The Nuart Theatre is an

art-house An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...

movie-theater in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, California, United States. It is the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

location of the

Landmark Theatres Landmark Theatres is a movie theatre chain founded in 1974 in the United States. It was formerly dedicated to exhibiting and marketing independent and foreign films. Landmark consists of 34 theatres with 176 screens in 24 markets. It is known ...

chain in the United States.

Location

The Nuart is on Santa Monica Boulevard, one block from the

405 Freeway Interstate 405 (I-405, locally referred to as the 405) is a major north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway in Southern California. The entire route is known as the northern segment of the San Diego Freeway. I-405 is a bypass auxiliary ...

History

The Nuart was built in 1929. The Nuart was bought by Landmark Theatres in 1974 and was the first Landmark theater, soon joined by others including the UC Theater in

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California *George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer to ...

. The theater was remodelled in 2006 and currently seats 303 people. In February 2024, the Nuart celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Programming

The Nuart is a single-screen theater known for its "eclectic" mix of

arthouse An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

, and

foreign film World cinema is a term in film theory in the United States that refers to films made outside of the Cinema of the United States, American motion picture industry, particularly those in opposition to the aesthetics and values of commercial Ame ...

programming. It has debuted or shown many films that were less successful in their original runs but later became hailed as

cult classics A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated v ...

In popular culture

The theater was used in the

Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...

–

Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...

comedy film '' Foul Play'', although the film is set in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

took the spotlight in a "No Smoking" theatrical trailer, initially showcased at the Nuart Theatre, in which he humorously advised patrons to 'smoke anyway'. Additionally, Waters featured in a Nuart-specific trailer expressing gratitude to the theater for its longstanding showcase of ''

Pink Flamingos ''Pink Flamingos'' is a 1972 American surrealist independent black comedy film by John Waters. It is part of what Waters has labelled the "Trash Trilogy", which also includes '' Female Trouble'' (1974) and '' Desperate Living'' (1977). The f ...

'' and its role in elevating DIVINE to the status of a 'Filth Goddess'. Waters continued his cinematic presence in a theatrical trailer dedicated to the Shock Value film festival. These distinctive trailers, directed by Douglas Brian Martin and produced by Douglas Brian Martin and

Steven M. Martin Steven M. Martin (born October 24, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker, who wrote and directed '' Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey'', which earned him a Filmmakers Trophy at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. Career Martin has worked as an act ...

, were not the sole cinematic additions at the Nuart. The theater showcased trailers by the Martin brothers, featuring luminaries such as

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...

and

Peter Ivers Peter Scott Ivers (born Peter Scott Rose, September 20, 1946 – March 3, 1983) was an American musician, singer, songwriter and television personality. He served as host of the experimental music television show '' New Wave Theatre''. Despite ...

. The Nuart was the location for the theatrical world premiere of ''

Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Vixens ''Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens'' is a 1979 satirical sexploitation film directed by American film-maker Russ Meyer and written by Roger Ebert and Meyer. It stars Kitten Natividad and Ann Marie with a cameo by Uschi Digard. Plot Amon ...

'' directed by

Russ Meyer Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American filmmaker. He was primarily known for writing and directing a successful series of sexploitation films featuring campy humor, sly satire and large-breasted women, wh ...

. Edith Massey of "Pink Flamingos" fame performed on a makeshift stage with her punk rock band The "Incredible Edible Eggs" featuring Regina 'Gina' Schock on drums. Ms. Schock subsequently became a member of the all-girl rock band

The Go-Go's The Go-Go's are an American all-female Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar ...

. Director

Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker and producer noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one o ...

filmed part of

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...

's video for "Deadweight" at the Nuart. The Nuart is mentioned in ''

Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death ''Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death'' is a 1989 American comedy film directed by J. F. Lawton and starring Shannon Tweed and Bill Maher. The film sends up many pop culture motifs and societal trends, including feminism (and feminist ...

''.

Reference List

External links

*
Cinema Treasures: Nuart Theatre
* Cinemas and movie theaters in Los Angeles Landmarks in Los Angeles Theatres completed in 1929 1929 establishments in California Articles containing video clips {{LosAngeles-struct-stub