Tujunga / Hilltop / Rainbow / Canyon Theatre

6721 Foothill Blvd. Tujunga (Los Angeles), CA 91042 | map |

Opened: 1938 as the Tujunga Theatre, part of the Edwards circuit. The location is on the north side of the street just east of Haines Canyon Ave. This 1938 photo appears on page 6 in the 1949-50 edition of "Theatre Catalog" from Jay Emanuel Publications, publisher of Motion Picture Exhibitor. Twenty-five years of the Catalogs are on Internet Archive. See the lead article for this particular year: "The Work of S. Charles Lee." Thanks to Cinema Tour for including the photo on their page about the Canyon. 

It got renamed the Hilltop Theatre with a reopening on July 13, 1966 and ran under that name until 1979. In the 1980s it was the Rainbow Theatre and it ended its theatrical life as the Canyon Theatre. At one time it was operated by the Edwards circuit.

Architect: S. Charles Lee

A drawing of the proposed theatre. Thanks to The Rainbow - Movie Theatre Facebook page for locating it.  

 

Seating: 843

Closing: 1998, according to the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley. 

 

Status: In 2002 it was turned into the Great Caesar's Banquet Hall with the original facade and interior obliterated. Caesar's was now using the address 6723 Foothill for the building. It's now closed. 

 

 

Not looking much like S. Charles Lee's work anymore. It's a 2006 shot from Great Caesar's on Flickr. If you need more, there are over 60 photos of the banquet hall on Yelp. 

More exterior views: 

 

1944 - "I Dood It" with Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell along with the Andrews Sisters in "Always a Bridesmaid." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting this postcard in a post on the Facebook page The Rainbow - Movie Theatre. Both films were fall 1943 releases. 

 

 

 

1944 - "Happy New Year." A photo from the Tujunga Record-Ledger with the same program advertised as in the postcard above. Thanks to the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley for sharing this version of it in a Facebook post. It also appears on the website of the Cal State Northridge Oviatt Library. 

 

 

1946 - A lovely shot showing the signage at night. Thanks to Mark Havlick for locating the photo. 

 

1979 - Playing "Meatballs" and "1941." Thanks to the Facebook page The Rainbow - Movie Theatre for sharing the photo. They credited it to Randy Graham. 

 

1982 - A colorful view as the Rainbow Theatre, operating as a bargain house. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the photo on the now-vanished American Classic Images website. It popped up again in 2023 in a post from the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley. 

 

1987 - "Total Movie Entertainment -- Movies: No Drugs Needed." Thanks to The Rainbow - Movie Theatre page on Facebook for sharing this one. They were running "Some Kind of Wonderful" and "Mannequin."

 

1980s - Another shot shared by The Rainbow - Movie Theatre Facebook page. 

1989 - As the Canyon Theatre running "The Abyss" and "Weekend at Bernie's." It's a photo taken by Gary Graver, a noted filmmaker and cinematographer who took many photos of dying single-screen theatres. A compilation can be seen on YouTube: "Second Run - part 1" and "Second Run - part 2." Thanks to Sean Graver for use of the photo.

 

2000 - A "Closed for Remodeling" message on the marquee. And quite a remodel it would get. Many thanks to Grant Taylor for his photo.  

 

c.2000 - One of many shots of the Canyon from "Save Art Deco Theater." The one minute clip on YouTube was produced, directed and narrated by Jamie M. Elovitz. Thanks to Louis Elovitz for passing it along. 

 

 

c.2009 - Thanks to Don Solosan for this photo of the building after its transformation into a banquet hall. The short was taken as part of a survey of surviving Los Angeles theatre buildings undertaken by the now-dormant Historic Theatre Committee of the L.A. Conservancy. And thanks to Hillsman Wright, co-founder of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation, for making the photo available.  

 

The Hilltop/Rainbow Theatre in the Movies: 

It was called the Hilltop at the time of the shoot for "The Todd Killings" (National General Pictures, 1971). It's a story about an aimless young guy living off his mother and indulging his murderous tendencies. Barry Shear directed. Featured are Robert F. Lyons, Richard Thomas, Belinda Montgomery, Gloria Grahame, Edward Asner, Barbara Bel Geddes, Sugar Ray Robinson and Michael Conrad. The cinematography was by Harold E. Stine. The film was inspired by some real 1965 murders in Tuscon. 

 

A later "Todd Killings" shot with the 1969 film "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" on the Hilltop's marquee.   

 

Crossing the street a moment later in "The Todd Killings." Thanks to an anonymous tip here on this page noting the theatre's appearance in this film.  

 

 

We get a fuzzy look at the Rainbow in the background of this shot when two of Michael J. Fox's friends drive to the liquor store to buy a keg for a party in "Teen Wolf" (Atlantic Releasing, 1985). Rod Daniel directed. Also featured in the film are James Hampton, Susan Ursitti, Jerry Levine, Matt Adler, Lorie Griffin and Matt Arnold. The cinematography was by Tim Suhrstedt.

 

 

Another "Teen Wolf" view a moment later. These guys have no luck getting a keg as they're underage. Michael later tries and succeeds only because he becomes a bit wolf-like and scares the liquor store proprietor. Thanks to Sean Madden for the tip noting the theatre's appearance in the film. 

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Canyon. Also see the Cinema Tour page where there is a 2001 photo from Bob Meza. Also see The Rainbow - Movie Theater  page on Facebook. 

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