photo is unknown.

 

1973 - A detail from the photo above of the line for "The Exorcist." This version was a post from Alison Martino on her Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles. Gregg Sultan did a repost on VLA with a curious version of the history of Westwood's decline as his caption. Art Siegel comments: 

"I remember waiting in a drizzle in that line around the block. I kept looking at the 'Exorcist' sign on the east side of the building. I remember thinking 'who left the window open in the rain?' The curtains kept blowing in the wind. Later I realized that that they put the 'real' fake window on the sign due to its meaning in the movie."

 

 

1973 - A promotional shot of Linda Blair outside the National that was used by Warner Bros. Thanks to Rick Taylor for locating it for a post about "The Exorcist" on the Facebook group Lost Angeles. 

 

1973/1974 - Another "Exorcist" view. Thanks to Bill Koegler for locating this one to share on the Facebook group Westwood Village in the 70s and 80s. 

 

 

1974 - We don't get very many cartoons about movie theatres. One that comes to mind is the New Yorker cartoon with the little girl in the rotunda of the Roxy saying "Mommy, does God live here?" Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing this one about the National's run of "The Exorcist" with the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. Robert Valding notes that this was an ad that the National ran in the L.A. Times.

 

1974 - A look at the National from Richard Wojcik's collection appearing as a post on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles. Note the art for "Phantom of the Paradise" on the sidewall. 

 

1981 - The line for "Raiders of the Lost Arc" in June. Thanks to Michael Coate for sharing the photo on Facebook.

 

1984 - A Los Angeles Times shot of a line for "Beverly Hills Cop." It's a photo by Craig T. Matthew on Calisphere from the UCLA Los Angeles Times Photographic Archives.

 

 

1989 - "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" in May. Thanks to Michael Coate for sharing this from his collection. He included it with posts on the Cinema Tour Facebook page and on the Friends of 70mm page. It's a photo by Matthias Daub that appeared in the Daily Bruin.  

 

1989 - Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing his "Licence To Kill" photo on the Westwood in the 70s and 80s Facebook page. The post also included shots of posters in Hollywood advertising the film. And thanks to Royce Mathew for the color correction. Richard also posted his "Licence" shots on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page. 

 

 

1991 - "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" was a December release. Thanks to Richard DuVal for locating this shot to include in a post about the theatre on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page.

 

1992 - Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing his "Single White Female" photo. It's one he posted in 2021 on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page. 

 

 

1995 - "GoldenEye" was a November release. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this photo as part of a 2024 Facebook post celebrating "Global James Bond Day," the 62nd anniversary of the Bond series. 

 

1998 - "Lost In Space." It's a Richard DuVal photo, one of three he shared in a post for the private Facebook group Westwood and the Westside. 

2003 - Richard Donner's "Timeline," based on a novel by Michael Crichton. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this shot, as well as another from this engagement, as a post on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page.

 

 

2005 - "Saw II" was playing at the time of this photo by German photographer Martin. It appeared on his now vanished website You-Are-Here.com. 

 

 

 

2006 - "Poseidon," a May 12 release, playing the National. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing his photo in a 2023 post on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page, where he also includes a shot of the film on the marquee at the Bruin. 

 

He comments about the use of the Bruin as a moveover house: "I believe the movie opened at the National then moved to the Bruin. This happened on occasion when the larger theater wanted to 'bump' an underperforming film or vice versa. If a movie had legs and was only booked for a short window at the larger theater, then it was moved to the Bruin from either the Village or National Theater to play out its run. Same thing happened with 'The DaVinci Code,' 'Quantum of Solace,' 'Skyfall,' ''No Time to Die,' 'Dune' (2021) and 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'" 

 

 

2006 - "The DaVinci Code" was a May 19 release. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing his photo in another 2023 post about the theatre on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page.

 

2007 - A "Music and Lyrics" shot by an unknown photographer. Thanks to Dennis Mahaney for including the photo in a 2018 post on the Cinema Treasures Facebook page.

 

 

2007 - Thanks to Mark Campbell for this photo, a post on Cinema Treasures. He commented: "04/19/2007 - Final night under Mann. Last film they played was 'Shooter,' a move-over from The Bruin."

 

 

2007 - A R.I.P. view added as a post for the private Facebook group Mid Century Modern Los Angeles by Alison Martino. 

 

2024 - Looking north from Wilshire toward the National's site. Thanks to Brian Aldrich for sharing his photo.  

 

 

70mm runs at the National: Thanks to Michael Coate for compiling this list and sharing it in a post on the Friends of 70mm Facebook page. 

THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH (1972)
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1973)
LOST HORIZON (1973 - never confirmed as 70mm)
2001 (1974)
THE WIND AND THE LION (1975)
LUCKY LADY (1975)
CAMELOT/HELLO, DOLLY! (1976)
THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
SUPERMAN (1978)
HURRICANE (1979)
THE EXORCIST (1979)
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)
TRON (1982)
ALTERED STATES (1982)
THE ROAD WARRIOR (1983)
KRULL (1983)
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1983)
BRAINSTORM (1983)
GREYSTOKE (1984)
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)
THE GOONIES (1985)
EXPLORERS (1985)
THE BLACK CAULDRON (1985)
YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES (1985)
TOP GUN (1986)
THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987)
EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987)
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)
BLACK RAIN (1989)
LETHAL WEAPON 2 (1989)
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990)
DAYS OF THUNDER (1990)
THE ROOKIE (1990)
STAR TREK VI (1991)
PATRIOT GAMES (1992)
CLIFFHANGER (1993)
TITANIC (1998)

 

The National in the Movies:

We get a shot of Mark Ruffalo coming out of the auditorium after a police briefing in David Fincher's "Zodiac" (Paramount, 2007). The theatre is a stand-in for the Northpoint Theatre in San Francisco, where the film is set. 

 

 

 

Jake Gyllenhaal, playing the Chronicle cartoonist who wrote the book the film is based on, accosts Mark Ruffalo on the lobby's lower level. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting the theatre in the film.

 

 

 

An auditorium view from "Zodiac." The film also stars Chloë Sevigny, Robert Downey Jr., Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch, Elias Koteas and many more. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for more shots of the National, one of the Warner Grand in San Pedro (standing in for SF's Avenue Theatre), and a shot done on Broadway where the Castro Theatre has magically appeared.

 

More information: Many National Theatre fans have posted their laments (and notes about the great movies they saw there) on Cinema Treasures. And if you want photos -- especially lots of demolition views, there are over 250 to look at.

The Cinema Tour page, along with lots of photos, has a nice history of the theatre. Curbed L.A. ran a story titled "Westwood Woe: Love Letters To Demolished Mann Theatre."

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