Thanks for your respsonse, Joe. I didn’t start exploring Old Town Pasadena until the early 1990s, when revitalization was already in full-swing. The Whittier Narrows quake totally didn’t enter my mind; I guess that quake definitely would’ve affected these old buildings. What is now a three-story office building with Laemmele Theatres and Gordon Biersch restaurant on the ground floor fronts Union Street, though the businesses themselves face what is now a plaza, on one side of which is the old Fox Theater (now the Crate & Barrel and The Gap). Part of this newer office building is “encased,” that is, the shell of an old one story brick building is used as part of this building, in fact this part houses the Il Fornaio restaurant. The office building has a thin veneer of red brick to try to blend in with the older buildings.
If you’re ever in Pasadena, you should come check out Old Town, just to see how it’s changed since your last visit.
Hi Joe, though this is a little off-topic, I was wondering if you could describe what the immedidiate area surrounding the old Fox Theatre looked like prior to its becoming the One Colorado complex. The walkways that run through this complex are named alleys, and I’m wondering if back then, these were actual alleys that you could drive through. Plus, I’m wondering if what is now the big plaza or courtyard that makes up part of Hugus Alley was once a parking lot or something. Also, I’m wondering if the site of what is now the office building/Laemmle Theaters/Gordon Biersch was once a parking lot, or if it contained an old building.
Thanks,
EJ
Ah, thanks, Joe, for the instructions. Yeah, I was gonna say that your previous link didn’t work. Very interesting pictures!
I discovered some years ago the wealth of old pictures on the Los Angeles Public Library website. I still go onto it just to search old photos. I like looking at how things have changed or haven’t changed in Los Angeles.
Funny you should say that, Joe, because I also thought that the first letter was an “O” and that the sign said “Olane’s.” I work in Old Pasadena. I’m currently at work as I type this, and I actually work on the 2nd floor of 35 Hugus Alley; I’m literally above the Il Fornaio restaurant, so when I look out my office window I can see the side of this old theater building.
It’d be great if you can find and post the URL with the pic of the original facade.
Ah, Clune’s! I’ve known for a while now that the old theater building has faded painted signs on one side and on the back upper part of the building, but looking at it now I realize that it does say Clune’s Pasadena Theatre.
Ah, OK, so it just closed last Friday (11/19/04). I work in Old Pasadena and on Friday when I saw the marquee on this theater it said “FADE TO BLACK.” I wasn’t sure if maybe it was closed for a special indie movie premiere with that title or something, hehe.
I know that this theater was instrumental in the revitalization of Old Town Pasadena, but honestly I’m not sorry to see it close; I have no sentimental attachment to this theater nor do I imagine anyone to think it to be an architecturally significant building. Two or three years ago I saw a movie here and I saw a rat run across the aisle while I was waiting for the movie to start. That really gave me an uneasy feeling when the movie did start and the lights dimmed… I imagined rats running around unseen.
Regarding CConnolly’s comment, I do believe people from outside the area see movies at Grauman’s Chinese.
I know I do. As a teenager in the 1980s, I would drive to the Chinese Theatre with friends from my hometown of Cerritos, CA… a total tract house and shopping center kind of place; I just liked the gritty urban environment of Hollywood Boulevard back then and the history associated with the Chinese Theatre, it was so different from the “looks like everything was built yesterday”-environment that I grew up in. Some movies I saw back then: “The Lost Boys,” “The Witches of Eastwick.” In 1992 I saw the 50th Anniversary restored/re-released version of “Casablanca” at the Chinese Theatre. It was even presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. That really was a big treat.
I now live in South Pasadena. I still catch movies at the Chinese occasionally. Hollywood Blvd. is slightly more cleaned-up than it was in the 1980s, and now I don’t have to worry about driving there and parking because the Metro Rail now goes to my area; I can take the Gold Line train from South Pasadena to Union Station, transfer to the Red Line subway, go all the way to the Hollywood and Highland station, go up the escalator, and voila! I’m right there!
Does anyone remember when this theater used to show Tagalog-language movies?
I remember going to this theater as a kid with my family to watch Filipino movies in the late 1970s. I hadn’t thought about this theater in a long time. I don’t remember the theater looking like anything special, but stumbling upon the mention of it on this website sure did bring back a flood of memories! :–)
Makes me wanna drive by the location to see what the area looks like now (this is a part of LA I rarely ever go through nowadays).
I’ve never seen this theater, I’ve only heard about it; when I was in the 7th grade in 1982-83, I remember classmates referring to the Norwalk theater on Firestone that was an adult movie theater. I assume this is the same theater. If one were to drive by there now, you’ll see a strip mall; my guess is that the theater was torn down in the mid or late 1980s.
Here are some interesting pics, the first one interesting to me because it’s from the 1950s and it’s in color, plus you can see a PE Red Car rolling along in front of Grauman’s. And in my opinion this part of Hollywood Boulevard looks better now than it did then: http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/chinese.JPG
These next two photos are interesting to me because they show Grauman’s Chinese theater the night of March 8, 1946, when the Academy Awards were held there for the 3rd and last time; the 1st pic shows the theater itself, the 2nd pic shows the fans seated in bleachers across the street: http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics50/00044983.jpg http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics50/00044961.jpg http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics50/00044961.jpg
Interesting picture! I’m wondering when this building ceased to be a moviehouse. The building still exists, it’s just now all gutted inside and houses a Crate & Barrel, The Gap and a few other businesses.
Does anyone know, then, where the porno theater was on Firestone Boulevard in Norwalk?
