Topanga Theatre
6360 Topanga Canyon Boulevard,
Woodland Hills,
CA
91367
6360 Topanga Canyon Boulevard,
Woodland Hills,
CA
91367
4 people
favorited this theater
The Topanga Theatre was opened as a single screen movie house in the 1960s.
It was twinned in the early 80’s, triplexed in the early 90s.
Pacific Theatres was the last chain to operate the Topanga, which became a second-run theatre in 1998 and closed altogether in early 2000.
What killed the Topanga theatre was a 16 screen AMC multiplex opened one block away. In the same area there was also the GCC Woodland Hills Triplex, the UA Warner Center 6, the single screen Baronet and, down the road, the GCC Fallbrook 10.
Pacific Theatres was going to build a large multi-screen plex on the Topanga Theatre’s site, but AMC converted an old department store into the AMC 16 screen multiplex. Pacific Theatres dropped the project and let the Topanga die the slow death.
By the time it closed, the Topanga’s 60s-era architecture stuck out amongst the more modern strip malls and shopping malls around it.
The former Topanga Theatre last housed a furniture store and was demolished in September 2007.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 40 comments)
Yes, John Coltrane’s son Ravi worked at Topanga. He’s one hip dude & a cool cat & not to mention, a nice guy.
For those of you who knew Horace Sun & haven’t heard, Horace passed away March 5th 2008 at the age of 41. He had a major stroke on February 28th. He had a page on facebook which you might be able to view.
He took me under his wing when I first started at Topanga in the mid 80’s & I had great fun working with him there. Farewell, my fellow fanboy & friend.
Drove by today, and there’s a new Crate and Barrel where the Topanga was that’s just about to open. There was a temporary circus tent set up behind it, so I couldn’t tell if the abandoned miniature golf course next to it was still there or not.
The one thing that I remember about the Topanga is that while the multiplexes were installing more and more narrow seats with huge cupholders (before they came up with the fold-up armrests), the Topanga’s seats were always nice and roomy.
Many fond memories of this theater in the early 80’s, I remember the long lines for new releases. I believe this where i first saw “Raiders” and “American Werewolf in London” and sat through them both twice in a row. I remember waiting in line for “The Dead Zone” and “Halloween III” after buying a stack of records near-by. Going to the miniature golf center next door and hopping the trampolines was a ritual as a child. Didn’t realize they were equipped with 70mm, this sounds like it was quite the happening place at the time, Kim Basinger used to hang out, Jackie Earle Haley applied for work,..wow this was the spot!
The October 11, 1965, issue of Boxoffice Magazine said that Stanley Warner’s new Topanga Theatre was scheduled to open on October 26 with the premier of “The Bedford Incident”. The regular opening would be on the 27th, with “Ship of Fools.”
The seating capacity of the new house was given as 1350, which would be in line with the other theaters Stanley Warner was building at the time. There’s a small reproduction of a rendering of the theater in Boxoffice, but it isn’t clear enough in the scan that I can read the architect’s name, which is not mentioned in the article.
1983 Photo
1984 Photo
I saw “Midway”, Airport ‘77, “Shadows and Fog”, “The Dead Zone”, “For All Mankind”, “The Line King (not The Lion King) -The Al Hirschfeld Story”, “Logan’s Run”, “Gone In 60 Seconds” (the original one), “Law and Disorder”, “An American Werewolf In London”, “Stranger Than Paradise”, “Roger and Me”, “Prince of the City” and many other films at that theater. “Midway” was in Sensurround. “Roger and Me” was packed; very strange for a documentary. Everyone applauded at the end. “Stranger Than Paradise” was almost empty. It’s hard to believe that movie played in such a big theater. It was great to go there when I was a kid. The 70’s was the heyday of the Topanga theater. It felt special to be there for some reason. Still pass that intersection often.
Unfortunately I only have vague memories of going to the movies in the valley in the 70’s or early 80’s when I was a kid. I do remember seeing the Star Wars re-release in 1979 and Superman 2 in 1981, and I know I saw one of those at least at the Topanga. I was looking forward to visiting the furniture store and seeing the dining room sets sitting on the slanted floors and smelling the old popcorn smell, but I see now that I am too late. I have visited at least four theatres in California that were eventually closed and/or torn down, and it makes me sad to see a part of history fading away.
The Topanga theatre was twinned in 1972. The opening films as a twin cinema were in #1 “Skyjacked” and in #2 “Silent Running” and “The Andromeda Strain”.
Awww now bittersweet memories as I watch more and more theatres and music/book stores from our youth disappear. The Topanga theatre I first saw Raiders Of the Lost Ark in 1981; back when your parents took you to movies you didn’t even know what they were going to be about. Later remember seeing Popeye, Nightmare On Elm Street, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors. So funny how these movie theatres are like churches or old friends. I am forever fascinated by these lost movie houses. So sad that Tower records across the street is gone as well.