Los Angeles Theatres

Navigating Your Tour of Historic Los Angeles Theatres

On a Mobile Device: If you're missing the right column navigation bar or links at the top you can go to the bottom of any page and click on "View Web Version." Still can't find what you're looking for? Send me an email at counterb@gmail.com. See you at the movies! -- Bill Counter

Downtown L.A. Historic Theatres

The survey page gives a rundown on the 20 major surviving theatre buildings in the Downtown Theatre District. There are links to pages about each of them for more detail. You might also want to consult alphabetical rundowns on pages for Hill St. and farther west, the Broadway Theatres, Spring St. Theatres and Main St. and farther east. Those pages give you more detail, including discussions about all the theatres that have vanished. In addition, there's a downtown alphabetical theatre list with alternate names and a theatre list by address.

Historic Hollywood Theatres

Hollywood wasn't just about the movies. Starting in the mid 20s it was also a center for legitimate theatre and musical revues at four newly built playhouses. You'll find an alphabetical list of the theatres in the district on the Hollywood Theatres overview page that includes a bit of data on each and links to pages for more details. Down below this list there's also an alternate name directory. Also of possible interest is a separate page with a list of theatres by street address.

Westside Theatres

The Westside started booming with retail and housing in the mid 20s and the theatres followed. Many theatres along Wilshire Blvd., in Beverly Hills, and in other neighborhoods became prime venues for everything from small foreign films to major roadshows. It's a huge territory. The Westside Theatres overview page gives you both a list by neighborhood as well as a survey arranged alphabetically. Also see the list of Westside Theatres: by street address and the Westside Theatres: alphabetical list page which includes alternate names.

Westwood and Brentwood

Westwood Village was the third significant theatre district to evolve in Los Angeles, after Downtown and Hollywood. With the construction of the UCLA campus beginning in the late 20s there was a chance to develop a unique shopping and entertainment district for faculty and students. By the 1970's the area had evolved so that Westwood had the largest concentration of first run screens of any neighborhood in Los Angeles. The Westwood and Brentwood Theatres overview page will give you a tour of the area.

Theatres Along the Coast

Santa Monica had a vibrant theatrical life even in the days when it was a small town isolated from the rest of Los Angeles. And that's just the beginning. The Along the Coast section will give you links to discussion of theatres in Ocean Park, Venice, Hermosa Beach, San Pedro, Long Beach and other communities.

[more] L.A. Movie Palaces

This section fills in all the other areas of Los Angeles County. Hundreds of terrific theatres were being built by the studios and independents all over the L.A. area in the 20s and into the 30s. You'll find coverage of theatres north and east of Downtown as well as in Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, the San Gabriel Valley, Pomona, Whittier, Long Beach and many other far flung locations. Some of those listings have been upgraded and appear on this site, many other links will take you to pages on an older site hosted on Google. The index page has links to all these theatres organized by area.

Searching by theatre name

If you don't find it in the right hand column, head for the Main Alphabetical List, which also includes the various alternate names each venue has used. This list includes those pages recently updated for this site (in bold face) as well as the write ups on an older website. For a narrower focus you'll also find separate lists for Westside and Downtown. As well, there are lists by name on the 10 survey pages for more limited areas like Pasadena, North of Downtown, Long Beach, etc. that are listed on the [more] Los Angeles Movie Palaces page.

Searching by address

If you know an address or street head to either the Main Theatre List by Address, the San Fernando Valley List by Address, the San Gabriel Valley, Pomona and Whittier List by Address or the Long Beach List. If what you're looking for isn't there, you should find a link to take you to a more localized list by address for Downtown, Westside, Hollywood, etc. Also see the survey pages for more limited areas that are listed on the [more] Los Angeles Movie Palaces page.

Happy touring! Please contact me if you spot errors, links that don't work, etc.

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Pasadena Grand Opera House

SW corner S. Raymond Ave. & E. Bellevue Dr. Pasadena, CA 91105 | map |

Opened: February 13, 1889. The project cost $100,000. Bellevue Dr. is to the right. That protrusion above the roof that we see toward the rear of the building is a slot for the asbestos curtain. The c.1889 photo from the Pasadena Museum of History appears on the website of the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration.

Architect: Unknown. One source mentions that the designers of the Grand Opera House on Main St. in downtown Los Angeles were also involved here. They were Ezra F. Kysor and Octavius Morgan.

Seating: Originally 1,500 with 900 on the main floor and 600 in the balcony. Later the capacity was advertised as 1,000. The auditorium was on the ground floor.

