Los Angeles Theatres: Tower Theatre

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

Opened: December 28, 1929 with John Barrymore in "General Crack." Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theatres for researching the opening date. The Tower was operated by Fox West Coast and was also known as the Fox Tower. The location was on the south side of the street between Raymond Ave. and the Arroyo Parkway, just east of the tracks. The theatre was a project of the property owners F.E. and G.P. Nelson.

The image is a detail from a larger photo by Harold A. Parker in the Huntington Library collection that appears on the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration website. The full image appears lower on the page. Thanks to David Sorenson for locating this for a post on the You know You Are From Old School Pasadena when... Facebook group. And thanks to Claudia Mullins for spotting the post. The Tower was running "Paris," a November 1929 release starring Irène Bordoni and Jack Buchanan based on a stage musical by Cole Porter. It played the Tower from January 11 through 17, 1930. See two ads lower on the page.

Architect: B.G. Horton. Joe Vogel notes:

"A 1917 issue of Western Architect and Engineer said that he had been granted a certificate to practice architecture in California. His office was located at 750 E. Colorado Street in Pasadena."

Seating: 754 was a later number appearing in a Film Daily yearbook. An opening day story in the Pasadena Star-News gave the capacity as 800.

The project was announced in this August 11, 1929 story in the LA. Times. It was located by Ken McIntyre for a post about the theatre on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.

In "Board Approves Zoning Permits," a December 10 article located by Ken, it was noted that they had approved a permit for "the Neale Rainbow Light corporation, to erect a Neon sign for the Tower theater at 114 East Colorado street."

A December 28, 1929 page of stories and congratulatory ads in the Pasadena Star-News. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it.

One of the articles in the December 28 Star-News. Thanks, Ken!

"A Rainbow of Melodies." It's a January 10, 1930 ad from the Pasadena Star-News. Thanks to Michael Dobkins for locating this ad as well as the one below. "Paris" is the film on the marquee in the photo at the top of the page.

A January 16, 1930 Star-News ad. "Paris" was playing its last two days -- "A Vitaphone Musical Comedy -- You'll Enjoy Every Word." Thanks, Michael!

An October 1930 ad Ken located for "All Quiet on the Western Front."

A 1931 ad. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it.

A 1945 lobby display at the Tower for the Roy Rogers film "Bells of Rosarita." Thanks to Joe Vogel for finding the photo. It's from the collection of the Pasadena Museum of History and appears on Flickr as a post from the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration. In a post on Cinema Treasures, Joe speculates that the Tower must have been the city's home of Westerns.

"Primitive Pagan Passions" were on display in May 1950. It's an ad located by Ken McIntyre.

A February 1951 challenge from Mr. Cornell to brave young ladies. Thanks to Ken for finding the ad.

A March 8, 1951 ad for the Fox houses in Pasadena. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing it.

Closing: The last day of operation was March 10, 1951 with the theatre running "Adam’s Rib" and "Black Angel."

Pasadena show listings for March 10, 1951. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this for his post about the theatre on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.

Beginning on October 4, 1952 it had a short run as a church, according to Cinema Treasures contributor Dallas Movie Theatres. Pasadena historian Matt Hormann reports that the theatre was still listed in the 1953 Polk city directory but the 1954 edition lists the address as "vacant."

Status: It's been demolished. There's a parking lot on the site.

More exterior views:

1930 - A fine view east toward Raymond Ave. The theatre is down there on the right. Thanks to David Sorenson for locating the Harold A. Parker / Huntington Library image on the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration website. He shared it as a post on the You know You Are From Old School Pasadena when... Facebook page. And thanks to Claudia Mullins for spotting the post. The image at the top of the page is a detail from this photo. The Tower was playing "Paris," a film that ran from January 11 through 17. See two ads for it higher on the page.

1930s - A fine view west on Colorado with the Tower over on the left. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Elmorovivo for finding the photo for the site's page about the theatre.

1937 - In this Herman Schultheis photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection the theatre was running "Slave Ship," a June release with Wallace Beery, along with "Married Before Breakfast." We're looking toward the south side of the street. By the time of this photo the vertical sign had been repainted in a lighter color.

1938 - Looking east on Colorado from Raymond St. in a photo from the Harold A. Parker studio. It's from the Huntington Library collection and appears on the website of the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration. The Tower is over on the right.

1938 - A detail from the Huntington Library photo. It appears that the main feature was "Four's a Crowd" with Errol Flynn.

c.1950 - A great shot looking east that was taken by Stan Kistler. Thanks to Paul Ayers for sharing this one from his collection on a Facebook post where he commented: "PE Interurban 1125 is inbound to LA by way of the Oak Knoll line but is held up by the Chief passing in front." The Tower's vertical and marquee can be seen on the far right. Jack Feldman included this one on an Early Views of Pasadena Water & Power Associates Museum page as well as on the Golden Age of Travel Facebook page.

c.1950 - A detail from the Stan Kistler photo. They were running the 1942 release "The Daring Young Man" with Joe E. Brown.

c.1954 - A look at the Tower's marquee after the theatre had closed. The Nash store was across the street. The photo is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

c.1955 - A lovely shot of the El Capitan approaching the side of the theatre building. It's taken from three minutes of Pasadena footage posted by Railfan Depot on Facebook Watch. Thanks to Claudia Mullins for spotting it as a post on the Old School Pasadena Facebook group. The footage is from the Pentrex show "Historic Hot Spots Combo: Railfanning California in the 1950s and Santa Fe’s Pasadena Subdivision."

A detail of the signage. Thanks, Claudia!

1958 - The theatre is gone. All we can see with the train in the way is a new sign for Nash's parking lot. Thanks to Allen Greer for posting the photo on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. He comments: "The train is just pulling away from the Pasadena depot which was the favorite place for Hollywood types to board and detrain in order to avoid the crush at Union Station." The photo is by Gordon Glattenberg and appears in Elrond Lawrence's book "Route 66 Railway."