Raymond Theatre
129 N. Raymond Avenue,
Pasadena,
CA
91103
129 N. Raymond Avenue,
Pasadena,
CA
91103
14 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 78 comments
I did the same some weeks ago…with perhaps a little more edge than Patsy.
I have gone on the Raymond Theatre website and contacted the Mayor of Pasadena and all of the City Council members via their personal emails asking them to support the preservation of the Raymond Theatre and I hope anyone reading this will do the same ASAP!
I support all the efforts to preserve and renovate this beautiful theatre.
A lonely theatre/cinema researcher living in Hong Kong.
The architectural style of the Raymond’s auditorium is quite unusual, at least in the realm of movie palaces. For example, prominent among the elements of its decor are medallions, swags, urns and finials.
Are there any architecture experts out there who know the precise term for this style? It’s referred to as “Beaux-Arts” in the description above, but that doesn’t seem to me to be adequate — or even particularly correct. Wouldn’t Adamesque be somewhat more accurate? I’ve seen the interiors of lots of movie palaces and have never seen anything resembling the Raymond!
The Raymond Theater opened on 5th April 1921 with Wallace Reid starring in “The Love Special”. A seating capacity of 2,350 was given at opening in newspaper reports.
It was re-named the New Crown Theatre, opening on 13th February 1948 with Larry Parks starring in “The Swordsman” (A Columbia Picture)
One few small corrections about the history of the Raymond Theatre as stated in the last post (see above). The Raymond Theatre was sold to in the 1970’s to Bruce Barkis who operated it for plays and organ concerts for a short while.
In 1979 Mark Perkin’s purchased the Raymond Theatre and converted it to a concert venue. The theatre was a MAJOR success as a concert venue. In fact, it won many Pollstar awards as the top grossing venue in Los Angeles. Some of the artists who played the Raymond Theatre during the Perkin’s Palace era include Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Fleetwood Mac, Motley Crue, Willie Nelson, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Van Halen and more. Every major concert promoter in the business produced shows at the Raymond Theatre. Also many movies, television shows and video’s were filmed at the Raymond Theatre during this era as well. It even had it’s on TV show called Rock N' Roll Tonight, Live from Perkins Palace.
The area surrounding the Raymond Theatre during the Perkin’s Palace era was perfect for rock concerts, with funky punk stores and vintage shops. In 1987 the City of Pasadena commissioned a feasibility study to see what the best use would be of the Raymond Theatre, if saved. I wrote the study and was also the manager and concert promoter of the Raymond Theatre dung the Perkin’s Palace era. After much evaluation, we took into consideration the changes in Old Town and felt the Raymond Theatre would be best suited as a mixed-use venue that would incorporate concerts, performing arts, meeting and conference, and film shoots. The Raymond Theatre is a much needed resource due to the lack of performance space in Pasadena. The City Council voted a mulit-use venue was the best use of the theatre in 1990.
The Perkin’s Palace era lasted from 1979-1989. The theatre was sold in 1990 to a concert promoter who lost the theatre after recovering all the seats in non-fame retardant material and the fire dept. shut him down. He lost money on the shows that were booked and choose to give the theatre back to the developer. Before he purchased the theatre, everyone, including the city new he was under financed to buy the theatre. Many speculated if this sale was made by the developer to insure he would get the theatre back after renovation.
The short time the Raymond Theatre was open from 1990-1991, again it was a success, selling out all shows. The Raymond Theatre barely closed for a year or more from 1979-1990. Since then the developer who owns it has kept it closed and not allowed anyone to use the theatre for performances.
The problem with the Raymond Theatre is not a lack of buyers or product, it’s the developer who owns it. He continues to refuse sales, damages his property and then calls it a hardship!
I founded Friends of the Raymond Theatre in 1987 and over the years we have stopped two prior developments and are currently working to stop the Raymond Theatre from becoming a condominium project. Friends of the Raymond Theatre has 7,000 supporters worldwide and in 2004 we won the California Preservation Foundation President’s award for the our achievements in the field of historic preservation.
To contact Friends of the Raymond Theatre, or to subscribe to our newsletters:
Friends of the Raymond Theatre
P.O. Box 91189
Pasadena, Ca 91109
Office: (818) 541-9522
Website: www.raymondtheatre.com
E-mail:
Cyril Bennett, architect of the Raymond, also designed the smaller (and now demolished) Glendora Theater, and was (along with his business partner Fitch Haskell and noted Los Angeles architect George Edwin Bergstrom) the architect of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
In its early years, the Raymond was one of several Pasadena theaters operated by West Coast-Langley Theaters, which was one of the companies eventually combined to become Fox-West Coast Theaters.
I only attended the Raymond once, in the late 1960s, when it had long been called the Crown Theater. A unique feature of the theater is that access to the balcony level is via a pair of ramps on either side of the lobby, rather than the usual stairs.
A few years later, the Crown, operated at that time by Loew’s Theaters, was showing “X” rated movies, and it closed shortly after. The entrepreneur who attempted to revive the theater as Perkins' Palace in the 1970s had little success, though I remember that a few well-known acts did play the place. By the 1980s, the theater was dark again.
The Raymond was a little bit too far out of the way, two blocks north of Colorado Boulevard, several blocks west of the center of the business district, in a neighborhood that began declining even before the depression of the 1930s. It’s neighbors were mostly thrift shops, discount furniture stores, and other marginal businesses. The only advantage of its location would have been the availability of plenty of parking available on the deserted surrounding streets, had not that very emptiness frightened away many nighttime customers.
