Lakewood Center 16
5200 Faculty Avenue,
Lakewood,
CA
90712
5200 Faculty Avenue,
Lakewood,
CA
90712
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favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Pacific Theatres
Architects: Mel C. Glatz, George T. Nowak, Dan Tanizaki
Firms: George T. Nowak & Associates, GFBA Architects, Mel C. Glatz & Associates
Previous Names: Pacific's Lakewood Center Theater
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News About This Theater
- Jun 18, 2010 — "Jaws"... Happy 35th!
- May 14, 2010 — Please Post Today, May 14 --- "Jaws," Happy 35th
At a cost of $1 million dollars and eight months of construction Pacific’s Lakewood Center Theatre, designed by George T. Nowak and Mel C. Glatz, opened on January 17, 1968 with Sidney Poitier in “Top Sir, With Love”. The Long Beach Press-Telegram said that the 1,200 seat venue was Pacific Theatres 71st location, most of them drive-ins. Pacific Theatres chose Merrill DeVine to be its managing director. DeVine previously managed the Picwood, Hollywood Pantages and the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles.
The opening attraction was Sydney Poitier in “To Sir With Love”. On hand at the opening festivities, which the paper said 10,000 attended, were actors Jim Brown, Troy Donahue and Rudy Vallee. The architecture was very 1960’s modern with a large curved glass front, a gigantic lobby and a 60-foot concession stand. Pacific Theatres said that the four Austrian-made chandeliers in the lobby were valued at $6,000 each.
May 22, 1974 saw the opening of two more screens and then on October 24 it became the Lakewood 4. In June of 1981, the Lakewood Center South 1,2,3 opened in a new building at another location in the mall’s parking lot.
On March 19, 1999 after months of construction, during which it was closed and gutted and 56,000 square feet was added to the building, the brand new Lakewood Center Stadium 16 opened. It was designed by architect Dan Tanizaki with GFBA Architects.
The Press-Telegram said that the $12 million renovation brought its total number of seats to 4,800. And by the way, the original Austrian chandeliers are still hanging in the lobby.
It was closed on March 17, 2020 sue to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was announced on April 13, 2021 that the closure would be permanent in all Pacific/ArcLight theatres.
Contributed by
Ron Pierce
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Recent comments (view all 23 comments)
The original theater #1 had to be the best movie theater in the Lakewood/Long Beach area.
“The Rocketeer” was presented at Pacific’s Lakewood Center in 35mm Dolby Stereo beginning on Friday June 21, 1991.
1968, 1974 and 1999 grand opening ad as well as a fake DJI Phantom aerial (Google Earth used) in the photo section.
Grew up going to this theater..moved away from Long beach and came back and saw a movie there in late 1990’s early 2000 and was sad to see the main huge theater changed.It was so deep and large originally you could throw a football around in it..saw many of great films there..Star Trek Wrath of Khan,Back To Future 2 and 3,Star Trek 5,Indiana Jones Last Crusade,Creepshow 2,Batman,Honey I shrunk the Kids,Who Framed Roger Rabbit and many others.
Lakewood Center was among just eleven theaters in the United States that installed the then-new Dolby Digital sound system for their engagement of “Batman Returns” which opened twenty-five years ago today. And here’s the link to a retrospective article that commemorates the occasion.
Had the world’s largest refreshment center per this grand opening ad below:
1st movie I watched at Lakewood 4 “Oliver & Company” Last movie I watched at Lakewood 4 “Lethal Weapon 4” 1st movie I watched at Lakewood 16 “Ravenous” Last movie I watched at Lakewood 16 “Bad Boys For Life”
An exact copy of this theatre opened in Tacoma, Washington on May 16th, 1968.
The original 1200-seat screen remains one of the best movie screens in Southern California. And 4 of the “newly” added stadium-style screens are very nice as well. It’s the smaller screens they added that are completely abysmal. Who at the dawn of the 21st century builds a movie screen with an aisle down the center of the theatre?!?! Ridiculous. That said, if you can ever see a film on the original huge screen, it’s soooo worth it. Hopefully someone will rescue this location from its permanent closure.
A chronology of the Gateway Cities’ 70mm presentation history has recently been published. Lakewood Center is mentioned numerous times.