On Friday, March 13, 2020, Los Angeles went into lockdown mode. Events were canceled, businesses were closed and everyone was told to stay at home to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The year prior, filmmaker Raphael Sbarge had started his latest project, “Only in Theaters,” a documentary about the Laemmle family. Other filmmakers had approached Robert and Greg Laemmle (pronounced “lem-lee”), a father and son who own the Los Angeles-based Laemmle theater chain, but Sbarge was the only one who followed through.
The filming started in 2019, with Sbarge doing on-camera interviews in person, but came to a halt during the lockdown. Laemmle theaters were closed from March of 2020 to April of 2021.
“It was difficult, but we found out about the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, which paid out funds in June of 2021,” said Greg. “Business is not back to pre-pandemic levels, but we see signs of improvement and feel the future is bright.”
“Only in Theaters” is currently playing the festival circuit and will screen Laemmle Royal on Thursday, March 30, and the Laemmle Town Center in Encino on Sunday, April 2. The film features interviews with Cameron Crowe, James Ivory, Ava Duvernay and Leonard Maltin, as well as with the Laemmles themselves.
It opens with a scene from Greg and his wife Tish’s Shabbat table; she lights Shabbat candles, and he makes kiddush. Tish then talks about how their first date was a movie at a Laemmle theater.
“But we ignore that because it wasn’t good,” she says.
Greg, who grew up in Santa Monica and went to Temple Akiba and Camp Alonim, worked in Laemmle theaters when he was in high school. He would accompany his father and mother to the theater, interact with customers and watch the latest releases.
The family has been part of the movie business since Greg’s ancestor, Carl Laemmle, emigrated from Germany to America in 1884 with nothing and 20 years later founded the Universal Pictures Company.
Carl’s cousins, Max and Kurt, then came to the United States from Europe and bought their first movie theater in Highland Park in 1938. Robert took over the family business from his father Max, and today, he and Greg run the nine theaters together. “Only in Theaters” goes through the family history, and features both in-person and Zoom interviews with filmmakers, which took place after the pandemic had started.
Despite the lockdowns and the longtime decline in theater ticket sales, Greg is optimistic that movie theaters will bounce back.
“Movie theaters are a magical place for everybody,” he said. “Going to the movies is the best way to see a piece of entertainment. You can concentrate on it, and you’re not in control of the narrative like you are at home, so you’re really invested in the story. We see the limits of steaming. The studios are all very much committed to releasing movies in theaters.”
“Movie theaters are a magical place for everybody.” – Greg Laemmle
In his work, Greg stays true to his Jewish values. He especially connects to the Torah teaching not to harvest the corners of your fields.
“If you are chasing profit to the very extreme, you tear at the fabric of society,” he said. “We need to take care of our workers and patrons, and those who aren’t able to partake in our business. We need to find ways to give back to the community.”
Greg keeps ticket prices low compared to the major chains, and he gives indie filmmakers the opportunity to screen their movies at his theaters while working with their budget.
“We don’t tell them that a movie studio can pay our fee, so you have to pay the same fee,” he said. “That’s not exactly fair.”
During his time showing his film around the country, Greg noticed that making the viewing experience into a bigger event is what will attract audiences.
“As much as films are struggling right now, event cinema screenings are doing very well,” he said. “We make every screening a little special. It’s much more important now to appear at the screenings and talk to audiences afterwards.”
As the pandemic winds down and society is getting used to living with coronavirus, Greg believes that more and more people will return to the movies to have a magical experience once again.
“People need to feel comfortable returning to the movies,” he said. “Once they get into the habit, they will remember what they loved, and we will be back in business.”
Want to attend a screening? Visit Onlyintheaters.com for more information.
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