Thanks for your respsonse, Joe. I didn’t start exploring Old Town Pasadena until the early 1990s, when revitalization was already in full-swing. The Whittier Narrows quake totally didn’t enter my mind; I guess that quake definitely would’ve affected these old buildings. What is now a three-story office building with Laemmele Theatres and Gordon Biersch restaurant on the ground floor fronts Union Street, though the businesses themselves face what is now a plaza, on one side of which is the old Fox Theater (now the Crate & Barrel and The Gap). Part of this newer office building is “encased,” that is, the shell of an old one story brick building is used as part of this building, in fact this part houses the Il Fornaio restaurant. The office building has a thin veneer of red brick to try to blend in with the older buildings.
If you’re ever in Pasadena, you should come check out Old Town, just to see how it’s changed since your last visit.
Hi Joe, though this is a little off-topic, I was wondering if you could describe what the immedidiate area surrounding the old Fox Theatre looked like prior to its becoming the One Colorado complex. The walkways that run through this complex are named alleys, and I’m wondering if back then, these were actual alleys that you could drive through. Plus, I’m wondering if what is now the big plaza or courtyard that makes up part of Hugus Alley was once a parking lot or something. Also, I’m wondering if the site of what is now the office building/Laemmle Theaters/Gordon Biersch was once a parking lot, or if it contained an old building.
Thanks,
EJ
Ah, thanks, Joe, for the instructions. Yeah, I was gonna say that your previous link didn’t work. Very interesting pictures!
I discovered some years ago the wealth of old pictures on the Los Angeles Public Library website. I still go onto it just to search old photos. I like looking at how things have changed or haven’t changed in Los Angeles.
Funny you should say that, Joe, because I also thought that the first letter was an “O” and that the sign said “Olane’s.” I work in Old Pasadena. I’m currently at work as I type this, and I actually work on the 2nd floor of 35 Hugus Alley; I’m literally above the Il Fornaio restaurant, so when I look out my office window I can see the side of this old theater building.
It’d be great if you can find and post the URL with the pic of the original facade.
Ah, Clune’s! I’ve known for a while now that the old theater building has faded painted signs on one side and on the back upper part of the building, but looking at it now I realize that it does say Clune’s Pasadena Theatre.
Regarding my last question, reading the post with the news article in it I saw that the theater opened in 1986. My bad!
Ah, OK, so it just closed last Friday (11/19/04). I work in Old Pasadena and on Friday when I saw the marquee on this theater it said “FADE TO BLACK.” I wasn’t sure if maybe it was closed for a special indie movie premiere with that title or something, hehe.
I know that this theater was instrumental in the revitalization of Old Town Pasadena, but honestly I’m not sorry to see it close; I have no sentimental attachment to this theater nor do I imagine anyone to think it to be an architecturally significant building. Two or three years ago I saw a movie here and I saw a rat run across the aisle while I was waiting for the movie to start. That really gave me an uneasy feeling when the movie did start and the lights dimmed… I imagined rats running around unseen.
Does anyone know when the theater opened?
Regarding CConnolly’s comment, I do believe people from outside the area see movies at Grauman’s Chinese.
I know I do. As a teenager in the 1980s, I would drive to the Chinese Theatre with friends from my hometown of Cerritos, CA… a total tract house and shopping center kind of place; I just liked the gritty urban environment of Hollywood Boulevard back then and the history associated with the Chinese Theatre, it was so different from the “looks like everything was built yesterday”-environment that I grew up in. Some movies I saw back then: “The Lost Boys,” “The Witches of Eastwick.” In 1992 I saw the 50th Anniversary restored/re-released version of “Casablanca” at the Chinese Theatre. It was even presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. That really was a big treat.
I now live in South Pasadena. I still catch movies at the Chinese occasionally. Hollywood Blvd. is slightly more cleaned-up than it was in the 1980s, and now I don’t have to worry about driving there and parking because the Metro Rail now goes to my area; I can take the Gold Line train from South Pasadena to Union Station, transfer to the Red Line subway, go all the way to the Hollywood and Highland station, go up the escalator, and voila! I’m right there!
I’ve HAD some interesting times at this theater, that is.
Oh man I’ve some some interesting times at this theater.
Does anyone remember when this theater used to show Tagalog-language movies?
I remember going to this theater as a kid with my family to watch Filipino movies in the late 1970s. I hadn’t thought about this theater in a long time. I don’t remember the theater looking like anything special, but stumbling upon the mention of it on this website sure did bring back a flood of memories! :–)
Makes me wanna drive by the location to see what the area looks like now (this is a part of LA I rarely ever go through nowadays).
I’ve never seen this theater, I’ve only heard about it; when I was in the 7th grade in 1982-83, I remember classmates referring to the Norwalk theater on Firestone that was an adult movie theater. I assume this is the same theater. If one were to drive by there now, you’ll see a strip mall; my guess is that the theater was torn down in the mid or late 1980s.
Here are some interesting pics, the first one interesting to me because it’s from the 1950s and it’s in color, plus you can see a PE Red Car rolling along in front of Grauman’s. And in my opinion this part of Hollywood Boulevard looks better now than it did then:
http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/chinese.JPG
These next two photos are interesting to me because they show Grauman’s Chinese theater the night of March 8, 1946, when the Academy Awards were held there for the 3rd and last time; the 1st pic shows the theater itself, the 2nd pic shows the fans seated in bleachers across the street:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics50/00044983.jpg
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics50/00044961.jpg
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics50/00044961.jpg
Interesting picture! I’m wondering when this building ceased to be a moviehouse. The building still exists, it’s just now all gutted inside and houses a Crate & Barrel, The Gap and a few other businesses.