Topanga Theatre
6360 Topanga Canyon Boulevard,
Woodland Hills,
CA
91367
6360 Topanga Canyon Boulevard,
Woodland Hills,
CA
91367
6 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Pacific Theatres, Stanley-Warner Theatres
Architects: Drew Eberson
Nearby Theaters
The Topanga Theatre was opened by Stanley-Warner as a single screen movie house on October 26, 1965 with a gala presentation of “The Bedford Incident” starring Richard Widmark & Sidney Poitier. It had 1,350 seats.
It was twinned on May 24, 1972 and triplexed on May 20, 1988.
Pacific Theatres was the last chain to operate the Topanga Theatre, 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 Theatre 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 Theatre die the slow death.
By the time it closed, the Topanga Theatre’s 1960’s-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 48 comments)
I WORKED THERE IN 1982 AS A UNION PROJECTIONIST. IT WAS A TWIN USING PLATTERS. JOHN COLTRANE’S SON RAVI DID WORK THERE IN THE SNACK BAR! HE DROVE A BUG WITH RAVI ON HIS PLATE. MY DAD DIED WHILE I WAS THERE. IT WAS A NICE PLACE TO WORK.
This opened on October 26th, 1965. Grand opening ad uploaded here.
I remember working there in 1984 and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom just came out. There was all this hoopla about being the first PG-13 movie and so many parents would ask us when they should shield their child’s eyes.
The other screen was showing Top Secret! and one of the trailers was for a movie called Streets of Fire where it was basically a music video for the song ‘Nowhere Fast’ and everybody used to stand up and dance to that song.
I remember working there from 1990-1992.
I can’t believe I remember this…. On my first day, the movies that were playing there were: in the 1st screen was “Another 48 Hours”; 2nd screen was “Days of Thunder” and 3rd screen was “Ghost”.
Being smaller than the Fallbrook 7 (at the time) and UA 6, it was hard for this theater to receive the better films once Paramount stopped working with this theater. While the other Pacific Theaters received “Dances With Wolves”, Topanga 3 received it second run….
I also remember Cocoas & Ruebins restaurants being next to the theater. The irony… I moved from CA in ‘93… I flew back 1 month ago and both the theater and restaurants were demolished….
While working at theater, we all would play basketball on Saturdays, midnight bowling and other activities. Lots of memories….
No one mentioned “Rocky Horror” that played in the latter years here. I think I saw it here twice or three times—at midnight screenings. Was sad to see it go, but it was inevitable as I worked as a manager at the nearby AMC Promenade 16. In the late 80’s and into the 90’s, I did see a few other films, including the Elvira, Mistress of the Dark campy film. I cannot remember the others I saw here, but I did enjoy this theater.
I remember trying to sit through the Kevin Smith film Dogma at this theater in 1999. Couldn’t make it through it. It was Smith’s fourth film at that point, and I just couldn’t relate to any of them. Went into the auditorium next door to watch Double Jeopardy instead, as I had already paid the price of admission. I hate to see little theaters like this go away, as every theater now is like going into a Walmart – no character or charm.
Reopened as a twin on May 24th, 1972. Grand opening ads posted.
Reopened with three screens on May 20th, 1988. Another ad posted.
In July 1968, dropped off here by my dear Mother likely to get a couple hours' relief from me, my 9-year-old mind was permanently blown by a matinee showing of 2001: A Space Odyssey
Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” most definitely was not playing here during July of ‘68. During that timeframe the film was still playing its exclusive Southern California roadshow run at Warner Hollywood aka Hollywood Pacific.