New Beverly's Sherman Torgan Dies in Santa Monica

New Beverly Cinema owner Sherman Torgan died yesterday, unexpectedly, of a heart attack. Two local film blogs, Hollywood Elsewhere and Cinema is Dope are reporting it, and LAist has confirmed the sad news with the revival movie theater.

Projectionist Jeff Nowicki of the New Beverly said on the phone with us that Torgan had indeed died in Santa Monica yesterday of a heart attack while on a bike ride. While the theater will be dark tonight, there is hope that it will re-open tomorrow for a double feature of Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive, Nowicki said.

The Beverly Cinema originally opened in the 1920s for vaudeville, saw some days as an XXX theater, and was even a nightclub for a while. Torgan bought the theater in 1978, added the "New", and turned the place into the lovable inexpensive double-feature revival house that LA has known ever since.

You might recall that just a few months ago Quentin Tarantino took dozens of his own grindhouse films from his own library and programmed a month-long series at the New Beverly and then held the world premiere of Grindhouse at the small theater.

There is no word yet from his family, Nowicki said, as to what the long-term future of the theater holds.

Torgan, a UCLA alumn, is survived by his wife, Mary, and son, Michael.

detail of a photo of the New Beverly by optionthis via flickr