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Rialto Theatre: stage + basement

1023 Fair Oaks Ave. South Pasadena, CA 91030 | map |

The Rialto pages: history + exterior views | lobby areas | auditorium | stage + basement |


An elegant look to the rear of the house from onstage. Thanks to Escott O. Norton for his photo with a June 2016 post on the Friends of the Rialto Facebook page. Keep in touch: FriendsOfTheRialto.org | on Facebook |



A look across the footlights. Thanks to Mike Hume for this shot and the many others here on this page. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for hundreds of great photos he's taken of theatres in the Los Angeles Area and elsewhere. He's also included lots of tech information and many floorplans. The site, of course, has a page he's done on the Rialto.



Checking out the orchestra pit. Photo: Friends of the Rialto Facebook page - 2014. Also on the page: a dimmerboard view.


Offstage left: 


The view across in front of the screen. This one wasn't rigged to fly. Later it was pushed back closer to the back wall. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



Up toward the grid offstage left. Note that the beams forming each side of the loftwells are double timbers. Photo: Friends of the Rialto Facebook page - 2014


Offstage right: 


A look into the house from stage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



The proscenium wall stage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



Downstage right. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2014. Thanks, Hunter. Keep up with his most recent explorations: on Facebook | HunterKerhart.com | on Flickr |



Another shot of the 1925 vintage dimmerboard plus a peek into the house. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



The 1925 vintage Armstrong - Power Studio wire-guide counterweight system stage right. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2014



A lockrail detail. The motor was for the top masking. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017



One of the arbors. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017


 

A look down on some of the T-slot counterweights. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019



A look up toward the loading bridge from downstage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



The view upward from upstage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



A grid view from stage right. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2014



Across to stage left behind the screen. Photo: Hunter Kerhart - 2014


On the loading bridge, stage right: 


On the loading looking upstage. Yes, the location is rather low for loading those arbors. To the right is the railing on the onstage side with, as our photographer notes, electrical conduit poorly placed right along the top of the railing. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017.



A look up to the grid from the loading bridge. Yes, it's a wood grid. Both the decking and the beams. Note the diagonal bracing from the side wall going up to support the offstage edge of the grid. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



A closer look up toward the headbeams. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017. Mike calls our attention to the triple-timber array that makes up that thicker beam supporting the offstage end of the grid.



Another headbeam detail, this time looking from downstage. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017
 


The view down onto the stage from the downstage end of the loading bridge. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



Looking across to stage left. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



A look at a drop hanging upstage. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019



The loading bridge view toward the proscenium wall. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



A look down from the upstage end of the loading bridge. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017



One of the striplights. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019


On the grid: 


On the grid looking across from downstage right. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019



Several of the wood headblocks. Photo: Mike Hume - 2019


An organ chamber view: 


In the house left organ chamber. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017


In the basement:


The basement dressing room corridor -- and a trap overhead. Photo: Friends of the Rialto Facebook page - 2014



A storage room under the stage. Photo: Mike Hume - 2017

The electrical service is in the basement house left. Roy H. Wagner, ASC, worked for Parallax Theatre Systems when they took over the theatre. The company later became known as Landmark Theatres. He comments: "I was the chief projectionist for the company. The theater was in a shambles. I recall one horrible day when we had a horrible rain. The theater was flooded up to the power panel. I probably saved the theater from burning to the ground because I phoned the City and a local contractor. We were able to shut down the power to the boxes before the water rose to the hot leads. I suspect that flooded area is one of the reasons that side wall was weakened."

The Rialto Theatre pages: history + exterior views | lobby areas | auditorium | back to top - stage + basement |

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