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Pacific 4 / Pacific Galleria 16 / ArcLight Sherman Oaks / Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria

15301 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles) CA 91403  | map |

The mall is located at Ventura Blvd. and Sepulveda, just east of the 405. The initial 4 plex in the mall was open from 1980 until 1999. The replacement 16 screen complex opened as the Pacific Galleria 16 in 2001.  

The Pacific 4:  

Opening: December 1980. It was located on the top floor of the Galleria, what at the time was a three-story enclosed mall. It had opened October 30, anchored by Robinsons on the south and the May Co. on the north end.
 
 
 
A December 5, 1980 grand opening ad. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating it. Visit his site: Movie-Theatre.org. They opened with one screen running "Flash Gordon." The other three screens debuted December 19 with "Seems Like Old Times," "Raging Bull" and "The Formula." 
 
 

The theatres are over on the right in this view across that appears, uncredited, with a 2017 Behind the Deals story by Joshua Beroukhim. It's a photo by John F. Gaylord Photography.
 

 
A photo taken by Wayne Thom in 1981. It's in the USC Digital Library collection. Fourteen additional shots he took can be seen on Calisphere
 


The Pacific 4 Theatres are in the lower left on this c.1981 floorplan of the mall's upper level. Todd Tarpley drew this after analyzing available photos as well as shots from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." His fine discussion about the mall's layout appears on a Galleria page of the Tarp Report. He says:
 
"Jeeze, do I have to do everything myself? Since I didn't have the chance to see it in person before it was torn down, I was curious about what the Sherman Oaks Galleria looked like--how big it was, what stores were there, how it was laid out. I found about a dozen photos online, but a floor plan doesn't seem to exist.

"Why I care: the Sherman Oaks Galleria was synonymous with the mall culture of the early '80s. 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' was shot there. The song 'Valley Girl' was written about it. It was not a large mall; it was not unique; its popularity was fleeting. But I'm a pop culture buff and an urban archaeology buff. 
 
"So...here's my floor plan of the top floor of the Sherman Oaks Galleria from late 1981, when 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' was filmed there. As you can see, it's a complicated layout with relatively few 90-degree angles!..."
 
 
 
The boxoffice in 1985. Thanks to Gary Fimbres for sharing his photo as a post on the private Facebook group Mid Century Modern. Mike Rivest later added it to the Cinema Treasures page about the theatre. Among the films playing were "The Breakfast Club" and "The Falcon and the Snowman."


 
The boxoffice in 1993. Thanks to the Valley Relics Museum for sharing the image in a Facebook post.  
 

A c.1985 photo from the Valley Relics Museum Facebook page.

Closing: The 4-plex closed in 1999 when the mall got a major makeover. 
 

The Pacific 4 Theatres in the movies:

The theatre plays a part in Amy Heckerling's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (Universal, 1982). The film features Brian Backer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Robert Romanus, Ray Walston, Kelli Maroney, Eric Stoltz and Forest Whitaker. Cameron Crowe did the screenplay based on his book. The cinematography was by Matthew F. Leonetti. Thanks to Whiteberry for this screenshot shared in a post on Blu-ray.com. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for eight more shots from the film.

Marty Glassman comments: 

"I was in there watching 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' with a friend, when they showed the scene of the inside of the mall. Everyone started laughing in the theater, and then they showed the kid taking tickets in the theater that we were watching the movie, and then we really started laughing."


The mall is seen in the opening credits of Martha Coolidge's "Valley Girl" (Atlantic Releasing, 1983). The film features Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, Cameron Dye, Heidi Holicker, Elizabeth Daily, Michael Bowen, Michelle Meyrink, Colleen Camp and Frederic Forrest. The cinematography was by Frederick Elmes. While we don't go to the movies in the mall, we do have two visits to the nearby Sherman Theatre and, of course, cruise many theatres in Hollywood. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for shots of the theatres we see.   
 

We see the theatres during a fine brawl at the Galleria in Mark Lester's film "Commando" (20th Century Fox, 1985). The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rae Dawn Chong. Featured are Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells, Alyssa Milano, David Patrick Kelly, James Olson and Sharon Wyatt. The cinematography was by Matthew F. Leonetti. See a clip of the mall brawl scene on YouTube. There's another shot from the scene showing the theatres on the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post.

The mall also appears in "Chopping Mall" (1986), "Innerspace" (1987), "Walk Like a Man" (1987), "Mother" (1996), "Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge" (1989) and "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" (1992). A post by Whiteberry on the forum pages of the site Blu-ray.com has a superb rundown of the mall's movies with many screenshots. TV appearances include the 1983 TV movie "Sunset Limousine" and the "Bad Eggs" episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from 1998.

 

The new Pacific Galleria 16:

Opened: 2001 on the 3rd floor. It's in space that had originally been the top level of the Robinsons store at the south end of the mall. 
 

A  November 2, 2001 ad located by Mike Rivest.  

Closing: 2007

Rebranded as the Arclight Cinemas Sherman Oaks:  

Opening: November 2007 with five screens ready. The rest followed in December. This was the second complex to use the ArcLight name. The original ArcLight, in Hollywood, had opened in 2001.
 
Seating: 3,497 

Architects: The rebuild was designed by the Santa Monica office of Gensler & Associates. Thanks to Joe Vogel for the data. He notes that they had also done the Hollywood complex.
 

A November 22, 2007 ad. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating it.  
 
 

A September 2008 view. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing his photo.  
 
 

A November 2008 shot from Ken McIntyre.  
 
 

A 2018 entrance view by Aaashish Singh

The lobby:
 

Thanks to Fsantos for sharing this 2007 image on Cinema Treasures. Their comment: "Before we opened." 