Stage: The proscenium was 32' wide x 24' high. Stage depth was 38'. Grid height was 45'.

The Grand Opera House Company was formed in 1887 by E. C. Webster, Senator L. J. Rose, F. M. Ward, and Roscoe Thomas. Already by 1890 the place was in trouble with declining attendance, complaints about lack of heat and concerns about being too far from the center of town. By 1891 the operating company was bankrupt.

The venture was bought by Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt Lowe in 1891. The theatre got remodeled (including a new heating system) and he also had an office set up on the first floor for sale of tickets to his Mt. Lowe Scenic Railway. Lowe was also in the utility business and the Lowe Gas and Electric Light Co. had an appliance showroom in the building. Lowe's son Thad managed the Opera House.

A look at the interior from a May 1893 flyer for the Opera House. The item was once offered for sale on Amazon by K. Vanderschult.

The listing for the Opera House appearing in the 1900-1901 edition of "Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide." It's on Google Books. H.C. Wyatt, here listed as manager, had quite a history managing many Los Angeles theatres including the Grand Opera House and the Mason Theatre.

In the 1906-1907 edition of "Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide" it's listed as the Lowe Opera House. The publication is on Google Books.

The city's population continued to grow. This listing appeared in the 1907-1908 edition of "Henry's Official Western Theatrical Guide." It's on Google Books. In the 1910 Pasadena section of the Los Angeles phone book the theatre is listed as "Opera House, Bellevue & Raymond."

Lowe had many financial reverses and eventually lost the building to foreclosure. It then had a number of different owners and was at one point called the Auditorium, featuring hotel accommodations and a restaurant.

Closing: The date of its last use as a theatre is unknown.

Status: It was demolished in 1923 according to the Pasadena Museum of History. The Royal Laundry building is now on the site.

A c.1889 look west toward Raymond Ave. A sign above the parapet on the right side of the building says "Furniture," advertising the first tenant in the building's storefronts. The photo is from the California State Library collection.

A c.1890 photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. A version of the photo from the Pasadena Public Library appears on the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration website where it's credited to Albert Hiller.

A c.1891 look at the facade from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Note that the Mt. Lowe Railway has moved into the storefront on the right.

A view appearing with the Spring 1997 issue of the Echo Mountain Echoes newsletter. For the text they direct you to Jake Brouwer's fine article "The Grand Opera House."

An 1893 map of Pasadena from the California State Library collection. It was drawn by Bruce Wellington Pierce and published by the firm of Wood and Church. The Opera House is in the upper right corner. The Library has a large image of the map in TIF format in case you want to explore details.

This drawing of the Opera House from the 1893 map gives us a nice look at at the roof and side wall of the building.

A 1902 view of the stage end of the building from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Their caption reads: "Bellevue Drive looking west [sic] at Raymond Avenue. The bridge in the foreground is a section of the Dobbins Cycleway, a visionary project to link Los Angeles with Pasadena, built by Horace M. Dobbins. The building at right is the rear of the Pasadena Grand Opera House." We're actually looking east on Bellevue. The building's facade was facing Raymond Ave. and we see the train crossing beyond that is east of Raymond Ave. The photo also appears on the website of the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration.

The first (and only) segment of the California Cycleway opened in 1900. See another view from the Los Angeles Public Library collection. In Pasadena the Cycleway's path was from the Green Hotel south to Glenarm between Raymond and Fair Oaks Avenue. It was to then go down the arroyo, past Highland Park and on into downtown Los Angeles. It only got built as far as South Pasadena. See Mdiederi's Noirish Los Angeles post #2706 about the Cycleway. Also see Wikipedia's article on the California Cycleway.

More information: See "The Grand Opera House"by Jake Brouwer for a fine history that includes a discussion of performances at the venue and several drawings.

For more on Mr. Lowe head to the Google books previews of two Arcadia Publishing titles: "Mount Lowe" and "Mt. Lowe Railway." See the Mt. Lowe Preservation Society site and the Mt. Lowe History page for more about Mr. Lowe.

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Pasadena Repertory Theatre

107 S. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena, CA 91105 | map |

This building dates from the 1880s and has had a number of uses including as a saddle shop and hotel. It's on the west side of the street between Green St. and Dayton St. Part of it was used in the 1970s as a theatre space by Pasadena Repertory Theatre.

Status: It's now several retailers on the ground floor.

