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Rialto Theatre (South Pasadena, California)

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For other Rialto Theatres, see Rialto Theatre.
Rialto Theatre
Front view of theatre
Map
Address1019-1023 Fair Oaks Ave. South Pasadena, California
Coordinates34°06′50″N 118°09′03″W / 34.1140°N 118.1508°W / 34.1140; -118.1508
OwnerIzek Shomof
Capacity1200
Construction
ArchitectLewis A. Smith
General contractorWilliam G. Reed
Rialto Theatre
Built1925; 99 years ago (1925)
ArchitectLewis A. Smith
Architectural styleMoorish Revival[2]
NRHP reference No.78000700[1]
Added to NRHPMay 24, 1978

The Rialto Theatre is a 1,200-seat theater in South Pasadena, California. Located on Fair Oaks Avenue, it is considered one of the last single-screen theaters in Southern California and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3]

History

[edit]

The Rialto was built in 1925 by Lewis A. Smith, who was also architect for the Vista Theater on Sunset Boulevard.[4] The Rialto's architectural style was described in The Los Angeles Times as "an odd mashup of Spanish Baroque and Egyptian kitsch."[3] The theater has an orchestra pit and its original design featured balcony seating along both sides of a deep stage.[5] It also featured a theater organ to provide music for silent films, and weekend shows were sometimes preceded by vaudeville acts.[6] The interior has several original murals and a drinking fountain made of Batchelder tile.[3]

The Rialto was operated by Landmark Theatres until it closed in 2007. The Simpsons Movie was the last film shown in the theater, and 200 people attended the final screening. The building was closed to the public in 2010, after part of the facade fell onto the sidewalk.[3] There have been two fires in the building, and it survived an attempt in 1977 to turn it into a parking lot.[5]

Izek Shomof, a developer of older buildings in downtown Los Angeles, purchased the Rialto in December 2014. Shomof indicated he will turn the property into an entertainment venue that will include a bar and possibly a theater to screen old movies.[3]

Since 2017, the theater has served as one of six campuses for Mosaic, a non-denominational multi-site church based in Los Angeles.[7]

[edit]

In 1983's Michael Jackson's Thriller, the scene where Michael and Ola Ray watch a film was shot there.[8] In 2016 the Rialto was featured as a location in key scenes of the hit movie musical La La Land.[9] It was also used as a filming location in The Rocketeer (1991), The Player (1992) and Scream 2 (1997).

References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Robert F. Shryock (November 17, 1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Rialto Theatre". National Park Service. and accompanying 15 photos
  3. ^ a b c d e Shyong, Frank (January 9, 2015). "South Pasadena's historic Rialto Theatre sold to downtown developer". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  4. ^ "Architects: Smith, Lewis" Pacific Coast Architecture Database Retrieved 13 January 2015
  5. ^ a b Shyong, Frank (July 5, 2014). "Will South Pasadena's Rialto theater rise again?". Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  6. ^ Duncan, Glen (2005). "Arroyo Seco Communities". Route 66 in California. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 9780738530376. It featured a theater organ to accompany silent films, and the movies were preceded by vaudeville acts on weekends.
  7. ^ Chiland, Elijah (April 27, 2017). "South Pasadena's Rialto Theatre will reportedly become a church". Curbed LA. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  8. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088263/locations
  9. ^ Rizzo, Cailey (January 6, 2017). "13 Los Angeles Locations Every 'La La Land' Fan Should Visit". Travel + Leisure. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
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