WHERE: Crest Theater
(1262 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles) Map
STATUS: First-run theater
THE GHOST(S):
Although the Majestic Crest Theater's future as a first-run movie theater may be in question, there is another question that hovers over its past. In the days before digital projection, when movies were on long strips of 35MM film and delivered to theaters in reels that had to be shown in sequential order. To prevent interruptions in the movie, the projectionist had to "switch over" (between two projectors) from one projector coming to the end of its reel to the other projector to start the next reel. This was a skill that took time to perfect, and it was an act that became the basis for an often told tall tale that seems to accompany some of these old projection rooms in these old movie theaters across the country.
The story is typically told by an employee as he recalls that time when a small overworked theater staff gets so busy handling a customer in the lobby that they forget to change the film reels upstairs, and put the new ones in for the next screening (a time consuming activity involving "threading" the new reel's film through the projector and into a "take-up reel" on the other side). When the showtime arrives, and a flustered employee races upstairs, unlocks the door to the projection booth, and steps inside. He discovers, as if by paranormal forces, the projector and reel are ready to go, and all he has to do is press a button. Variations of this tale have included unseen hands that magically do the "switch over" while no one is in the projection booth.
Although its easy to place these anecdotes into the territory of "urban legend" because their frequency across the country, those that work these historic neighborhood theaters firmly believe these stories as true. Locally, our very own Majestic Crest Theater near Wilshire and Westwood Blvd. was said to have one of these miraculous self-operating projection booth that occasionally helped out the busy staff, by preventing interruptions or delays with the movies shown (when staff could not be present to do the task). It is unknown why certain theaters claim this story, and people have questioned why this would occur at this small cinema.
Then again, some familiar with this local landmark are not surprised. This great example of an Art Deco theater opened in 1940. Although it had live performances at the very beginning, it was quickly converted into a places for "alternative" movies, showing exclusively newsreels during the WWII, and then segueing into foreign films, and then more avant-gard fare (or what we would call today "independent films"). And thus, the theater, itself, has always had a very independent spirit, from when Frances Seymour Fonda (wife of actor Henry Fonda, and mother of Jane and Peter) owned it at the beginning to the more recent ownership of Robert Bucksbaum. This is a place that owners seem to want to be "hands on" with, and it's a place that patrons want to support because of that "personal touch." So, perhaps these tales stem from the idea that maybe the Crest is showing its appreciation by being "hands on" itself?
http://www.fandango.com/majesticcresttheatre_aacpa/theaterpage
If you know of another ghost story (or another version of a story mentioned), or if you have personally experienced something strange at this theater, please leave a comment.
(to read about another haunted theater in the L.A. area...)
(1262 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles) Map
STATUS: First-run theater
THE GHOST(S):
Although the Majestic Crest Theater's future as a first-run movie theater may be in question, there is another question that hovers over its past. In the days before digital projection, when movies were on long strips of 35MM film and delivered to theaters in reels that had to be shown in sequential order. To prevent interruptions in the movie, the projectionist had to "switch over" (between two projectors) from one projector coming to the end of its reel to the other projector to start the next reel. This was a skill that took time to perfect, and it was an act that became the basis for an often told tall tale that seems to accompany some of these old projection rooms in these old movie theaters across the country.
The story is typically told by an employee as he recalls that time when a small overworked theater staff gets so busy handling a customer in the lobby that they forget to change the film reels upstairs, and put the new ones in for the next screening (a time consuming activity involving "threading" the new reel's film through the projector and into a "take-up reel" on the other side). When the showtime arrives, and a flustered employee races upstairs, unlocks the door to the projection booth, and steps inside. He discovers, as if by paranormal forces, the projector and reel are ready to go, and all he has to do is press a button. Variations of this tale have included unseen hands that magically do the "switch over" while no one is in the projection booth.
Although its easy to place these anecdotes into the territory of "urban legend" because their frequency across the country, those that work these historic neighborhood theaters firmly believe these stories as true. Locally, our very own Majestic Crest Theater near Wilshire and Westwood Blvd. was said to have one of these miraculous self-operating projection booth that occasionally helped out the busy staff, by preventing interruptions or delays with the movies shown (when staff could not be present to do the task). It is unknown why certain theaters claim this story, and people have questioned why this would occur at this small cinema.
Then again, some familiar with this local landmark are not surprised. This great example of an Art Deco theater opened in 1940. Although it had live performances at the very beginning, it was quickly converted into a places for "alternative" movies, showing exclusively newsreels during the WWII, and then segueing into foreign films, and then more avant-gard fare (or what we would call today "independent films"). And thus, the theater, itself, has always had a very independent spirit, from when Frances Seymour Fonda (wife of actor Henry Fonda, and mother of Jane and Peter) owned it at the beginning to the more recent ownership of Robert Bucksbaum. This is a place that owners seem to want to be "hands on" with, and it's a place that patrons want to support because of that "personal touch." So, perhaps these tales stem from the idea that maybe the Crest is showing its appreciation by being "hands on" itself?
http://www.fandango.com/majesticcresttheatre_aacpa/theaterpage
If you know of another ghost story (or another version of a story mentioned), or if you have personally experienced something strange at this theater, please leave a comment.
(to read about another haunted theater in the L.A. area...)
