Americana Cinemas

8700 Van Nuys Blvd. Panorama City (Los Angeles), CA 91402  | map |

Opening: September 18, 1964 as a single screen house. This opening night photo taken for the Valley Times by Bob Miller is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. The caption the Times ran: 

"Producer Robert L. Lippert, and owner of the Americana Theater at 8700 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City, opened his theater last night and ushered in a new concept in movie-going: it's in a shopping center. Lippert's idea is to give patrons comfort in movie viewing, convenience in parking, and a chance to shop while being entertained."

Among other L.A. area venues, Lippert also operated the Embassy in mid-Wilshire, the Eagle Rock 4 and the Marina 3 in Redondo Beach. He opened the Tiffany on Sunset Blvd. in 1966. 

Architect: Edward C. Jenkins did the 1964 building. San Francisco-based Gale Santocono Associates designed the 1969 addition. 

Seating: The original theatre had about 800 seats. Boxoffice noted in 1970 that the four-plex addition had two seating about 200 and two with about 300 seats. The big house was twinned in 1975, making it a 6-plex. What had been the big house then sat 400 on one side and 300 on the other. The total capacity was then around 1,700. 

 

 

"Deluxe projection, sound and seats." It's an item promising a June 10 opening date. Well, they didn't quite make that. Thanks to Ron Strong for sharing it in his Americana album on Google. Also see his main Bijou Memories page about the Americana. 

 

 

 

A September 18, 1964 opening day ad in the L.A. Times. The opening films were "The New Interns" and "Ride the Wild Surf."  Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating it. Visit his site: Movie-Theatre.org 

 

 

 

 

The opening day ad in the Van Nuys News. 

An item about the Lippert chain's expansion plans that appeared in the May 10, 1965 issue of Boxoffice. 

A 4-plex addition opened December 16, 1969. This article about the added screens appeared in the April 20, 1970 issue of Boxoffice:

"Americana 5 has white masonry exterior with main entrances of glass trimmed with bronze." 

 

 

 

 

"The four new auditoriums in the Americana complex are served by a common lobby, above, with two auditoriums on each side."

 

"Concession stand, above, serves the four new auditoriums."

 

 

"Each auditorium is decorated in a different dominant color. Patterns of blue, white and gold are used elsewhere in the complex." 

 

 

"What Is it? Why Is It?" Another ad located by Mike Rivest. 

 

"Ultra Modern." It's a 1970 ad that Ron located.  

 

 

 

A July 24, 1971 trade magazine image that was spotted by Ron Strong. That's the original theatre over on the far left.

 

  An October 1971 ad that was located by Texas 2 Step.  

The new houses had different color schemes: red in theatre #2, gold in #3, blue in #4 and green in #5. Ron Strong describes the layout when it was a five-plex: 

"Theatre #1 had it's own boxoffice and concession stand, while theatres 2 through 5 shared both a boxoffice and snack bar. The lobby for the 4 additional theatres was equally colorful with carpeting that echoed the color motifs of each theatre. Theatres #2 and 3 were left of the snack bar while theatres #4 and 5 were on the right. This obviously did not stop patrons from exiting one theater and moving into another, but as most of the multiplexes observed, so long as the snack bar was kept busy, it was no issue."

The big house was twinned in 1975 and the complex was then known as the Americana Cinemas.  

Lippert, Sr. died in 1976. Ron Strong has the report:

"Robert Lippert passed away from a heart attack November 16, 1976. His son, Robert L. Lippert Jr. took over the operation of the chain of theatres, and wound up selling off all but a handful of the original theatres. The Americana 5 fell under the auspices of the Pacific Theatre Group on October 22, 1982. It was here that, for a short while, the Americana Cinemas (as these were now called) became a first run house, offering many hits and continued that pattern for years."

Cinema-Cal Entertainment got it in August 1987 at a price of $1.2 million. They did a remodel and reopened on September 10. Scott Neff notes that they were still noted as operators in an August 1991 issue edition of Boxoffice.  

Closing: May 7, 1999, according to research by Ron Strong. 

 

 A 2001 shot of the building that was the 4-screen addition. Thanks to Bob Meza for sharing his photo on Cinema Tour.  

 

 

 

A c.2015 shot of the annex building as the Western Beauty Institute from Ron Strong. 

 

Status: Ron Strong has the report: "What remains of the Americana are now two separate businesses. Theatres #1 and 2 are now 'The Platinum Banquet Hall' and Theatres 3 through 6 now comprise 'La Tapachulteca Restaurant' and the 'La Sierra Nightclub.'"

 

A 2022 Google Maps view with the original 1964 building on the left. The annex is now using an 8640 address. 

More information: See the Cinema Treasures, Bijou Memories and Cinema Tour pages about the Americana.

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