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Historic Hollywood Venue, The Montalbán, Reopens One Stage at a Time

August 25, 2021

Tag: Entertainment

The Montalbán announces the long-awaited return of Rooftop Movies at The Montalbán, its annual summertime series that begins August 27, 2021, offering guests a cinematic experience under the stars—with Coronavirus safety precautions in place—at the historic Hollywood venue. The season kicks off with the 2013 comedy This Is the End on opening night, followed by Bohemian Rhapsody, Birdman, Weekend at Bernie’s, and Pulp Fiction rounding out the opening weekend.

The Montalbán's rooftop in action. (Photo by Lionel Garcia.)

Screenings will continue every weekend—with double features on Fridays and Saturdays—for the foreseeable future. The cinematic experience rolls right into Halloween-themed fun in October during Rooftop Screams!. The cost is $25.00 for regular admission and $50.00 for a loveseat (in limited supply), which includes two boxes of popcorn. Guests must order tickets in advance and can arrive at The Montalbán as early as 6:00 p.m. All attendees must wear a mask and be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Located at 1615 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028, the classic venue is near the legendary corner of Hollywood and Vine. For tickets and more information, please call the box office at 323-461-6999 or visit https://www.themontalban.com/rooftopmovies.

An evening at Rooftop Movies at The Montalbán commences when doors open at 6:00 p.m., with the feature film starting 10 minutes after sunset. Guests must be 18 years or older or accompanied by an adult for R-rated films, and ages 12 and up for family-friendly films.

The Montalbán’s rooftop oasis—outfitted with a bar, concession stand, and kitchen—provides an open-air movie theater experience complete with sanitized, noise-canceling headphones. Attendees can enjoy fun and games on-site with activities such as Jenga® GIANT, oversized four-in-a-row, cornhole bean bag toss, or just ham-it-up in the Selfie Zone. Dinner is usually available for purchase on the rooftop or easily accessible from an array of local restaurants.

With screenings of Oscar winners like La La Land and Casablanca, cult classics such as Back to the Future and The Breakfast Club, and family flicks including Labyrinth and Hocus Pocus, there's something for everyone at the Rooftop Movies series. “We offer movie lovers a serene space that’s synonymous with a romantic evening or family night, and we’re excited to bring it back to Hollywood in a fun and safe way,” said Montalbán President Gilbert “Gil” Smith. “After being closed for so long due to the pandemic, we thank all of our patrons for their continued support and patience.”

The Montalbán's rooftop oasis awaits! (Photo by Lionel Garcia.)

Rooftop Movies at The Montalbán: August & September 2021 Schedule 

  • Fri. 8/27 at 8:00 p.m.: This Is the End 
  • Fri. 8/27 at 10:30 p.m.: Bohemian Rhapsody 
  • Sat. 8/28 at 8:00 p.m.: Birdman 
  • Sat. 8/28 at 10:30 p.m.: Weekend at Bernie’s 
  • Sun. 8/29 at 8:00 p.m.: Pulp Fiction

 

  • Fri. 9/3 at 8:00 p.m.: Clueless 
  • Fri. 9/3 at 10:00 p.m.: True Romance 
  • Sat. 9/4 at 8:00 p.m.: The Truman Show 
  • Sat. 9/4 at 10:30 p.m.: Wayne’s World  
  • Sun. 9/5 at 8:00 p.m.: The Goonies

 

  • Thurs. 9/9 at 8:00 p.m.: The Doors
  • Fri. 9/10 at 8:00 p.m.: The Breakfast Club
  • Fri. 9/10 at 10:30 p.m.: The Darjeeling Limited 
  • Sat. 9/11at 8:00 p.m.: Hocus Pocus
  • Sat. 9/11 at 10:30 p.m.: District 9 
  • Sun. 9/12 at 8:00 p.m.: La La Land 

 

  • Thurs. 9/16 at 8:00 p.m.: There's Something About Mary
  • Fri. 9/17 at 8:00 p.m.: Labyrinth
  • Fri. 9/17 at 10:30 p.m.: Grandma's Boy 
  • Sat. 9/18 at 8:00 p.m.: Top Gun
  • Sat. 9/18 at 10:30 p.m.: Blade Runner (2012 Final Cut)
  • PRIVATE EVENT - Closed to the public: Sun. 9/19

 

  • Thurs. 9/23 at 8:00 p.m.: They Live 
  • Fri. 9/24 at 8:00 p.m.: Back to the Future 
  • Fri. 9/24 at 10:30 p.m.: 500 Days of Summer
  • Sat. 9/25 at 8:00 p.m.: Casablanca
  • Sat. 9/25 at 10:30 p.m.: L.A. Confidential
  • Sun. 9/26 at 8:00 p.m.: The Royal Tenenbaums

Please note, all films are subject to change so check the venue’s screening schedule for the latest confirmed line-up.

Safety in Serenity

The Montalbán rooftop will reopen at full capacity (200+ seats). City, county, and state guidelines for health and added protocols at the famed venue are as follows: 

  • All guests must wear a mask and be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Each patron must show proof of vaccination status upon entry with either their physical vaccination card, vaccine record QR code, or a photo of their card along with ID. 
  • Non-vaccinated individuals will not be permitted to enter.
  • Digital tickets only for touchless entry. 
  • Reservations are required. No walk-ups allowed. 
  • The health of all Montalbán staff, including security, the cleaning and kitchen crews, servers, and greeters is and will be closely monitored. Staff will be required to wear masks and have limited contact with attendees. 

Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the venue.

Additional Events on the Horizon  

With fall around the corner, The Montalbán is *preparing for another (pre-pandemic) annual tradition: Rooftop Screams!, a series of horror, sci-fi, and ghoulish experiences. Featuring scary movies, live music, treats, and appearances by horror filmmakers, Rooftop Screams! is in the works for October. “We love celebrating fall and winter holidays in this captivating city, so it’s a joy to curate festive events all year long,” Smith shared. “We are also formulating new programming for our main stage featuring comedy and live performances along with new, immersive media events that will spark your imagination and tickle your funny bone.” More information to come on future events.

Private Soirées at The Montalban *Now Permitted

Fans of the famed venue can once again create their own magic at The Montalbán with a privately hosted event. In accordance with public health standards, guests, corporations, studios, or any other show biz aficionados can rent the many “stages” of the venue, including the main theater, mezzanine, and rooftop. Whether it’s a banquet, awards ceremony, broadcast, or exhibit, the possibilities in this unique space are plentiful.

Montalbán History 

The Montalbán, Hollywood’s classic theater reborn for a new era of screened entertainment and performing arts, is one of the few remaining mid-sized and fully equipped proscenium venues in Los Angeles. It features orchestra, mezzanine, loge, and balcony seating, and is known for its excellent sight-lines and acoustics. For the next 70 years, it was bought and sold several times by notables such as Howard Hughes, CBS Radio, Huntington Hartford, and James Doolittle (who outbid Cary Grant). In the 1980s, UCLA took over until the Ricardo Montalbán Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bought the building in 1999. View this slideshow to see how famous proprietors transformed the venue over the years.

Designed by Myron Hunt (whose work includes the Rose Bowl, Caltech, Mount Wilson Observatory, and Ambassador Hotel), it opened in 1927 as the Wilkes Brothers Vine Street Theatre. The gorgeous Beaux-Arts building was the first legitimate live Broadway-style theater in Hollywood.

Humanitarian and Emmy Award-winning actor Ricardo Montalbán’s vision was to create a presence in Hollywood that provided inspiration and employment for young Latinos as well as other underrepresented people throughout the community.


Mentioned in this Post

The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre
1615 Vine St