Warner's Egyptian / Uptown Theatre

2316 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91107 | map |

 

Opened: May 6, 1925 as Warner's Egyptian Theatre by Henry L. Warner, who was no relation to the more famous Warner Bros. The opening attraction was Al Christie's "Stop Flirting." The area at the time of the opening was known as Lamanda Park. 

 

In this 1929 Maynard A. Parker photo from the Huntington Library collection the cars are part of a promotion with the local Essex dealer. "Song of Love" was a November part-talkie release from Columbia with Belle Baker and Ralph Graves. The theatre is calling Belle "the female Al Jolson."

 

Warner also operated Warner's Photoplay in downtown Pasadena and had previously operated theatres in Indiana and other states. The Egyptian presented both films and vaudeville although its stage facilities were seriously limited. It was constructed as an addition behind a previously existing commercial building with one storefront of that becoming its outer lobby. Sheryl Peters of the Pasadena Museum of History notes that the property and existing building were owned by John and Emma Hickmore.

 

Seating: 900, all on one level except for a cry room and a small box upstairs. Upstairs there also was a nursery, lounges, and restrooms. Currently there are no seats in the building.

Stage: 10 feet deep with no real fly capability other than the asbestos. Armstrong-Power Co. did the stage equipment and supplied what rigging there was.

Architect: The architect was Pasadena resident Kenneth A. Gordon, who also designed Bard's Glen Theatre in Glendale with an Egyptian interior. He also designed the Eagle Theatre in Eagle Rock. Gordon was a principal of the firm J.H. Woodworth and Son. Joe Vogel comments that he found an item in the October 10, 1924 issue of Southwest Builder and Contractor noting that construction had begun.

A plan of the building drawn by Thomas Pendlebury Architecture for the property's broker, Sauvé and Associates, formerly Sauvé Riegel Commercial Real Estate.  

 

The theatre got nearly a full page of coverage on page 15 in the May 5, 1925 issue of the Pasadena Evening Post:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing this Pasadena Evening Post coverage in a post for the America in the 1920s Facebook group.  

 

Bob Bennett, of the Pasadena Museum of History, notes that in addition to the Post's May 5 coverage, the Pasadena Star-News featured a story and photos the same day on page 17. Based on contemporary newspaper accounts, Sheryl Peters, also connected with the Museum, offers this description of the interior:

"The plaster ceiling in the auditorium was gilded and painted to resemble the open sky with a large rayed sun above the proscenium arch. The organ was located above the stage, and the sound wafted to the auditorium below via a specially built grill in the ceiling. 

 

"Seating was all on one level. In place of a balcony, there was a nursery on the east side with a plate glass window overlooking the screen so parents with small children could enjoy the show without disturbing the rest of the audience. 

 

"A lounge area opened off of the auditorium on the west side. The doorways to these two areas were ornamented with friezes of hieroglyphs replete with pharaoh heads, winged scarabs, and double-headed snake gods." 

 

A pre-opening ad for the 19 part show. "Did You Ever See Such a Line-up?" Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for locating this for a post on Cinema Treasures.

The logo used on the theatre's letterhead. Thanks to Sheryl Peters for reproducing it in her 2013 article "Mrs. Fényes and the Movies: Warner's Egyptian Theater." It was part 3 of a four part series about Pasadena film enthusiast and investor Eva Fényes. In Part 4, "The Egyptian Becomes the Uptown," she noted: "The cost of the ambitious project was said to have been $165,000, with the furnishings costing $45,000." 

Also see "Mrs. Fényes and the Movies: Los Angeles," part 1 of the series that detailed her involvement with the Cameo Theatre downtown. Part 2, "Mrs.Fényes and the Movies: Mission Theatre," discusses an aborted project for a large downtown Pasadena theatre for Mr. Warner. These articles originally appeared on the now-vanished site Hometown Pasadena and are now on the Pasadena Museum of History website.

 

A 1925 ad for "A Matrimonial Mix-Up" that was located by Ken McIntyre. Well, actually they were running a 1924 film titled "Another Man's Wife."  

