Survival of Movie Theater in Danger

Last month, the two-screen Melody Theater in Thousand Oaks closed after 31 years, unable to survive new competition.

Now, an 18-year-old Westlake Village two-screen theater, facing similar competition, is considering slashing prices and specialization.

Anne Ball, manager of the Westlake Village Theater on Lakeview Canyon Road, said that because motion pictures cannot be shown at competing theaters within the same distribution zone, she fears a new eight-screen cinemaplex opening in Thousand Oaks in November may put her out of business.

“We’ll continue with business as usual through their opening, but in the meantime we’re going to have to decide what kind of theater we will be,” she said.

She and the owner are considering reducing ticket prices, with second-run films as low as $1.50, or making it a venue for so-called art films. “The nearest theater with art films is in Encino”--the Laemmle Town Center 5--Ball said. “And we’ve had inquiries about why we don’t have art movies. They do pretty well.”

Or, she added, it may become a combination of second-run movies and art films.