Westwood Merchants Anxious About ‘X’ Premiere : Movies: After viewing special screening of the film, business owners’ concerns about a recurrence of the violence that followed debut of ‘New Jack City’ are eased.

In Westwood Village, where blockbuster films are viewed as a breath of fresh air for a beleaguered economy, merchants are cautious about Wednesday’s opening of Spike Lee’s controversial film “Malcolm X.”

They look forward to the crowds expected to flock to the commercial area next to UCLA, but they fear the possibility that violence might erupt, as it did when “New Jack City” opened in 1991.

To prepare for the opening, the merchants association held a special screening of the $34-million Warner Bros. film that eased many of their concerns.

“It’s a healing film, and we are proud to have it shown in Westwood,” said Hillary Gibson, president of the Westwood Village Assn., a merchants group.

“We hope that everyone sees the film in the positive way it was meant to be seen,” Gibson said. “What a great film. I was knocked out!”

Indeed, many of those who once dreaded the film’s opening are embracing it as a promotional event that could bring large movie-going audiences back to Westwood. On opening day, the merchants’ association plans to have a welcoming committee greet visitors and hand out village maps, balloons and buttons.

As a prelude to the premiere, a nonprofit group from South-Central Los Angeles will hold a Peace in the Streets fair and market for African-American merchants today and Sunday at UCLA’s Parking Lot 32 at Gayley Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard. The event will feature jazz, reggae, gospel music and cultural performances.

“The fair provides merchants with a market for their goods and (will) help to expose the city to African-American culture,” said Barbara Stanton, executive director of Entrepreneur Educational Center, the group sponsoring the event. “We want to generate good will and understanding. It is our hope we can bring the two communities together.”

The Los Angeles Police Department has assigned 80 officers, double the contingent available for emergencies on a normal day, to be ready for any disturbance in Westwood and other areas. “No place where we think we may have a problem will be ignored,” said Lt. John Duncan, a police spokesman.

Lee, whose film chronicling the life of slain black nationalist leader Malcolm X will open in more than 1,100 theaters nationwide, said anyone who is concerned about the possibility of violence has nothing to fear.

“We shouldn’t have the LAPD in riot gear outside of the theater when the movie opens,” Lee said last month at the opening of his new store, Spike’s Joint West. “The people who are predicting violence are the same people who would cross the street when young black men walk down the street. Why is it that whenever there are black people together, it’s a riot?

“I think young blacks know what Malcolm is about and will be very respectful,” Lee said. “I don’t think there will be any incidents because of this film.”

LAPD officials said they plan to use mounted horseback units and foot and bicycle patrols to keep police presence to a minimum. Although most officers are to be stationed where they are less visible, they will be in position to move quickly if necessary, officials said.

“We don’t expect a problem, but we want to be prepared just in case,” said Cmdr. Larry Fetters of the West Bureau.

The midweek opening is not expected to draw large crowds, but police anticipate that attendance will increase significantly over the weekend.

“We expect record crowds to be in Westwood Village and other parts of the bureau” by Saturday and Sunday, he said. “The merchants want the officers to have a friendly profile. They don’t want people to feel they are going into an occupied territory. They want to feel safe and to enjoy an evening out.”

The debate over the film highlights a dilemma facing Westwood merchants, who have been hit hard by the recession and by stiff competition from theater centers in Santa Monica and Century City.

Their problems were compounded in 1991 after hundreds of youths broke windows, looted stores and vandalized cars after the premiere of “New Jack City,” which opened days after the Rodney G. King beating. A melee broke out six months earlier when crowds of youths flocked to the Westwood opening of Lee’s “Mo’ Better Blues.” And in 1988, the area drew nationwide attention when a young shopper was shot to death when a gang member fired at a rival on a crowded street.

In response to the violent events, the critically acclaimed movie “Boyz N the Hood,” another film with a black theme, did not open in Westwood Village until several months after it appeared in other locations.

Initially, “Malcolm X” touched off a spirited debate among Westwood merchants, with some initially arguing that the film should be banned from the area and others seeking to delay its Wednesday opening to gauge reaction in other communities. Neither option was pursued.

“Once you start banning movies, where does the ball stop--banning books?” asked Phillip Gabriel, owner of Butler/Gabriel Books. “That gets us nowhere. It would have only made matters worse.”

City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky said the film is a serious effort that should not be cause for concern. “The suggestion that a serious film made by a serious and talented African-American director cannot be shown in Westwood without causing a panic is an insult,” he said.

Still, some merchants feel that some precautions are necessary.

“We need a little extra protection,” said Diane Martell, manager of the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf shop. “We are open late, our customers are here late.”

The owners of the coffee shop and other merchants contributed to a fund to hire security guards for the first four days after the film’s opening.

Westwood, Yaroslavsky said, often is unfairly singled out as a troubled community. “Nobody questions it when a movie opens in Universal City and has problems,” he said. “But there is a special interest in Westwood. It’s next to a university and beautiful parts of the city.”

Candy Field, a restaurant manager, said Westwood’s reputation has suffered over the years. “Westwood is a safe place, but people tend to remember things that happened years ago as if they happen every day.”

Rich Givens, an association vice president and an executive of Mann Village Theater, where “Malcolm X” will be premiered, said the issue of crime in Westwood is overblown.

“We see this (film) as an opportunity to welcome people and to promote what the village has to offer,” he said.

Times staff writer Marc Lacey contributed to this story.