By Helene Harris

Can you imagine driving through the iconic, wrought iron gate, up the winding, pastoral road, through the porte-cochere and stopping in front of the theatre to enjoy a movie? Well, thanks to the City of Beverly Hills, you can recreate the screening portion of that scenario.

Greystone Mansion and Gardens Park, the crown jewel of Beverly Hills’ world-class recreation and park facilities, is home to significant California, Los Angeles and of course, Beverly Hills history. It also has an important role in the history of filmmaking; from its home screenings, to a brief period as the campus of the American Film Institute, to current movie and television filming on the property. Think Batman driving the batmobile home, or Daniel Day-Lewis in his office or bowling alley in There Will Be Blood. Or Robert Redford seducing Demi Moore in Indecent Proposal. The list goes on.

The theatre fell into disrepair, but the City has struck a balance between restoring it to its former glory, and updating it to a modern theatre going experience with state of the art projection, sound, stage lighting, large comfy seating, and an ADA compliant lift.

The City has plans for lectures, staged readings, musical performances (in the spirit of old fashioned salons), as well as Greystone in the Movies, where films with scenes shot at Greystone will be shown, followed by tours of the relevant area of the property. Recent films have been The Big Lebowski and The Trouble With Angels. The next screening will be Thursday, July 11. Additionally, self-guided tours of the first floor of the house and the restored theatre are offered alternately on the first Saturday or Sunday of each month, January through November. Advance reservations strongly recommended. Upcoming dates are Saturday, July 6, Sunday, August 4, and Saturday, September 7.

» For more information on Greystone Mansion & Gardens, and the Theatre, visit www.beverlyhills.org/greystone.

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