That's the building on the left in this view north on Fair Oaks. Photo: Google Maps - 2019

South Pasadena Opera House

915 Center St. South Pasadena, CA | map |

Opened: 1888. It was a project of Donald M. Graham and Richard J. Mohr and also known as the Graham and Mohr Opera House. The theatre space was on the 2nd floor of the building with retail below. The building, also known as the Graham and Mohr Block, was on the south side of the street between Glendon Way and Meridian Ave. Center St. was renamed El Centro in 1908.

That's the South Pasadena Post Office on the right in this postcard view from the South Pasadena Public Library. It's on the Online Archive of California website courtesy of Norma LeValley and Gilbert Hershberger AIA. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for finding the photo to include in his Noirish post # 44135.

The city council had a room there in the late 1880s. In 1889 the South Pasadena Citizen began printing in the building. Also in 1889 the South Pasadena Public Library opened in one of the storefronts. In 1905 the the building became home to the South Pasadena Masonic Lodge #290.

Status: It was demolished in 1939.

A 1900 view from the South Pasadena Public Library on Flickr. Note the Library in the center storefront.

This c.1906 photo is on Flickr from the South Pasadena Public Library.

Photoplay

28 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91105 | map |

Opened: 1914 as Warner's Photoplay. It was on the south side of the street, a half block east of Fair Oaks Ave. In this fall 1914 photo they're running "Trixie Joins the Auto Club" starring vaudeville star (and budding screen actress) Trixie Friganza. The Auto Club of Southern California was involved in promoting the engagement. The photo from the Pasadena Museum of History appears on the website of the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration. It also makes an appearance on page 27 of "Pasadena, A Business History" by Patrick Conyers, Cedar Phillips and the Pasadena Museum of History (Arcadia Publishing, 2007). The page with the photo is included in the book's preview on Google Books.

The Pasadena Museum of History puts the opening date as August 3. Cinema Treasures researcher Joe Vogel lists August 13 as the opening, citing a Pasadena Star-News account the following day reporting that the theatre was packed for its debut. It's listed in the 1915-1916 city directory. The theatre was a project of Henry L. Warner, no relation to the more famous Warner Bros. In 1924 Warner opened Warner's Egyptian, a theatre later known as the Uptown.

Later this venue was known as the Pasadena Photoplay. Ken McIntyre found a January 12, 1927 L.A. Times article noting an explosion and fire at the theatre with the explosion blowing the theater’s metal front doors off of their hinges.

Architect: Unknown. It was a remodel of an existing building.

Seating: Unknown

Closing: It was still running in 1927 but had closed by 1930.

Status: The building it was in has been demolished. The current building on the site dates from 1930.

More information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the Pasadena Photoplay for research by Joe Vogel.

Henry Warner almost got a second downtown Pasadena theatre, a 1921 project that was to be called the Mission Theatre. You can read all about it in the 2013 Hometown Pasadena article by Sheryl Peters: "Mrs. Feynes and the Movies: The Mission Theater."

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Ritz Theatre

804 Fair Oaks Ave. South Pasadena, CA 91030 | map |

Opened: It opened as the Colonial Theatre, probably in 1917. The building was on the east side of Fair Oaks, half a block north of Mission St. Thanks to Tahoe 61 for finding this 1930s photo for a post on Cinema Treasures. He calls our attention to the tracks and telephone poles in the middle of the street.

Architect: Edward J. Borgmeyer. Thanks to Joe Vogel for locating two items:

"...Southwest Contractor & Manufacturer issue of September 2nd, 1916, contains an announcement that architect Edward J. Borgmeyer had completed plans for a moving picture theatre at South Pasadena for a Mr. Edward N. Jarecki. The estimated cost is given as $25,000. The same publication, in its issue of September 23rd, the same year, announced that a brick structure, one story, 3 rooms, would be built at a cost of $8500 at 804-806 Fair Oaks Avenue, South Pasadena, for Ella M. Jerecki. Despite the variant spellings Jarecki/Jerecki, they must have been the same family, but were both of these buildings built? Was the second, smaller building built next door to the theatre, at 806?"

Seating: 700

The theatre was operated in the early 30s by Circle Theatres. By 1936 it had been renamed the Ritz Theatre. At some point Fox West Coast took over the operation. The Rialto (opened in 1925) is about two blocks farther south on the other side of the street.

Closing: The date is unknown.

Status: The building was demolished in mid-1961. The site is now a parking lot.

