United Artists Theatre
606 E. Colorado Boulevard,
Pasadena,
CA
91101
606 E. Colorado Boulevard,
Pasadena,
CA
91101
3 people
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angels art supply at least restored original facade, removed that awful look from the 80’s View link
Webmaster – thanks for correcting those two items… Just one more thing, the intro. above says “closed in the 1960’s”. It should say “closed in the late 1980s”.
Mr. Vogel – you really know your theatre history. Very interesting. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend taking LA’s Broadway District Walking Tour next time you’re in that area.
Fox West Coast gave up the United Artists in Pasadena in 1950 as part of the consent decree. Boxoffice of February 2 that year listed twelve FWC houses in California that had gone to UA, finally severing the relationship that had existed between the two chains. The other eleven houses were: State and United Artists, Los Angeles; Capitol and California, Glendale; United Artists in Inglewood, Long Beach, and Berkeley; Long Beach in Long Beach; Mission, San Jose; Varsity, Palo Alto, and California, Richmond.
FWC was operating the Pasadena UA at least as early as 1937, according to items I’ve seen in Boxoffice, but I’m pretty sure it was a UA-operated house from 1950 until it closed. I also recall the Washington Theatre in Pasadena being a UA house in the 1960s.
Thanks Zubi.
I have 736 (from a 1989 district office listing) as this theatre’s seating capacity, much less than what is indicated above. Also, again, as evidenced by the photos linked to this page, the name of this place—both historically and during its last days in the 80s—was simply the “United Artists”. Of course, it was located in Pasadena. However, it was not named the “United Artists Pasadena Theatre”, just “United Artists”.
Here are some photos taken today:
http://tinyurl.com/oezskr
http://tinyurl.com/oqgpgo
http://tinyurl.com/o3oebn
The United Artists-Pasadena single was a test site for experimental projection/sound equipment, such as UA Cinema 150. The Naifys, former oweners of United Artists Theatre Circuit Inc., came down to watch the Tournament of Roses Parade from bleachers constructed on the theatre’s rooftop. Later, bleachers were also erected atop the UA Marketplace-Pasadena, which opened further down Colorado Blvd. in the 1980s. The single-screen’s official name was “United Artists Theatre” – NOT “United Artists Pasadena Theatre” as stated above. Also, I don’t know its early history but it was operated by UATC well AFTER being managed by Fox West Coast Theatres.
I don’t remember ever seeing the original facade of the United Artists. The first time I saw a movie there, about 1961, it had already been clad in that aluminum skin seen in the 1980s photos. The entire house had been renovated, with new seats, carpeting, drapes, and all new fixtures in the rest rooms. It still had new theater smell.
Boxoffice Magazine ran an item about the renovated theater in its February 6, 1961, issue, which said that U.A. had spent $250,000 on the changes. Of considerable surprise to me is the news that the house had been reseated as part of the renovation, reducing capacity to 756. The last time I went to a movie there, in the 1980s, by which time I was taller than I’d been in the early 1960s, the seating had seemed very cramped to me. It must have been incredibly cramped before the renovation.
As I’d been to that part of Pasadena a few times earlier, I must have seen the U.A. before the aluminum skin was put on the facade, but I don’t remember it. As aluminum skins went, it wasn’t a bad one, but I’m still grateful that Angel’s school supply peeled it off and restored the original detailing underneath.
1983 Night Photo
Here is a 1981 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cosvpy
I went to the UA in Old Town a few times in the 1980s. Nothing to write home about. That part of Pasadena had not yet turned into Gap Paradise as it is today.
The U.A. Marketplace isn’t listed yet. Neither is the ex-AMC Old Town 8 multiplex that Laemmle recently closed. I think the U.A. opened in late 1986, because construction was underway when I was last in Pasadena in August that year. It closed in 2004. The AMC opened late in 1991. A Boxoffice article I’ve lost track of said it had about 2000 seats.
I saw something about an independent operator planning to reopen the 8-plex this year, but I’ve lost track of that too. If they do then something else is bound to close. The whole region from Glendale to Monrovia is saturated with theaters, and it will get worse when (or if) AMC’s 14 screen in Atlantic Times Square opens in Monterey Park.
Is the UA Marketplace even listed on CT? I drove by yesterday and there was a Tiffany’s at that spot, but I wasn’t sure if that was a new building or a remodel.
Here is an October 4, 1960 ad from the Pasadena Independent:
http://tinyurl.com/58ae8m
Here are the CA library photos:
http://tinyurl.com/5gbudd
http://tinyurl.com/6knn2e
http://tinyurl.com/6aegjn
Here is a 1946 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/6qfr8e
Here are some April 2008 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/6625yc
http://tinyurl.com/59t9xc
http://tinyurl.com/5f6b9z
http://tinyurl.com/5douk4
http://tinyurl.com/5veg6o
Are there no theaters in Old Town now? By that I mean west of Fair Oaks. I know the UA closed but I thought there was another theater around there. Gordon Biersch was showing old movies on the wall a couple of summers ago, but I don’t think that counts.
gencin: This page is not about the UA Marketplace 6 multiplex at Colorado and Delacey in Old Town. It’s about the earlier UA single-screen which was about ¾ of a mile east of there, on Colorado near Madison. This theatre was closed when UA opened the Marketplace 6, which was about 1987, I think. The Marketplace 6 is closed now, too, since 2004, while the AMC 8 screen in Old Pasadena is still open, but no longer operated by AMC. For the last few years it’s been operated as the Laemmle One Colorado Cinemas. Laemmle also has the Playhouse 7 multiplex at Colorado and El Molino.
The big dog in Pasadena now is the Pacific Theatres multiplex, the Paseo 14 at 336 East Colorado, where the J.C. Penney store used to be when the Paseo was still Plaza Pasadena. It was the Paseo 14, opened in 2001, that led Regal to shut down the Marketplace 6 and AMC to pull out of its Old Town operation.
As of this date, Cinema Treasures doesn’t yet have pages for the UA Marketplace 6, or the AMC/Laemmle One Colorado Cinemas, or for the Pacific Paseo 14. That early triplex that used to be on Rosemead near the Pacific Hastings is missing, too. The Laemmle Playhouse 7 is listed, though.
This was a cool little multiplex. The staff was really friendly. I wrote to United Artists about this once and they sent me free passes. Couldn’t believe (being where it’s located) it closed. Did they close the AMC 8 Old Pasadena? I lived in Burbank, CA back in the 90’s and loved going to all the different theaters on Colorado-UA, AMC 8, The State, Colorado…now all people have is the same crappy multiplex every week…Yuck!
Go to the picture catalog and enter United Artists in the search engine if you want to see the photos.
There are three photos on this page from the CA State Library:
http://tinyurl.com/3yno54
Here is the United Artists Pasadena in 1996: View link
Since the United Artists Pasadena Theatre is listed in Pasadena I’m sure anyone posting on this theatre link is also aware of the Raymond Theatre in Pasadena. The Raymond is in it’s 11th hour so anyone who would like to show their support to save this historical theatre please come to a Final Design Review hearing on Monday, the 24th at 7 (All Saints Church, Sweetland Hall 132 N. Euclid). To learn more about the Raymond Theatre and its past/present history go to www.raymondtheatre.com Thank you.
The current appearance of the United Artists Pasadena can be seen in this picture.