 

"100% Picture - 100% Show." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this 1925 ad for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. "The Girl of Gold" was a February release.

Moving Picture World featured the new theatre in an article titled "Warner's Egyptian Theatre is Architecturally Picturesque" in their issue of July 25, 1925. It's on Internet Archive. They reported:

 

"Temple-like lines, spaciousness, a replica of a golden throne of an Egyptian king, are just a few things that help make Henry Warner's East Pasadena Egyptian Theatre, typical in architecture of the country from which it derived its name..."

 

A nice bit of Egyptiana for the logo in this March 1926 ad. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.

A photo of the theatre and a discussion of Egyptian theatre architecture in general was included in "Period Architecture -- and Now It's Oriental," an article in the May 15, 1926 issue of Exhibitors Herald. Thanks to Mike Hume for finding it on Internet Archive. Visit his Historic Theatre Photography site for lots of tech data and hundreds of photos of the theatres he's explored.

In 1927 Sheryl Peters reports that, for whatever reason, local film enthusiast Eva Fényes loaned $95,000 to the building's owners, the Hickmores. While Eva had no connection with the Egyptian project in 1925, she did have an earlier connection with Warner. She had been in consultation with him for a big theatre in downtown Pasadena. See Ms. Peters' article on the aborted Mission Theatre. By 1934 this loan was in arrears and Leonora Curtin, Mrs. Fényes daughter and heir, foreclosed on the theatre. Warner continued to operate the business until selling his lease at some point to Pacific Coast Theatres and then stayed on as manager. Ms. Peters reports it soon became an unprofitable sub-run house and they closed it in July 1935.

Warner still owned the furnishings and equipment and attempted to both negotiate a new lease as well as talk Leonora Curtin into investing money for improvements to the stage and dressing rooms. Ms. Peters reports that his plan was to make the house into a first run venue again with a combination of films and live entertainment.

Gus Metzger got the new lease instead with Curtin paying for substantial improvements and redecoration. Ms. Peters reports that Metzger bought the new equipment. Metzger, a relative of Louis B. Metzger at Universal, also had interests in the Roxie and Fairfax theatres in L.A. When the venue reopened in the fall of 1936 it was called the Uptown Theatre with the operating company called Lamanda Park Theatres, Inc. It's unknown how long Metzger continued to have an interest in the business. 

 

An ad for the September 15, 1936 reopening as the Uptown. Thanks to Dallas Movie Theaters for locating this for a post on Cinema Treasures.

Closed: 1986. There had been a projected restoration of the building as the Oasis Theatre. In 2003 the lobby was filled with antiques and the business was called Oasis Antiques, Art & Design Center. Some seating was installed and restoration was begun on many areas of the building. The project, directed by James Perry, came to a sad end as a result of disputes between the landlord and the tenant.

Status: Closed awaiting its next act. Much of the auditorium decor survives. The broker is Norm Sauvé of Sauvé and Associates at 626-585-4321. The firm has a listing page on their site as well as a PDF with photos. The listing on Loopnet isn't currently active.


Lobby areas:

 

The original lobby decor. Note the stairs through the first door on the right. It's a photo that appeared with "Warner's Egyptian Theatre is Architecturally Picturesque," an article in the July 25, 1925 issue of Moving Picture World. It's on Internet Archive.

Looking to the street in 2003. Photo: Adam Martin - Cinema Tour 

 The view in from the street in 2010. Photo: Bill Counter

 

A wide angle view from the street. Photo: Sauvé and Associates - c.2016

 

 

Looking out to the street in 2016. Photo: C.L. Langley

 

 

The inner end of the lobby. Once the site of a mural, later pushed into the auditorium a bit to provide a location for the snack bar. That doorway on the right leads to a very skinny inner lobby leading to the house right auditorium entrances. There's a similar one off to the left. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

Looking to the end of the inner lobby house left. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

The inner lobby house right. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

Ornament over the entrance to the right center aisle. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

A closer look at the end of the space house right. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

Up in the booth: 

 

 

A front wall view. Note the dimmer handles above the observation port. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

 

One of the control panels. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

The rewind bench. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

 

The DC motor-generator set. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

The DC switchboard in the booth. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

The auditorium in the 20s:

A look in from the back of the house. Photo: Motion Picture News - July 25, 1925

 

The rear of the auditorium. The glassed-in cry room is on the right. The upstairs opening on the left was part of the men's lounge. Photo: Motion Picture News - July 25, 1925.