We're looking north on Fair Oaks toward Hope St. in 2001. The gap between the two buildings is the site of the Ritz. The building on the left was formerly a Masonic Temple, constructed c.1912. The Masons built a new one a bit farther south on the same side of the street in the 1920s. Thanks to Tahoe 61 for his photo appearing on Flickr.

More Information: Cinema Treasures has page on the Ritz with some nice research by Joe Vogel and Bill Gabel.

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Sierra Theatre

5058 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock (Los Angeles), CA 90041 | map |

Opened: 1922 as the United Theatre, part of a small circuit with other houses around the L.A. area using the same name. The 1955 photo looking north toward Colorado Blvd. was taken by Alan Weeks. Thanks to Sean Ault for locating it.

Architect: Unknown.

Seating: 503. Thanks to Ken Roe for the data. The number comes from the 1950 and 1953 Film Daily Yearbooks.

Joe Vogel found a 1922 announcement for construction of a brick theatre building at 112-114 S. Central St. in Eagle Rock. The town was incorporated into L.A. in 1923 with Central St. becoming Eagle Rock Blvd.

In 1926 the theatre was purchased by John Sugar of Vox Theatres who also had the York Theatre in Highland Park. In the 1927 city directory it's still the United. Mr. Sugar eventually ended up with the other Eagle Theatre down the street (formerly the Yosemite) as well. Joe Vogel notes that a December 28, 1928 L.A. Times article on the sale of Mr. Sugar's three theatres called it the Eagle Rock Theatre.

In 1929 it was in the city directory as the Eagle Theatre at 5060 Eagle Rock Blvd. It's unknown when it got renamed the Sierra Theatre.

Closing: The date is unknown. Presumably in the late 1950s.

Status: It's gone. The building now on the site dates from 1962.

1948 - The Sierra running "The Emperor Waltz" with Bing Crosby and Joan Fontaine along with "Angels' Alley" with Leo Gorcey and the Bowery Boys. The photo appears on page 113 of Eric H. Warren's book "Eagle Rock 1911-2011" (Arcadia Publishing, 2011). He notes that it's a Masonic Hall to the right of the theatre.

A c.1927 photo looking north toward the theatre when it was called the Eagle appears on page 114 of the book. Eric notes that the vertical sign had an eagle on top. There's a preview of the book on Google Books but the pages with the photos of the theatre aren't part of it.

1955 - A detail from the Alan Weeks photo at the top of the page. It's a triple bill of "The Black Cat," "Revenge of the Creature" and "Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki."

1955 - Another Alan Weeks photo. It's in the collection of the Metro Archive and Library on Flickr.

State Theatre

770 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101 | map |

Opened: May 1918 as the Florence Theatre, an independent operation of D.H. Schumann. In this photo of the newly opened theatre from the California State Library collection they're running "The Sign Invisible" with Mitchel Lewis, a March 1918 release. Evidently they ran out of Ls for Mitchell's name.

Architect: Oliver Perry Dennis. A year before the Florence he had designed the Rialto Theatre in downtown L.A. Thanks to Joe Vogel for finding a mention about Dennis designing the Florence in the November 1917 issue of Architect and Engineer.

A 1917 sketch by the theatre's architect. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theaters for adding it to that site's page about the theatre.

Seating: 797 at one point

Pipe organ: An item in the February 9, 1918 issue of Moving Picture World: "The new Florence theater, soon to be opened in Pasadena under the management of D. B. Schumann, is installing a two-manual and piano-manual pipe organ built by the Seeburg-Smith factories at Chicago. This firm is practically a newcomer on the coast and especially in the South, although it is very well known in the East and throughout the Middle West. C. R. Dibble Company of Los Angeles made the sale, and is superintending the construction." Thanks to Joe Vogel for the research.

In the 20s the theatre was acquired by Turner, Dahnken & Langley. That company was later to become a big part of the West Coast Theatres chain. This undated ad is for the West Coast-Langley theatres in Pasadena: the Raymond, Strand, Florence and Pasadena (the former Clune's). The Los Angeles Public Library has it as a pdf in their California Index. The firm was later just known as West Coast Theatres and, after William Fox bought a controlling interest in 1929, Fox West Coast.

The theatre was still running as the Florence as late as 1935. It evidently became the State Theatre after a remodel following a fire. Mike Rivest notes that listings in the L.A. Times as the State began in 1935. It was frequently advertised as the Fox State. The theatre was later operated by National General Corp. after they acquired the Fox circuit.

