Uptown Theatre
2316 E. Colorado Boulevard,
Pasadena,
CA
91107
2316 E. Colorado Boulevard,
Pasadena,
CA
91107
4 people
favorited this theater
Located in the Lamanda Park district of East Pasadena, the Warners Egyptian Theatre opened May 6, 1925, for vaudeville and movies and was built for and operated by Henry Warner. Theatre operator Henry Warner was not related to the famed Warner Bros. The theatre opened with an Egyptian style theme, which is retained today. Seating was provided all on one level, with no balcony.
Later renamed Uptown Theatre, it closed in the early 1980’s. The lobby area was converted into retail use as an antique furniture store, with the auditorium used for storage.
In the early-2000’s, the building was leased by a new operator, who planned to restore and re-open it as the Oasis Theatre. Repairs and redecoration work was carried out and some new seating was being fitted when the project came to an abrupt end, due to disputes which occured between the lessee and the building’s owners.
Since then it has remained shuttered and unused. It now remains one of Pasadena’s most endangered buildings. The original 1925 fire curtain, with original local advertisements painted on its front, still remains in situ.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 26 comments)
Thanks for the photos Jim, I had posted above that I had worked in one of the stores there, I loved that theater, it was just storage, all the seats were removed and the original signs for shops and .10 cent ice cream hung in tatters from the stage… I also remember the ceiling being cracked, it looks like someone tried some restoration of it, what is the story of that?
Here is an August 1962 ad from the Pasadena Independent:
http://tinyurl.com/c6x5yp
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/c2kg8v
Thanks to Tami Strong of Bisbee, Arizona the original signage of the “Warner Egyptian” at 2316 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA. has been rediscovered. Her grandfather was the theater manager in the late twenties and early thirties. The link at
View link
will show the marquee as it appeared in 1931. Although blurry 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. If you have more information on this historical theater or old photos you can share contact Jim Perry (626) 524-2014
or email to
If the above link does not work for the Warner Egyptian signage try this one at http://www.chosenfew.com/musicvideo/egyptian.jpg
Enjoy. Jim Perry
Found the original signage for the Warner Egyptian courtesy of Tami Strong of Bisbee, Arizona. http://www.chosenfew.com/WARNEREG.jpg
Had to do some retouching to enhance visibility of the marquee and
signage. This is from 1931 showing of “The Cheat” starring Tallulah
Bankhead. Enjoy. Jim Perry
The link didn’t work for me.
1983 Night Photo
The description currently says that this theater originally presented movies and vaudeville, but I remember the building quite well and it had no stage house. Despite its fairly lavish proscenium, I don’t think the stage was very deep, and it certainly had no fly tower. The theater was built as a movie house, and its minimal stage facilities could have accommodated only the simplest live events.
However, there is enough room at the back of the lot that a proper stage house could be added on to the building, should anyone with very deep pockets want to convert the place into a regular live theater— though in a town that was unable to save the Raymond Theatre, which already had a generous stage, I don’t know who would want to make such a commitment to the old Egyptian.
The picture on this thread is not the theatre. The Google map shot (2011) shows the night shot of were the theatre is located.