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New Beverly Cinema

Coordinates: 34°4′34.42″N 118°20′44.73″W / 34.0762278°N 118.3457583°W / 34.0762278; -118.3457583
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New Beverly Cinema
Kill Bill at the New Beverly.
Map
Address7165 Beverly Boulevard
LocationLos Angeles, California 90036
United States
Coordinates34°4′34.42″N 118°20′44.73″W / 34.0762278°N 118.3457583°W / 34.0762278; -118.3457583
OwnerQuentin Tarantino
TypeMovie theater
Capacity228[1]
Construction
Built1920s
Opened1929
Renovated1978, 2018
Website
www.thenewbev.com

The New Beverly Cinema is a historic movie theater located in Los Angeles, California. Housed in a building that dates back to the 1920s, it is one of the oldest revival houses in the region. Since 2007, it has been owned by the filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.

History

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The 300-seat New Beverly Cinema was designed by the architects John P. Edwards and Warren Frazier Overpeck and opened in 1929, apparently as a candy store. Over the years, its name and purpose has changed several times.

As a theater, it has hosted variety performers such as Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Jackie Gleason, Phil Silvers, and others. Later, the theater was converted into a nightclub called Slapsy Maxie's, named after the boxer and film actor Maxie Rosenbloom.

In the late 1950s, the space was converted into a movie theater which would come to see several different changes in both repertoire and name, including the New Yorker Theater,[2] the Europa (specializing in foreign films), the Eros (pornographic films), and finally the Beverly Cinema.

Sherman Torgan ownership

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The Eros closed in September 1977 and changed management months later. On May 5, 1978, the New Beverly Cinema debuted a new programming format with a double feature of A Streetcar Named Desire and Last Tango in Paris. This double-feature format continues to this day.

The theater's new owner, Sherman Torgan, said: "I've always felt that this neighborhood, which is middle class and predominantly Jewish, should have a theater that is responsive to the community. It wasn't right that a porno theater was here. People in the area have come by and written letters offering congratulations on the changeover."[3]

Since that time, the theater has run a continuous series of double features, comprising modern and classic films in a wide variety of genres. It is the last continuous repertory revival house in Los Angeles. Most other American cities and towns closed their last remaining repertory cinemas in the 1980s and 1990s.

Torgan did all of the programming for the theater throughout these years, with the assistance of his son, Michael. In 2002, the theater became the permanent venue of the Grindhouse Film Festival, a monthly event programmed by film memorabilia vendors and cult film experts Eric Caidin and Brian J. Quinn.[4] In March 2007, the filmmaker Quentin Tarantino curated a month of double and triple bills from his personal collection to promote the release of his film Grindhouse.[5]

On July 18, 2007, Sherman Torgan died of a heart attack at age 63 while bicycling in Santa Monica.[6]

Quentin Tarantino ownership

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In December 2007, to save the property from redevelopment, Tarantino purchased it, effectively making him the theater's landlord. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Tarantino would allow the Torgan family to continue operating the theater but would make programming suggestions from time to time. Tarantino said: "As long as I'm alive, and as long as I'm rich, the New Beverly will be there, showing double features in 35mm."[7]

From December 2007 until September 2014, the New Beverly was managed full-time by Michael Torgan.[8] Tarantino facilitated Torgan's renovation of the theater, which included replacing all the lighting fixtures and seats, while Torgan funded the installation of a digital film projector for occasional use.[9]

In September 2014, seven years after acquiring the theater, Tarantino took over full programming duties for the New Beverly. The cinema would continue to show double features, now exclusively in 35mm (or 16mm, depending on print availability), with some films coming from Tarantino's private collection. In October, Tarantino's new programming began with a double feature of Paul Mazursky films: Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) and Blume in Love (1973).[10]

The theater's standard programming was suspended for extended runs of Tarantino's films Django Unchained (2012), The Hateful Eight (2016),[citation needed] and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).[11][12][13][14] For Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the theater was adorned with film posters (both real and fictional), lobby cards and props used in the film, and the screenings featured a specially curated pre-show consisting of an extended cut of the Bounty Law segment and vintage trailers that are featured (C.C. and Company and The Wrecking Crew) or referenced (Rosemary's Baby) in the film.[15] The final first-run screening took place on February 29, 2020.[16]

In 2018, the New Beverly was closed for renovations from January 1 through December 1.[17][18] On March 16, 2020, the theater closed, following an order from Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti that all L.A. movie theaters must temporarily cease operations, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[19] On May 1, 2021, the New Beverly announced that they would be reopening on June 1.[20] The theater reopened with a sold out screening of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, although its seating capacity was temporary limited to half.[21] The theater had also implemented several safety upgrades, including ultraviolet air purification and increased MERV air filtration, and introduced marked seating to aid with social distancing.[21]

Schedule and repertoire

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In addition to daily double (and, occasionally, triple) features, usually beginning at 7:30 p.m., midnight screenings are programmed on Fridays and Saturdays. "Kiddee Matinees" take place on weekend afternoons at 2:00 p.m., with a reduced admission price that includes a small popcorn. All features at the theater are usually preceded by a curated collection of vintage cartoons, shorts and trailers.