It later became part of the Pussycat chain but recovered from that fate. After a spell as a Chinese language cinema, in 1989 it became a revival house operated by Louis Federici and Bob Stein. The State was known for attracting cinephiles with rare and quirky double bills. Federici was interviewed for a February 2, 1990 L.A. Times article located by Ken McIntyre:

"Louie Federici was a schoolboy when the State Theater was born in Pasadena in 1918. And like Federici, who is now nearing 80, the Colorado Boulevard theater has been a witness to changing times. In the early days, it was a proud Fox West Coast moving-picture theater. Then it burned down, was rebuilt, changed hands. When it finally closed its doors a couple of years ago, it had a garish sign headlining X-rated films. But last spring, Federici cranked up the dormant projector and restored the neon marquee, and the 700-seat auditorium once again flickered with movies such as 'Robin Hood,' 'Top Hat' and 'Suspicion.' It is the only theater in the San Gabriel Valley that exclusively shows old movies. 'You have to be a lover of the old classics to be in this business,' said Federici, who has spent his life working in theaters like the State-taking tickets, popping popcorn, and watching glamorous stars cavort on screen. Federici, of Hollywood, and his partner, Bob Stein, 55, of Studio City, hope they can revive the revival house. But they know they’re bucking a trend.

"If enough customers do not pack the theater to ensure its salvation, it is unlikely that the State would be preserved as a historic landmark like its South Pasadena neighbor, the Rialto Theater, which shows first-run art films and cult offerings such as 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' There is nothing ornate or unique about the State’s architecture. Its walls are bare, its lighting subdued. When the two men took over, they did little more than tear down the red-flocked wallpaper left over from when the place was called the Pussycat Theater. Inside the auditorium, the ceiling vents are scarred with soot, and the only ornaments are lighted wall sconces reminiscent of the moderne look popular when the State was rebuilt after the fire in the 1930s. A narrow staircase winds up to a cluttered projection booth overflowing with heavy film canisters. A part-time employee sometimes spends the night on a mattress in a cubbyhole off the booth."

After Federici, the theatre had a period of being vacant, as running as an art house and, at the end, back to being a revival operation.

Closing: It closed for good in 2000. The city wanted a seismic retrofit and evidently the owner wanted a bit more return on his investment than he was getting from the theatre operation. Jim Darrell advises that the last film to play was "The Insider" with Russell Crowe and Al Pacino.

Status: It's now a retail and office complex with the theatre space gutted and the building envelope pushed up for a new second floor over the storefront spaces on either side of the entrance. Much of the facade on the rebuilt building is a restored/reconstructed version of the original.

Interior views:

Part of the lobby in 1918. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for posting the trade magazine photo on Cinema Treasures. The photo's caption mentioned owner D.H. Schumann's new $45,000 theatre having an Italian water fountain.

The auditorium in 1918. It's a photo in the California State Library collection.

A 1918 view of one of the auditorium's wall medallions. The were of famous Florentines including DeMedici, Machiavelli, Giotto, Galileo, and Michelangelo. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for finding the trade magazine photo for a post on Cinema Treasures.

More exterior views:

1918 - Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for finding this trade magazine photo for a post on Cinema Treasures. On the marquee: Mitchell Lewis in "The Sign Invisible."

1918 - A ticket lobby view from the California State Library collection. Posters in the cases are for "The Birth of Democracy," a March 1918 short, and something about government called "The Eye" featuring William J. Flynn.

1925 - A fine view added to Cinema Treasures by that site's contributor Dsedman. His caption: "In 1925, the Florence Theatre in Pasadena brings in two race cars to promote 'California Straight Ahead.' Manager Tom F. McDonald (behind the seven car) puts a giant arrow as a marquee topper with motor spinning throughout the day and night. The well-placed and popular Florence Sweet Shop is also visible at right."

1925 - A trade magazine shot of the entrance added to Cinema Treasures by contributor Dallas Movie Theaters. The caption: "Great eye-catching front at the Florence Theatre by manager T.F. McCoy as he plays 1925’s 'I’ll Show You the Town.'"

1926 - A look at the Florence running "The Still Alarm" with Helene Chadwick. Note the display of the horse-drawn fire engine above the marquee. Thanks to Charmaine Zoe for finding the trade magazine photo for a post on Flickr. It's included with 1,700+ photos in her Theatres: Stage and Movie album of images culled (mostly) from various issues of Motion Picture News. Many volumes of the Motion Picture News are available for browsing on Internet Archive.

