General Cinema 3-4-5-6-7 / AMC / Pacific Sherman Oaks 5

14424 Milbank St. Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles), CA 91403 | map |

The triplex: 1978-1994

Opened: General Cinema opened the first theatre on the site, their Cinema III - IV - V, on March, 17, 1978. It was on the south side of the street, a half block east of Van Nuys Blvd. The new triplex was across the street from the circuit's Cinema 1 & 2. The three auditoria were of the long shooting-gallery style.

 An opening week ad. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating it. 

Closed: The triplex closed in 1994 following damage from the Northridge earthquake. It was later demolished to make way for the new GCC 5 plex.


The 5 plex: 1995 - present

Opened: December 15, 1995. This building was constructed by General Cinema as a replacement for the damaged triplex and was first known as the Sherman Oaks 3-4-5-6-7. The theatre has been closed since March 2020. In this February 2025 shot the marquee still has 1989 vintage titles on the marquee from a 2024 TV shoot. Photo: Bill Counter

 

 

An opening day ad. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating it.  

Seating: 970 total. The building footprint was limited by zoning to that of the previous building so the architects went up. Four of the screens have small balconies.

The complex was operated for a time by AMC Theatres following the GCC bankruptcy. General Cinema filed for a Chapter 11 reorganization in October 2000 and a Chapter 7 dissolution in October 2001.

It was later taken over by Pacific Theatres and was doing well operated by them as the Pacific Sherman Oaks 5. They frequently had moveovers from the ArcLight in the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Pacific didn't pick up the former GCC Cinema 1 & 2 operation across the street. That theatre was demolished in 2005. There's now a Best Buy and a parking garage on that site. 

Closing: This 5-plex shut down in March 2020 due to Covid restrictions.

Status: On April 12, 2021 Pacific announced that they would not be reopening any of their theatres. This one has been sitting vacant since then.

 

Interior views:

A 2013 lobby view. Thanks to Scott Neff for his photo on Cinema Tour.

The inner lobby. Photo: Eric Hooper - Cinema Tour - 2016

Looking down from the stairs. Photo: Scott Neff - Cinema Tour - 2013

The balcony level lobby. Photo: Eric Hooper - Cinema Tour - 2016

The balcony of one of the auditoria. Photo: Eric Hooper - Cinema Tour - 2016

A main floor view. Photo: Eric Hooper - Cinema Tour - 2016. Thanks, Eric!  

 

 

Looking in the front doors in February 2025. Photo: Bill Counter 

 

 

A 2025 view along the bar from the east exit doors.  Photo: Bill Counter

 

 

More exterior views:  

 

2001 - Thanks to Bob Meza for sharing his photo, one of 82 appearing on the Cinema Tour page about the theatre.   

2007 - Looking west on Milbank St.  Photo: Bill Counter 

 

 

2020 - Thanks to Margot Gerber for including this view in an April 2021 Facebook post about Pacific's decision to not reopen any of their theatres following the year-long pandemic shutdown.  

 

 

2020 - A poster case detail from Margo Gerber. Thanks! 

 

 

2024 - The theatre dressed as if it were 1989 for a TV shoot in January for the "Blame It On the Rain" episode of "Monsters: the Lyle and Eric Menendez Story" (Netflix, 2024). Thanks to Jeff Goldsmith for sharing the photos he took on a Facebook post. 

 

 

2024 - A closer look at the entrance It's another January shot by Jeff Goldsmith. Scott Neff commented: "Interesting as well that the door stickers say 'Century' and the poster cases say 'AMC.' My guess is that it's standing in as the AMC Century City 14."

 

 

2024 - The far end of the marquee. Thanks to Jeff Goldsmith for the photo

 

 

2024 - Sill dressed as if it's 1989. Thanks to Dave Hunter for sharing this June photo in a Facebook post. 

 

 

2025 - A closer look at the boxoffice. Photo: Bill Counter 

 

The theatre in the movies and on TV:   

 

Leelee Sobieski watches a slasher movie with her friends at this theatre in "The Glass House" (Columbia, 2001). Also featured are Diane Lane, Stellan Skarsgård, Bruce Dern, Kathy Baker and Chris Noth. Daniel Sackheim directed. The cinematography was by Alar Kivilo. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor MrWolf98 for spotting the theatre in the film. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for more shots from the scene as well as a view down Ventura Blvd. toward the La Reina Theatre. 

This venue appears in a 2005 episode of the TV show "Entourage" as the location for a premiere of the fictitious film "Aquaman."

 

The theatre is seen briefly in the "Blame It On the Rain" episode of "Monsters: the Lyle and Eric Menendez Story" (Netflix, 2024). The brothers buy tickets and activity is seen in the lobby. It was the first episode of season two of the Ian Brennan/Ryan Murphy "Monsters" anthology series. Thanks to MikeRadio for the data. This episode also shot at the Directors Guild Theatre.

More Information: The Cinema Treasures page has a bit of discussion about the theatre. The Cinema Tour page has many photos (including interiors) from Eric Hooper, Scott Neff, Mark Campbell and Bob Meza.

See the bottom of the page about the Sherman Oaks 2 here on this site for a discussion of the design innovations of the early General Cinema theatres. 

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