There have been three theatres at the intersection of La Mirada Blvd. and Rosecrans Ave. The big house just south of Rosecrans, now a performing arts center, opened in 1962 as the Stanley-Warner La Mirada. In 1975 Pacific opened the La Mirada 4 in the adjacent mall. It later morphed into a 6-plex and hasn't survived. In 1992 Krikorian Theatres opened the La Mirada Movies 7 at the end of a strip mall on the same property. It's now the AMC La Mirada 7.
The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
14900 La Mirada Blvd. La Mirada, CA 90638 | map |
Opened: December 20, 1962 as the Stanley-Warner La Mirada, a project of Stanley-Warner Theatres. The initial film was "Barabbas" with Anthony Quinn. The original address was 14900 Luitweiler Rd. The 2024 image is from Google Maps.
Architect: Drew Eberson designed the original building. He had also done the Topanga theatre for Stanley-Warner. It's unknown who did the 1977 stage addition.
A rendering that appeared in the February 14, 1962 issue of Motion Picture Herald. Thanks to Michael Coate and William Kallay for including it on their
From Script to DVD page about the La Mirada. It's part of the site's
70mm in Los Angeles coverage.
A main floor plan of the building with its added stagehouse. This and the other drawings appearing here are from the theatre's
2022 Tech Specs PDF.
A plan of the balcony and booth levels.
Seating: 1,262 with 815 on the main floor and 473 in the balcony. In addition, they can seat 26 in the pit.
Projection: Originally they had Norelco DP70 35/70 machines with Ashcraft Super Cinex lamps.
Throw: 88'
The December 20 ad in the Orange County edition of the L.A. Times. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating this. Visit his site:
Movie-Theatre.org
Another page from the Times February 20 OC edition. Thanks, Mike.
Pacific Theatres took over in March 1968 when they acquired the Southern California assets of Stanley-Warner.
Closing as a film house: August 19, 1975. Pacific Theatres was the last operator. Their new 4-plex in the adjacent mall opened the next day.
The City of La Mirada purchased the building in 1976, added a stagehouse, and reopened in 1977 as a performing arts center. The theatre is operated for the city by McCoy/Rigby Productions. Since 1994 that organization has produced the majority of the Broadway shows that play the house.
A stage plan. Click on the image for a larger view.
Stage specs:
Proscenium: 46’ wide x 26’ high
Stage depth: 28'
Road power: One 600 amp and two 400 amp 3-Phase cans with Camlocks located off left
Loading: 14’x14’ rollup door at stage level, off left
Loading Dock/Storage area: Off left -- 35’ x 33’
Pit: 48’W x 13’D – approximately 580 sq. ft. -- 3' below stage for seating, 8’ when uncovered
Pit capacity: 19 Musicians w/conductor podium or two rows of chairs for audience seating
Grid height: 59' to underside -- batten high trim: 56'
Counterweight rigging: 43 sets with 56' battens, 800 lb. capacity, operated S.R. at stage level
Permanent electrics: lines 7, 17, 27, 40
Pinrail: stage right, on a bridge about 25' up
Grid access: downstage left and upstage right
House curtain: guillotine style
Dressing rooms: Eight total at stage level with 28 mirrors -- two of those are star rooms
Green room: downstage right
Rigging problems already only a year after the reopening. Knoxville Scenic had done the installation. Thanks to Bob Foreman for locating this October 5, 1978 article from the La Mirada Review. For a wealth of tech information on theatres old and new see his terrific site
Vintage Theatre Catalogs.
A section drawing from the theatre's tech packet.
Interior photos:
The main lobby. Thanks to Dave Greim for sharing his 2023 photo.
The balcony level lobby. Photo: La Mirada Theatre -
tech PDF
A look to house left. Photo: Dave Hunter - 2023
Checking out the balcony and the ceiling slot. Photo: Dave Hunter - 2023
A look onto the stage. Photo: Dave Hunter - 2023
The green room. Photo: La Mirada Theatre -
tech PDF
A look to stage right. Photo: La Mirada Theatre -
tech PDF
Toward stage left. Photo: La Mirada Theatre - tech PDF
More exterior views:
The lobby end of the building. Photo: Dave Hunter - 2023
The entrance. Image: Google Maps - 2024
A stagehouse view. Photo: Dave Hunter - 2023. Thanks for the photos, Dave!
From above. Image: Google Maps - 2024
More information: See the Cinema Treasures pages about the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Thanks to Ron Pierce for his research. The From Script to DVD site has a page about the La Mirada by Michael Coate and William Kallay.
Pacific's La Mirada 4 / 6:
15200 Rosecrans Ave. La Mirada, CA 90638 | map |
Opening: August 20, 1975 as a four screen complex in the "Beautiful NEW enclosed La Mirada Mall" on Rosecrans Ave., just east of La Mirada Blvd. The 1975 photo is of unknown provenance.
An August 20, 1975 opening day ad. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating this.
Seating: 1,500 originally in 4 auditoria. Capacity of the two screens added in the 1980 addition is unknown.
Architects: Unknown.
A pre-opening view of the entrance. Photo: Boxoffice - 1975
The snackbar and lobby. Photo: Boxoffice - 1975
One of the auditoria. Photo: Boxoffice - 1975
Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theatres for sharing the three Boxoffice magazine photos on the site's page for the
La Mirada 6.
Two additional screens opened in 1980 and were adjacent to but not connected to the initial four. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating this June 13 opening day ad. At least one of the two added theatres was 70mm equipped.
Closing: Pacific closed the six-plex in 1990. The buildings of the enclosed mall were demolished to build the present open-air big box center.
More information: See the Cinema Treasures page about the La Mirada 6. Thanks to Ron Pierce for his research. The From Script to DVD site has a page about the 6 plex by Michael Coate and William Kallay as part of their 70mm in Los Angeles coverage.
The AMC La Mirada 7
15296 Rosecrans Ave. La Mirada, CA 90638 | map |
Opened: June 19, 1992 as the Movies 7, a project of Krikorian Premiere Theatres. This photo appears on a Discover La Mirada page about the theatre.
Seating: 606 total
Christopher Crouch has the history on the Cinema Treasures page about the theatre:
"Located on the end of a large strip mall, the structure is L shaped; lobby in line with the other storefronts and theatres running behind the mall. Typical of Krikorian’s unorthodox approach, the complex features numerous abnormalities, such as auditorium three, which houses a movie palace sized screen in a relatively shallow theatre (resulting in problematic picture quality).
"Movies 7, along with Krikorian’s pre-stadium chain, was sold to Regal in 1996 and eventually closed in 2002. After sitting vacant for two years, the theatre was partially renovated and reopened by Interstate Theatres (now Starplex Cinemas) as a discount house. Taken over by AMC December 16, 2015. It was closed for renovations in June 2018, reopening July 12, 2018."
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