Boulevard Cinema
6937 Topanga Canyon Boulvard,
Canoga Park,
CA
91303
6937 Topanga Canyon Boulvard,
Canoga Park,
CA
91303
5 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Functions: Retail
Previous Names: Valley West Theatre, Baronet Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The 300-seat Valley West Theatre was opened on August 3, 1962 with Kirk Douglas in “Spartacus”. It specialised in playing art house movies. In April 1964 it was expanded to 500-seats. On November 17, 1965 it was renamed Baronet Theatre, playing “Zorba the Greek” starring Anthony Quinn. It was closed and remodeled in July 6, 1984 as the Boulevard Cinema. This small theatre ran revival movies during its final years. Located near the Topanga Theatre, the Boulevard Cinema closed in late-1986.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 29 comments)
Address (city) should be updated to read: Canoga Park
Function should be updated to read: Retail
Here is a 1983 photo of the Baronet:
http://tinyurl.com/r6yxhd
I believe this was the theater I saw “Day of the Dead” and “Reanimator” at as a double feature. My friend was just getting into special effects at the time (we were in high school, and he was a very natural sculptor who could make all kinds of masks/wounds/creatures/etc.) so we wanted to see “..Dead” because a few of our friends worked on it and played zombies in it. However, the second feature, “Reanimator” proved to be the better, and more memorable, film. The funniest thing I still remember was the crowd was mostly heavy metal fans of the mid-80s at least based on their looks, long-haired and rowdy. Drunk, too, because I remember hearing many empty glass bottles rolling down the floor. Between films, they played a couple trailers, but more memorable, they played A-Ha’s ‘Take on Me.’ The parts where the singing gets high-pitched, it seemed like everyone in the theater was screaming in a sarcastic high-pitched scream. Me and my two friends were doubled over laughing so hard! Good fun!! Then, I was blown away by “Reanimator”. Will remember that night, even if it wasn’t this particular theater but the other one plex on Topanga. I am pretty sure this was the place, however…
Opened as the Valley West Theatre playing art films in 1962 with 300 seats, new architectural plans were rushed when the theatre was more successful than anticipated. It was expanded and relaunched with “Tom Jones” on April 12, 1964 to 500 seats. It relaunched on November 19, 1965 as the Baronet Theatre with “Zorba, the Greek.” It closed in 1985 and remodeled as the Boulevard Cinema as a sub-run discount house with 450 seats and one screen launching July 6, 1985 with “Shock Treatment” and “Phantom of the Paradise.”
Minor note: it should likely be listed as the Baronet Theatre as twenty of its 23 years were as the Baronet and only a handful of screenings were as the short-lived Boulevard Cinema.
What was its name when it closed?
This opened on August 3rd, 1962 as Valley West with “Spartacus”, Grand opening ads as Valley West and Baronet posted.
Reopened as Boulevard on July 6th, 1984. tiny grand opening ad posted.
LOVED this theatre. So reminiscent of earlier days of theatres. I lived on Jordan Ave in CP for years; always worked two jobs and Sunday was my only day off from both. My “treat” to myself was to go to Zody’s, then onto Baskin Robbins for a double hot fudge Sunday, then onto the Baronet for whatever they happened to be showing. A nice, well maintained neighborhood movie house.
The theater is now a paint store/furniture store.