Catching an Abbott and Costello Flick at the Crest Westwood

Sometimes I have to pinch myself to realize how lucky I am. As a classic film lover I happen to live in the perfect area to celebrate the Golden Age of Hollywood. Every week there are multiple screenings and my biggest issue is decided which one I’m going to see on a given night. I try to catch my favorite films on the big screen as much as possible and recently I headed to Westwood to catch a screening starring my favorite comedy duo – Abbott and Costello.

It was Lou Costello’s 110th birthday and the Crest Westwood was screening Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. I’d seen the film several times but never on the big screen and I’d never been to the Crest. As a person intent on seeing all the movie palaces of Los Angeles I knew there was no way I could miss the screening.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was released at the height of the duo’s fame and is considered one of their best films. While it’s not my absolute favorite (I’m particularly partial to Ride ‘Em Cowboy and Who Done It?) I still love watching it, especially around Halloween. When you’ve got the duo stumbling upon the reanimated corpses of Frankenstein and Dracula with the Wolfman not far behind you can’t go wrong. The movie is filled with laughs from start to finish and I never tire of watching it.

The Crest was the perfect place to catch a screening. Built in 1940 it was originally a live performance theatre. During World War II it was converted to a newsreel theatre and after the war ended it continued to show films. It’s gone through several ownership changes in its decades long history and today is a beautifully restored theatre.

I’m particularly fond of the interior which is covered in murals depicting classic Hollywood at night. These murals only date to the 1980’s but they are absolutely fantastic.

I’m so glad I headed to the Crest to celebrate Lou’s birthday. They actually screen classics once a month and I’m sure I’ll be back to catch another flick.