Though the lights of the Mann Village and Bruin movie theaters
will continue to vibrantly flash on the corner of Broxton and
Weyburn avenues, the static lights of the Mann National Theatre may
soon go dim.
Come this July, Westwood may be one theater short, as Mann
Theatres will not renew its lease for the National Theatre, located
on Lindbrook Drive.
The one-screen cinema has been in Westwood since the 1970s and
has been managed by the Mann Corporation for most of its existence.
It is one of five local theaters in Westwood Village, which
includes the Village, Bruin and Festival theaters, all operated by
Mann.
The fifth theater, the Regent, is operated by Landmark Theatres.
Mann will be unable to renew its lease due to the National’s
cost of rent, said Peter Dobson, CEO of the Mann Corporation.
The future of the Mann National Theatre is uncertain at the
moment, as the landlords may either seek redevelopment, rent the
theater to someone else or look to renegotiate a better term lease
with the Mann Corporation.
“The lease is renewable, but it is an unrealistic rent, so
we need to change the terms. As yet, we have not had confirmation
that the landlords are willing to change the terms,” Dobson
said.
The company, which has been involved with Westwood cinema for
several decades, will be renewing its lease for its other three
theaters in Westwood, as the rents for those facilities are
financially reasonable, Dobson said.
There is a possibility that the National Theatre may have to
close down, at least temporarily, though the possible closure is
not an indication of Mann’s departure from Westwood, Dobson
said.
“We are definitely not saying we want to get out of
Westwood, as we are very involved and dedicated to Westwood.
We’ve had a long and happy relationship with the Westwood
community, but it has to be on a sound financial footing,”
Dobson said.
Chris Escobar, a year-long resident of Westwood looking to enter
the UCLA Medical School, said he sees movies in Westwood every two
weeks or so, and though he does watch movies at the National, many
people come to the Village and Bruin theaters because they
“are a lot nicer and more clean.”
For movie-going Bruins such as Vikram Balakrishnan, a
second-year electrical engineering student, the closure of this
theater would mean a loss of entertainment and individuality for
Westwood.
“Each theater in Westwood offers only one movie, which is
a fun experience that is unique to Westwood and other parts of
L.A., but once you leave Westwood, it’s hard to get to
theaters,” Balakrishnan said.
Dobson said he was very sad about Mann’s departure from
the National.
“The implications of our withdrawing this lease are
obviously having one theater less in Westwood and one less screen
for students to watch,” Dobson said. “This marks the
end of an era. If the theater ends up closing, it will be a very
sad thing.”
With reports from Derek Lipkin, Bruin senior staff.