1928 - A view by Harold A. Parker that's in the Huntington Library collection. The Florence is running "The Air Circus" with Sue Carol. The banner below the marquee reads "OUR SCREEN TALKS AND SINGS Movietone Talking Newsreel Weekly."

1942 - A view of the renamed theatre appearing on p.107 of "Theatres in Los Angeles" by Suzanne Tarbell Cooper, Amy Ronnebeck Hall and Marc Wanamaker (Arcadia Publishing, 2008). Most of the rare photos in the book are from Mr. Wanamaker's Bison Archives.

1958 - Shoppers thronging the new Robinson's store across from the theatre on its opening day. Note that the original 1918 arch on the State's facade hadn't yet been covered at this time. Thanks to Alex Rojas for finding the photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.

1959 - Looking west with the State on the left running "Gigi" after it got its 9 Academy Awards. Thanks to Dave Swantek for posting this on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page along with 15 other 50s photos of Pasadena and other towns taken by his grandfather Vergil J. Morris. And thanks to Claudia Mullins for spotting this shot of the State in the post. The Robinson's store on the right is now a Target.

1983 - A lovely shot showing off the theatre's neon from the American Classic Images collection.

1984 - The theatre during its adults only phase. Thanks to American Classic Images for the photo from their collection.

1980s - The State during its revival house days. It's a photo by filmmaker and cinematographer Gary Graver. More of his photos of vintage single screen theatres can be seen in two compilations on YouTube: "Second Run - part 1" and "Second Run - part 2." Thanks to Sean Graver for use of the photo.

1989 - A Pasadena Star-News photo appearing with Matt Hormann's Hometown Pasadena article "Ghost Theatres of Colorado Part 2." Thanks, Matt!

1996 - A vacant period. It's a photo by Tahoe 61 on Flickr.

1997 - Thanks to Scott Neff for this photo he took. It's one appearing on the Cinema Tour page about the State. "Different For Girls" was a British/French film about a transsexual woman.

c.1998 - As a revival operation once again. Thanks to Scott Neff for his photo on Cinema Tour.

2000 - "Was Open Daily." Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for posting his photo of the closed theatre on Flickr. It also appears, uncredited, on Cinema Treasures.

2000 - A post-closing view from Marcel on Cinema Treasures.

2000 - Thanks to Corey Miller for this marquee detail taken in June. It appears on Flickr in his terrific Theatre Signs album.

c.2001 - Thanks to Bill Gabel for this marquee shot, a post on Cinema Treasures.

2002 - Thanks to Ken Roe for this great shot taken after the later facade was removed. He says: "The original façade had been uncovered by workmen as seen on the November 2002 visit I organised to Los Angeles by the Cinema Theatre Association(UK)." The photo appears on Cinema Treasures.

2010 - The rebuilt structure with a restored entrance arch and an added second floor. Photo: Bill Counter

2019 - Note the side entrance for the "Florence Building" in what had been the theatre's exit passageway. Photo: Bill Counter

More Information: See the Cinema Treasures page on the State for lots of discussion about its history by Ken McIntyre, Joe Vogel and other contributors. One interesting report from Joe:

"The State Theatre nearly had a much larger theater as a neighbor. In 1927, the October 8 edition of Building and Engineering News reported that architect B. Marcus Priteca was preparing the working plans for a seven-story theater, commercial and office building at the southwest corner of Colorado and Hudson in Pasadena. Had it been built, the new theater, which was to be leased to the Pantages circuit, would have seated about 2,200, making it a little over two thirds the size of the Hollywood Pantages, opened in 1930. The theater portion of the Pasadena Pantages was to have been 110x170 feet, and the frontage building containing the entrance and lobby would have been 116x90 feet.

Another Pasadena theater that was planned but never built was a large house for Warner Bros., also to have been designed by Priteca, and slated for the corner of Colorado and Euclid, which is very near where the Arclight Pasadena is now located. This theater probably would have been very much like the Warner houses Priteca designed for Beverly Hills, Huntington Park, and San Pedro at about the same time." Thanks, Joe!

Cinema Tour has three exterior views from the Scott Neff collection. The State Theatre is discussed in Matt Hormann's Hometown Pasadena article "Ghost Theatres of Colorado Part 2." A number of Pasadena theatre photos (including several of the State) appear in the Flickr pool "Keepers of Pasadena."

| back to top | Pasadena theatres | Downtown | Westside | Hollywood | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | theatres in movies | LA Theatres on facebook | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |