Raymond Theatre

Joe Vogel on March 17, 2008 at 1:55 am

Heh! The asbestos curtain was decorated with a painted curtain!

Ken Roe on March 12, 2008 at 12:21 pm

A night view of Perkins Palace in 1982:
http://flickr.com/photos/rivet/1477198191/

AndrewBarrett on March 11, 2008 at 6:30 am

I know I’m gonna get blackballed for this, especially being friends with “Save the Raymond Theatre” and all, but here goes:

I just took a look at the website… they have apparently turned the thing into condos but kept the exterior look and, they say, the interior walls/ceiling of the main auditorium. I haven’t visited to see it in person, so I’m not sure how much of this is true.

One thing I WILL say… after seeing so many pages of theatres all over the place that have been torn down in the last 10 years for whatever stupid reason, I think this is one of the least stupid things they could have done, though it is still a measley 2nd or 3rd place to turning it back into a performing arts center or theatre or whatever.

See, public or no public, California, especially Southern CA, is a driving culture, whether we like it or not (I don’t, but I have to put up with it every day). People are used to driving long distances to go see things they want to. People routinely drive from LA County to Orange County and back, for example. What I am trying to say is that with other historic, restored live performance venues in the area like the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the average theatre-going and/or old or art-house-movie-going public doesn’t see the need for what they perceive as merely “another one” to fill what is admittedly somewhat of a niche market (not so much the live performances, but the movies in general; look at what has happened with regular theatres… many people now watch DVDs on their HDTV and rarely go to the movies except on dates.)

Now let me be the first one to say that I know the Raymond is not just “another one” [theatre], and that it is unique and has a lot of history behind it. However, of course, you, me, and the rest of us would only be preaching to the choir if it wasn’t for internet search engines. And, this still isn’t really going to change the opinion of the average theatre-goer who might decide to see a silent movie or whatever, since they figure, rather correctly, that they can just drive the 45+ minutes on the freeway (in good traffic) to the Orpheum or whatever to go see it. [or for rock bands, the El Rey]

So let me be the first one to say, hey, it’s too bad they did this to this great theatre, but look at how much WORSE it could have been! They could have knocked down the whole thing and reduced it to rubble right away, while instead they are keeping the building and at least part of the auditorium, and instead of letting it lapse into some leaky dump at least the shell will be restored and made weather-worthy to hold their pet project on the inside.

I don’t know what has happened to the interior goodies, but I hope that enough of you rallied together to save them and keep them in one place (or at least accounted for) for possible future re-installation.

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Look, see, it’s not like I can’t totally relate; after constanty seeing and hearing about antique upright pianos (player and otherwise) going to the dump these days, and then seeing certain unnamed northern CA companies turn them into new “orchestrions” with plastic parts, yet cutting out the original solid panels of the piano to put in art glass, etc. it’s like saying, “well, which is the lesser of the two evils?” Do we want the piano chopped up and hauled to the dump, where it was headed anyway?

Or do we want it fixed up a little bit, and even if the originality is messed with, it at least preserves it for a few more years until the right person comes along who says “say, I would really like one of those antique upright pianos. They seem mighty scarce nowadays” so they buy a XXXXXXX brand “orchestrion” piano, which collectors malign as being non-original and musically inferior to an original antique orchestrion (true); but yet this conversion has saved the piano itself from the dump, and the happy pianist can now strip out all of that plastic crap and restore the piano back to what it was, a fine musical instrument which “they don’t make ‘em like they used to!”

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I’m not saying we all go lax and relax our grip; sure, if you really want to see this theatre as a theatre again, then go battle it out with the owners and whoever else is doing the commercial work. And may you win.

However, even if you don’t, keep on with the condo people. Don’t just give up, at least try to work together with them so this conversion thing is really as historically painless to the building and decorations as possible, so at whatever future date when the apartments are no longer financially viable, they can be yanked out of there and the theatre restored back to its original grandeur and purpose.

There can be a silver lining in this thing if you look at it in the right way.

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Here’s another thing: just how many theatres get local support rallied around them, restored, and then after a gala opening struggle to make a profit after just a few months, because interest in the theatre has waned and the people who supported it think “mission accomplished” and don’t really go see shows at the restored theatre? I think that if you help out on a theatre project, and you REALLY CARE about it, and are not just BSing, then you should SUPPORT that theatre by going to see shows and things at it REGULARLY and telling your friends! Even if it’s far away from where you live. Remember, supporting a theatre isn’t just restoration; it’s a continuous, ongoing, day-to-day thing.

For example, Old Town Music Hall is fairly far away from me, and yet I have made the drive there several times, not just because it is a great place and shows movies and hosts live musical acts etc. some of which you can’t see anywhere else, but mainly because I like to SUPPORT the theatre by GOING there so they can at least scrape along and make ends meet. They haven’t been doing too well lately, financially (or so I heard a couple months ago), but let me tell you: “IT AIN’T BECAUSE OF ME!!!” In fact, I’m planning on going back to see a movie or something in at least a week or two… and I know it will be worth it!

Timetraveler on September 7, 2007 at 11:03 am

As far as we know, the fire curtain is still in place, with the plan of a portion of the auditorium to remain, but it will not be used as a theatre, only functioning as a common area for the condominiums. Here is the story according to the developer of the interior condominiums:
http://www.theraymondcondos.com/index1.html

HowardBHaas on July 5, 2007 at 3:31 pm

What a shame. Will the gorgeous Fire Curtain stay in the building? Just curious, don’t need it, have our own pretty one at the Boyd.

Tahoe61 on May 6, 2007 at 8:55 pm

The Raymond in mid-1980’s and in March 2007:

View link

Craigadams11 on October 7, 2006 at 4:39 am

They have a website which has not been updated in eeons unfortunately.

Life's Too Short on August 8, 2006 at 6:02 pm

What is happening? Is the theatre still standing?

Life's Too Short on March 2, 2006 at 10:34 am

Good luck to those struggling to save the Raymond Theatre. It appears to be a brutal battle.

I salute you.

[Deleted] on November 28, 2005 at 12:17 pm

Thanks, R.W., for the update on the organ. I believe protecting the organ is just as important as saving the theater.

kencmcintyre on November 12, 2005 at 10:17 am

A photo by Frederick Martin:

View link

Life's Too Short on October 22, 2005 at 6:54 am

This arrived in my email account today. I live many states away. But perhaps some other readers might want to attend:

RAYMOND THEATRE
Notice of a Pubic Hearing

FINAL DESIGN REVIEW

The City of Pasadena has scheduled Final Design Review for The Raymond Theatre. The City Design Commission will be reviewing the final plans to convert the Raymond Theatre
into a mixed-use housing project.

If the project passes Final Design Review, 10 days later building permits for
construction will be issued.

We ask the community and all our supporters to please attend this
important hearing and show your support.

If you would like to speak and need to know the issues, please write us over the weekend.

Hearing Information:

Date: October 24, 2005
Place: All Saints Church, Sweetland Hall
132 North Euclid Avenue
Pasadena, California 91101-1796
(Corner of Holly and Euclid near City Hall, entrance is on Euclid)
Time: 6:00 pm.
Best arrival time: 7:00 pm
For directions: Phone: (626) 796 – 1172 or (818) 541 – 9522

Friends of the Raymond Theatre
Office: (818) 541-9522
Fax: (818) 541-9523
Website: www.raymondtheatre.com