 

A glorious 1925 proscenium view from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

A house right view that appeared with "Period Architecture -- and Now It's Oriental," an article in the May 15, 1926 issue of Exhibitors Herald. Thanks to Mike Hume for locating it. The caption with the photo: 

"Egyptian building style continues popular among theatre-owners and architects. Its especial asset is its endurance, the last one considered by too many owners of costly picture palaces. Above photo is from Warner's Egyptian, Pasadena, Cal. Massive construction, expansive surfaces, comfortable solidity are characteristics of Egyptian architecture."

 

 

The auditorium in the 1980s:

A 1980 photo of some side wall ornamentation taken by Judith Gordon for the Pasadena Star-News that's in the Pasadena Museum of History collection. It appeared with Matt Hormann's 2011 Hometown Pasadena article "Ghost Theatres of Colorado Blvd. - Part 1 of 2." Matt noted: 

"Many faux-Egyptian features graced the interior of the theater, including pharaoh heads, winged scarabs, and double-headed snake gods. Most notably, an aluminum replica of King Tut’s throne stood in the foyer. Visitors were told that if they sat in the chair and made a wish, 'the shades of the Egyptian monarch will see that the wish comes to pass.'"

The ceiling's sunburst. The 1980 Judith Gordon/Pasadena Star-News photo appeared with "The Egyptian Becomes the Uptown," the second of two 2013 Hometown Pasadena articles about the theatre by Sheryl Peters of the Pasadena Museum of History. 

A 1980 Pasadena Star-News photo of then-manager Rick Corpron that appeared with Matt Hormann's 2011 Hometown Pasadena article "Ghost Theatres of Colorado Blvd. - Part 1 of 2." 

 

 

A view toward the stage with the asbestos partially flown. Photo: James Perry - Cinema Tour

 

An exit sign detail. Photo: James Perry - Cinema Tour - c.1980

A sidewall grille. Photo: James Perry - Cinema Tour - c.1980

 

 

Several views from 2003: 

 

 

A look in from the house right aisle. Thanks to Ken Roe for this 2003 photo and his other images from the Cinema Tour page about the Uptown that appear here. 

A proscenium detail. Photo: Ken Roe - Cinema Tour - 2003

The asbestos. Photo: Ken Roe - Cinema Tour - 2003

The rear of the auditorium when it was in the middle of a restoration project, later abandoned after issues surfaced with the landlord. Photo: Ken Roe - Cinema Tour - 2003. Thanks, Ken!

 

 

Recent auditorium views: 

A panoramic view from the back. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

A closer look toward the stage. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

The house left front exit. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

The base of the proscenium column house left. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

A look up across the house right organ grille. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

Another view of the top of the proscenium column. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

Ornament above the house right front exit. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

 

A view across the front of the stage. Note the line on the floor where the front of the orchestra pit had once been. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

Check out that sunburst! Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

Another look at the proscenium. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

An asbestos curtain detail. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

More merchant advertising. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

The painting in the center of the curtain. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

The house left wall. Photo: Sauvé and Associates - 2016 

 

 

 

A left wall detail. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

Ornament above one of the side wall grilles. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

 

Typical painted detail along the top of the side walls. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

 

The rear of the auditorium. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

The ceiling grille in the center of the auditorium. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

A ceiling grille detail. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

 

The area near the blocked opening for the cry room house left. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

The ornament at the head of the right center aisle. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

Backstage:

 

Behind the asbestos, looking off left. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