A 2007 lobby shot that had appeared on the ArcLight Facebook page. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for posting it on Cinema Treasures
 
 

A 2019 photo by J S that was shared by Google. 
 
 

A 2019 inner lobby view by Jsn Tlr that was shared by Google. 

A photo shared in July 2021 on a Save the Arclight Cinemas Facebook page.
 

The Arclight auditorium look:

A 2019 view. Thanks to Scott Neff for sharing this one on Cinema Tour. It's one of over 30 photos dating from 2010 to 2019 that appear on their page about the theatre.  

Closing: March 2020 due to Covid restrictions.

On April 12, 2021 the Decurion Corporation announced that they were not going to reopen any of its theatres using the Pacific Theatres and ArcLight brands. Their Vineland Drive-In was operating at the time but none of the indoor locations had tried reopening even as pandemic restrictions were easing. 300 screens were involved. 

Pamela McClintock had the sad news in "Arclight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres to Close," an April 12, 2021 story for The Hollywood Reporter. Also see stories from Deadline, the L.A. Times and Variety. A Decurion statement noted: 

"This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward... To our guests and members of the film industry who have made going to the movies such a magical experience over the years: our deepest thanks. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you."

Tom Nunan had a nice April 13 story for Forbes: "Iconic Movie Chain Closes In Los Angeles; 5 Predictions For Future Of Cinemas Nationwide." Ryan Faughnder's April 16 story for the times asked "After ArcLight Cinemas' closure, what happens next?"

The Pacific Theatres Exhibition Corporation, part of the Forman empire, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on June 18 so that they could have protection while they liquidated their assets and paid creditors. The plan was to sell off whatever is theirs: seats, projectors, popcorn machines, etc. at both company owned and leased locations. 

Included was whatever equipment the landlords didn't claim at the leased ArcLight locations in Culver City, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, El Segundo, Pasadena, La Jolla, Chicago, Boston and the D.C. area. Also affected were the Pacific locations (some owned, some leased) in Lakewood, Northridge, Chatsworth (the Winnetka), Sherman Oaks (the 5 plex), City of Industry (Vineland D-I), the Grove, and Glendale (Americana at Brand). Deadline had the story: "Pacific Theatres Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy." 

In Variety's June 18 story, also titled "Pacific Theatres Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy," they noted that creditors, including landlords and film studios, might get little or nothing: 

"According to the bankruptcy filings, the six entities that filed for bankruptcy on Friday had $69 million in liabilities, and just $4.8 million in total assets. The only secured debt is a $6.4 million obligation to Bank of America, which means that all the unsecured creditors — including landlords, taxing authorities, former employees, vendors, various litigants, and gift card holders — will likely wind up with little or nothing. The unsecured creditors also include all the major film studios, along with many smaller distributors, who were still owed box office revenue when Pacific’s theaters closed last year. Disney is owed $1.26 million, followed by Warner Bros. ($779,000), Universal ($619,000), Paramount ($501,000), Sony ($389,000) and indie distributor Neon ($231,000). In sum, 25 distributors are owed $4.26 million."

See the Cinerama Dome page for more stories about the disposition of other ArcLight locations. 


As the Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria:

Opening: Regal Cinemas reopened the former ArcLight location on July 6, 2021. "Former ArcLight at Sherman Oaks Galleria taken over by Regal Cinemas" was the June 18 story in the Times. 

 

A photo shared in July 2021 on a Save the Arclight Cinemas Facebook page.   

The rebranded entrance. It's a 2022 photo by Steven B. on Yelp

Status: In January 2023 the Sherman Oaks Galleria venue was on the list as one of 39 locations Regal was planning on shutting in the midst of their bankruptcy proceedings. Variety had the list. But it continues to stay open. A story shared on Cinema Treasures:

"Regal announces new lease agreement at Sherman Oaks Galleria - KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – The 16-screen Sherman Oaks Galleria theatre will continue operating as a Regal property following entry into a new lease agreement with the owner. The Regal theatre is the only structure left standing from the original Sherman Oaks Galleria mall, which was transformed into today's modern open-air, mixed-use facility in 2002.

"'The new agreement between Regal and Douglas Emmett allows movies to continue playing at one of Los Angeles' sacred entertainment sites,' stated Mooky Greidinger, CEO of Cineworld, parent company of Regal. 'We are excited not only to preserve the legacy of Sherman Oaks Galleria but also to update this theatre with the latest advancements in the movie-going experience. Soon our guests will be able to enjoy movies in IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX at Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria cinema.'"


The building in 2023 with its new "Regal" signage. Photo: Google Maps

More information: See the Cinema Treasures pages on the Pacific 4 and the Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria. The Cinema Tour page about the 16-plex has over 30 photos dating from 2010 to 2019. 

A mall remodel in 1992 was discussed in the June 8 L.A. Times story "Galleria Remodels in Effort to Lure 'More Mature' Customer.." One of their comments:

"The mall became widely known outside Southern California in 1982 because it was mentioned in the song 'Valley Girl' by Moon Unit Zappa. The song described the Galleria as the habitat of teen-agers who talked oddly and were fixated on goods. The lyrics included: 'Like ohmigod like totally Encino is like so bitchen. There’s like the Galleria and like all those like really great shoe stores. . . . I like buy the neatest miniskirts and stuff. It’s so bitchen.' The song--and a subsequent movie, 'Valley Girl,' that was filmed at the Galleria--caused foot traffic in the 100-store mall to increase by 30%, Galleria officials said in 1983..."

There's a nice history of the mall in a 2017 Behind the Deals story by Joshua Beroukhim.  Wikipedia has an article about the Galleria. Of course there's a page about the Regal Galleria on Yelp.

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