Regency takes over historic Village and Bruin theaters in Westwood

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Regency Theatres, the Calabasas-based movie chain, is taking over the operations of the historic Village and Bruin theaters in the heart of Westwood Village.

Regency said Tuesday that it signed a deal to acquire the equipment and furnishings of the two venues from Mann Theatres, the Encino-based circuit that had operated the movie houses for more than two decades. Regency said it will now lease the buildings from the landlords, who are heirs to the Skouras family that owned another Los Angeles landmark, the Orpheum Threatre.

Financial terms were not disclosed. ‘We are excited to be adding the iconic Village and Bruin Theatres to the Regency family of theaters,’’ Lyndon Golin, president of Regency Theatres, said in a statement. ‘These celebrated movie houses have been landmarks in Los Angeles since the 1930s and we plan to extend their legacy far into the future.’

The 1,300-seat Village Theatre, distinguished by its 170-foot Spanish Revival-style tower, has been a popular site for Hollywood premieres since it opened in 1931. It sits across the street from the Bruin Theatre, which opened in 1937.

Mann’s lease on the property was due to expire this month. The circuit, which is owned by Viacom Inc. and Warner Bros., has eight theaters is up for sale.

‘We set out on March 1 to try to find a solution to keep the theaters open and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to achieve that,’’ said Millard Ochs, president of Warner Bros. International Cinemas.

-- Richard Verrier