An area stage left needing a bit of repair. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

Another view to stage left. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016

 

 

 

The wood grid. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016    

 

 

A view to the stage right end of the grid. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

A bit of a backdrop upstage. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

The basement dressing room corridor. We're looking toward stage left. The door on the right with the duct going through it is the entrance to the orchestra pit. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

A peek into the house from the orchestra pit. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

The stage left end of the dressing room corridor. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

 

 

One of the dressing rooms. The window used to look out the back wall of the building. Photo: C.L. Langley - 2016 

More exterior views:
 

1925 - A look at the ticket lobby that appeared with "Warner's Egyptian Theatre is Architecturally Picturesque," an article in the July 25, 1925 issue of Moving Picture World. It's on Internet Archive.

1929 - The occasion was another promotion with Walter M. Murphy, the local Essex dealer. In addition to "The Shady Lady," a January part-talkie, the theatre is offering performances by the Hart Players. The Harold A. Parker photo is in the Huntington Library collection.

1929 - Another Essex roadster in front of the Warner. They were running Gregory La Cava's "Saturday's Children." A silent version was out in March, the sound version in April. It's a photo by Harold A. Parker in the Huntington Library collection.

1931 - Running "High Stakes," an August release with Lowell Sherman and Mae Murray. The photo was a find of Bill Gabel for a post on Cinema Treasures.

 c.1931 - They're running "The Cheat," a November 1931 release with Tallulah Bankhead, along with "Are These Our Children" as the bottom half of the bill. Note the augmented marquee. Thanks to Bill Gabel for finding the photo for a post on Cinema Treasures.

c.1931 - A view from the east during the run of "The Cheat." Thanks to James Perry for the photo, which he credits to Tami Strong, whose grandfather was manager in the late 20s and early 30s. On Cinema Treasures he added a link to the photo on a now-vanished website and also commented: "..the large roof sign displayed a colorful 'Chariot of Ramses' scene atop the original electric sign. The tall brick facade behind the theater vertical sign fell years ago in an earthquake and was leveled to the existing roof line."

c.1931 - A wider version of the previous photo. Again thanks to Bill Gabel for adding it to the Cinema Treasures page about the Uptown.

1953 - Thanks to James F. Staub for posting this Rose Parade photo on the SoCal Historic Architecture private Facebook group. It's a photo from the Kneisel Family Archives.

1964 - A view on the page devoted to the Uptown Theatre on the great site From Script To DVD. It's from a Boxoffice Magazine article touting the theatre's renovations that "included a new 42-foot screen, stage curtain and draperies, projection equipment, carpeting, foyer decoration and complete renovation of the lobby." See the site's "70mm in Los Angeles" section for a rundown on 70mm runs and a page devoted to each 70mm equipped theatre.

1974 - A John Staub photo taken when he worked across the street from the theatre. Thanks to his brother James F. Staub for posting it on the SoCal Historic Architecture Facebook group.

1983 - Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images website for this view. 

1983 - Another fine shot from American Classic Images.

2010 - Looking east on Colorado Blvd. Photo: Bill Counter

2010 - A closer view of the theatre entrance, unrecognizable without the marquee. Photo: Bill Counter

2010 - Around back. The protrusion up through the roof is a slot for the theatre's asbestos curtain. Photo: Bill Counter

 

 

 

2016 - The building's back wall. Photo: C.L. Langley 

 

 

2016 - A bit of terracotta ornament on the facade. Photo: C.L. Langley

2018 - Still waiting for a tenant. Photo: Bill Counter. As of 2024 it's still vacant.  

More information: The Cinema Treasures page on the Uptown includes some nice research by Joe Vogel. See the Cinema Tour page on the Uptown for lots of photos by Ken Roe. Silent Era Theaters also has a page on the building.

Another theatre in Pasadena that had an Egyptian theme (originally anyway) was Bard's Colorado, now known as the Academy 6. The Fox Pasadena once called itself the Egyptian, although it's unknown how Egyptian it ever looked inside.

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