Rialto Theatre (South Pasadena, California) facts for kids
 |
|
| Address | 1019-1023 Fair Oaks Ave. South Pasadena, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°06′50″N 118°09′03″W / 34.1140°N 118.1508°W |
| Owner | Izek Shomof |
| Capacity | 1200 |
| Construction | |
| Architect | Lewis Arthur Smith |
| General contractor | William G. Reed |
|
Rialto Theatre
|
|
| Built | 1925 |
| Architectural style | Moorish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000700 |
| Added to NRHP | May 24, 1978 |
The Rialto Theatre is a cool, historic movie theater in South Pasadena, California. It has 1,200 seats, which is a lot of space for watching movies! This theater is special because it's one of the last single-screen theaters left in Southern California. It's so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of the Rialto Theatre
The Rialto Theatre was designed in 1925 by an architect named Lewis Arthur Smith. He also designed another famous theater, the Vista Theater. The Rialto's building style is a fun mix of Spanish and Egyptian designs.
Early Days and Features
The theater had a special area called an orchestra pit. This is where musicians would play live music. In the early days, they played music for silent films. Sometimes, before the movies, there were live shows called vaudeville acts. These shows included singing, dancing, and comedy.
The inside of the Rialto Theatre is also very interesting. It has beautiful original murals painted on the walls. There is even a drinking fountain made of special Batchelder tile.
Changes and Challenges
For many years, the Rialto was run by a company called Landmark Theatres. However, it closed its doors in 2007. The very last movie shown there was The Simpsons Movie. About 200 people came to watch that final screening.
In 2010, the building was closed to everyone. This happened after a piece of the front of the building fell onto the sidewalk. The Rialto Theatre has also survived two fires over the years. Once, in 1977, there was even a plan to tear it down and turn it into a parking lot, but luckily, that didn't happen!
New Life for the Rialto
In December 2014, a person named Izek Shomof bought the Rialto. He is known for fixing up old buildings in downtown Los Angeles. Mr. Shomof said he wanted to turn the Rialto into a fun entertainment spot. He thought it could have a bar and maybe even show old movies again.
Since 2017, the theater has been used by Mosaic. This is a church that has several locations in Los Angeles. The Rialto Theatre is now one of their main meeting places.