In 2017, the theater incorporated an "Afternoon Classics" series of matinees held on Wednesday afternoons, and 2019 saw the introduction of both "Monday Matinees" and horror-themed "Freaky Fridays" matinees, all of which have been discontinued.

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  • The building's exterior (when it comprised two theaters: the Capri and the Riviera) is featured in episode 17 of The Beverly Hillbillies, "Jed's Dilemma", which originally aired on January 16, 1963.[22]
  • In the 1996 comedy Swingers, a screening schedule for the New Beverly appears prominently on the side of Mike's refrigerator.[24]
  • Comedian Patton Oswalt's 2015 memoir, Silver Screen Fiend, focuses on his obsessive patronage of the New Beverly, where he watched 720 films from 1995 to 1999, seeking "magical assistance" from classic films to guide his own career.[25]
  • The 2017 documentary short Videostore, filmed on 16mm, opens with a shot of Sherman Torgan replacing letters on the marquee of the New Beverly and features interviews conducted inside the theater.[26][27]
  • The New Beverly is indirectly referenced in Tarantino's own 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While entering the nearby El Coyote Cafe, Sharon Tate notices a film premiere happening down the street and asks Jay Sebring if "dirty movies" have premieres.[28]

References

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  1. ^ "New Beverly Cinema". Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  2. ^ Los Angeles Times November 27, 1963.
  3. ^ Sakamoto, Ed (May 5, 1978). "Theater Returns to Respectability". Los Angeles Times. p. H18.
  4. ^ Woo, Elaine (2015-05-24). "Eric Caidin dies at 62; movie memorabilia maven, grindhouse connoisseur". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  5. ^ "Tarantino's Grindhouse Festival Announced - ComingSoon.net". ComingSoon.net. 2007-02-28. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  6. ^ Rourke, Mary (July 21, 2007). "Sherman Torgan, 63; turned an L.A. adult movie house into a haven for classic and indie films". Los Angeles Times. p. B10. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  7. ^ Lewinski, John Scott (February 18, 2010). "Quentin Tarantino saves L.A. theater". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  8. ^ "New Bev History". New Beverly Cinema. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  9. ^ "Of Silver Screens and Family Dreams: Michael Torgan and the New Beverly Cinema". Movies Are My Boyfriend. September 15, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Yamato, Jen (September 7, 2014). "Quentin Tarantino's New Beverly Promises Double Features, Vintage Trailers, Tarantino Films & NO Digital. Ever". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  11. ^ "Quentin Tarantino's Program at the Bev During 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' Month". World of Reel. August 19, 2019.
  12. ^ http://thenewbev.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/July-2019-New-Bev-front-1.jpg [bare URL image file]
  13. ^ http://thenewbev.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/August-2019-New-Bev-front-1.jpg [bare URL image file]
  14. ^ http://thenewbev.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/September-2019-front.jpg [bare URL image file]
  15. ^ "Tarantino's New Beverly Cinema Offers Unique 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' Experience". The Hollywood Reporter. July 30, 2019.
  16. ^ Theater, New Beverly. "February 29: Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood | New Beverly Cinema". New Beverly Cinema. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  17. ^ "Pardon Our Dust (Updated)". New Beverly Cinema. December 2017.
  18. ^ "The New Beverly re-opens December 1st and we look forward to sharing next month's schedule with you very soon". Facebook. New Beverly Cinema. November 8, 2018.
  19. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 16, 2020). "L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti Orders Closure Of Movie Theaters To Help Prevent Spread Of Coronavirus – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  20. ^ "Re-Opening June 1, 2021". New Beverly Cinema. May 1, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Parker, Ryan (June 2, 2021). "New Beverly Cinema Reopens to Cheers and Tears". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  22. ^ Counter, B. (March 2017). "Los Angeles Theatres: New Beverly Cinema". Los Angeles Theatres. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  23. ^ @newbeverly (March 28, 2017). "Zack and Slater dig the New Bev" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  24. ^ Wattenhofer, Jeff (April 19, 2016). "Can You Still Live the Swingers Lifestyle in LA?". Curbed Los Angeles. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  25. ^ Wade, Kim (February 11, 2015). "Patton Oswalt talks addiction in new book". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  26. ^ VIDEOSTORE. 2131 Productions. January 24, 2018. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ VIDEOSTORE - extended version. 2131 Productions. January 31, 2018. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood... annotated". The A.V. Club. August 2, 2019.
  29. ^ Aquilina, Tyler (July 31, 2019). "See Haim swing by Tarantino's New Beverly theater in 'Summer Girl' music video". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  30. ^ Haim - Summer Girl. Haim. July 31, 2019. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021 – via YouTube.
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