Los Angeles Theatres: Colonial / Ritz Theatre

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

Opened: It opened as the New Colonial Theatre on December 4, 1916 with "The Three Godfathers" starring Charles Carey. He made a personal appearance opening night. Also on the program was Harry Hahn, a "world noted baritone." 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. The Rialto, which opened in 1925, is about two blocks farther south on the other side 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

An ad for the theatre's opening week in December 1916. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for locating it for a post on Cinema Treasures.

A c.1928 ticket for shows by the group Murphy's Comedians. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a thread about Murphy on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

Horace Murphy's companies toured widely, with shows happening simultaneously in many venues. See the pages about the Twin City Theatre in Burbank and the Tent Theatre in Hawthorne. The page about the Embassy Theatre in Gardena includes a newspaper story about a 1931 booking in that town, at what was then called the Alamo Theatre.

Murphy's career was discussed in "Murphy Comedians Open Showhouse...." an April 10, 1931 article from a Glendale paper was located by Jerry Miles. The full article is at the bottom of the page. It's about a tent theatre that Murphy was erecting at Mission and Arroyo Blvd. They note that his earlier South Pasadena engagements had totaled 40 weeks over two seasons at the Colonial. Some of their comments about Murphy:

"...There is perhaps no better showman in the west than Horace Murphy. For the past twenty years he has been engaged in theatrical work in Southern California, Arizona and New Mexico, at one time having more than twelve companies. He has had theaters in Glendale, Burbank, Ontario, San Bernardino, Santa Ana, Orange, Hawthorne, Oxnard and Los Angeles in this vicinity and in Phoenix, Tucson, Douglass [sic], Prescott Arizona. At the present time he is showing in Glendale, Los Angeles and Oxnard, California... Mr. Murphy makes a specialty of showing high class legitimate shows at popular prices..."

The Colonial was operated in the early 30s by Circle Theatres. At some point it came under Fox West Coast management. In 1936 they gave it a remodel and reopened it as the Ritz Theatre.

An ad for the March 14, 1936 reopening as the Ritz. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for locating it for a post on Cinema Treasures.

Another March 1936 pre-opening ad. In 1936 Jimmy Edwards, Sr. bought the property but the theatre continued to be operated by Fox West Coast.

A bit of rental income in December 1954. The singing saxophone sounds like fun.

Edwards takes over the operation and installs a "new large cinemoscope cinemograph screen." It's a December 1955 article. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this article and several of the ads for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.

A December 1955 ad. "Chief Crazy Horse" was an April release. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for locating the ad for a post on Cinema Treasures. They commented:

"The 'new' Ritz launches January 1, 1956 for Edwards Theatres where the conversion to widescreen and the costs of refresh were not recouped with the Ritz crumbling just 14 months later."

A 1956 ad located by Ken McIntyre.

Edwards closed the house February 19, 1957 after the run of the double bill "Westward Ho the Wagons" and the documentary "The Silent World." The theatre reopened on March 24 for an 8 day run of the classic hygiene film "Mom and Dad." Thanks to Ron Strong for researching the dates.

Items about the "new Hollywood release," a "hygiene super-shocker," that appeared in the South Pasadena Review on March 26, 1957.

"Worth Driving Miles to See!" An ad for "Mom and Dad" at the Ritz. Thanks to Ron Strong for locating the newspaper items about this booking. This ad also appears on Cinema Treasures as a post by Dallas Movie Theaters. They comment, presumably with a quote from a trade magazine:

"Few dying movie theaters of the 1950s could boast about four sold out days of shows upon permanent closure, but when Edwards Theatres closed the South Pasadena Ritz Theatre at end of lease, that's what transpired. Exploitation booking of 'Mom and Dad' on March 28-31, 1957 with Elliot Forbes on the stage packed the place and caused Edwards to move additional screenings elsewhere."

Closing: March 31, 1957 following the "Special Road Show Engagement" of "Mom and Dad." Ron Strong notes:

"By mid April of 1958, the theatre was being used for special evangelical revivals and seminars.
In 1962 landowner William M. Simpson was petitioning the city to demolish the building and use the land as a parking lot. A fire in the vacant building in 1962 had caused some interior damage. That eventual development did not finalize until the mid 70s. Mr. Simpson attempted to lease out the building (which had been gutted and repaired) for use as office space. It was eventually used as a carpentry shop in 1967."

An ad located by Ron for a 1958 religious event at the theatre.

Status: The building was demolished in June 1974. The site is now a parking lot. Thanks to Ron for his investigations. Don't miss the extensive research and delightful tales about his visits to various area theatres on the Bijou Memories site he curates.

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.

The April 10, 1931 article from a Glendale paper was located by Jerry Miles:

Thanks to Thanks to Jerry Miles for locating this article. He shared it on a thread about Murphy's Comedians on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

Los Angeles Theatres

Colonial / Ritz Theatre

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