In recent years, Pasadena has taken steps to increase the residential population of this neighborhood, developing several large projects on two sides of the city park on which the Raymond faces, and encouraging the rehabilitation of older buildings to the south and west, where a lively entertainment and shopping district has emerged over the last twenty years. This is probably the best chance the Raymond has ever had to be, finally, at the center of a busy neighborhood which will attract, rather than repel, prospective theater-goers. It would be very sad if the theater were to be lost, just when the opportunity for its success is so near.
And Pasadena isn’t far from Hollywood, home to many movie studios whose movies appeared in such theatres as the Raymond so it’s a natural to SAVE THE RAYMOND! They did it in Atlanta with the Fox, so it can be done in Pasadena with the Raymond!
Someone needs to sit down and talk to Gene Buchanan about his plans to reinstitute his 1987 plans to ‘gut the Raymond’! Shame on you Mr. Buchanan!
Pasadena, home to the Rose Bowl Parade but not many old theatres? I watch the parade every year come down Colorado Blvd.
At the end of 2004, the developer who owns the Raymond Theatre refused a $5 million dollar sale offer and instead took out a $19 million dollar construction loan to start redevelopment of the Raymond Theatre to condo’s. Friends of the Raymond Theatre currently have two lawsuits in progress.
In 2005, it’s going to take a lot of work and people-power to stop the City from allowing the developer to start construction. At this time we are in need of volunteers. Our volunteers are wordwide, we work online, if you can help, e-mail or call us at or (818) 541-9522
We are also in need of donations to help do everything possible to stop redevelopment of the Raymond Theatre in early 2005.
Donations are tax-deductible and may be sent to:
Friends of the Raymond Theatre
P.O. Box 91189
Pasadena, Ca 91109-1189
To subcribe to our newsletters, write us at:
Gina: Thanks for the FRT information!
FROM: Friends of the Raymond Theatre
If anyone would like to subcribe to our e-mail newsletters you can write us at We have 7,000 supporters (worldwide) online with us and we would truly appreciate your support.
Thank you!
Gina Zamparelli
President, Friends of the Raymond Theatre
Office: (818) 541-9522
Website: www.raymondtheatre.com
I checked to see where this theatre is located and being that it is in Pasadena CA surprises me. I would think that city so close to Tinseltown and the movie community wouldn’t allow such a cinema treasure as this one to be destroyed or even come close to being demolished! From one who has seen it come to be with my small town cinema, don’t let it happen!
I hope the preservationists win this theatre battle against another Developer and Owner. I’ve been involved with a home in Buffalo who should be saved, but the restaurant owner next door who also owns the house in question wants more parking space therefore he wants the house gone! Such a shame!
Is there any news regarding this theatre? Is it still standing?
I share the same views D.
Long live preservation and historic styles you jsut don’t find today.
Thats why I am going to college to become an architect, long live Art Deco!
Gene Buchanan is a stupid idiot who, like many other stupid idiots in this time period, don’t like old stuff and just want to tear it down or mess it up and make some cheap particle-board drywall mess just to make more money in the short term. Even when good quality buildings are made today they are in an ugly style (like the Disney Concert Hall). I mean wouldn’t you rather look at a nice art deco or revival building like the Biltmore Hotel or Los Angeles Theatre both in Downtown Los Angeles or other buildings there or what’s left of the (now mostly gutted but better than nothing) buildings of Downtown “Old” Pasadena? Or would you rather look at some ugly conglomerate of distorted geometric shapes like the Disney Concert Hall or other such buildings? Come on! What’s wrong with people now?
Friends of the Raymond Theatre has 7,000 supporters worldwide standing behind preservation of the Raymond Theatre. For 16-years we have worked to stop redevelopment of the theatre. Yet the City of Pasadena is allowing the developer to move forward. The theatre could be gutted as soon as July 2004. The money and affluence of this theatre owner/developer, business associations with City Council and well, you know the story. That’s the true reason this theatre is slated for redevelopment. It’s also the reason why 7,000 people have stood up and said “NO” to this development.
If anyone want’s to join Friends of the Raymond Theatre, we send out newsletters to our supporters all over the world and give
project updates every month!
To join us, send an e-mail at:
Friends of the Raymond Theatre
www.raymondtheatre.com
“To tear it down and turn it into a complex or apartments” unfinished but ment to say, you could do that to any other property, but this is a part of history. Put it back to use and install a nice inhouse sound system, and make it all age’s. It would defenitly bring alot, i mean alot of business from Hollywood, Orange County, Northridge and places like San Diego depending on the type’s of events that could be hosted there!
It is awesome to preserve something that is part of history. If I were the owner tho, I would gut out all the bottom seats, preserve the theatre and put it back to use as a venue in Pasadena, since people are tired of playing in Hollywood and now play lots of show’s at the El Rey, which has been pretty successful for the past few years. I know ton’s of promotor’s who would play show’s at that spot, just because it’s away from Hollywood, and its so conveniently next to Old town pasadena. It is really loosing money every day it is closed. The theatre could be hosting Big musical events every week if managed properly. To tear it down and turn it into a complex or apartments. Gut out the seats and start packing the place!
-ED ()
I thought Mantovani died?
IS there still a chance for this gorgeous theater?
This theater must be saved. IT is a critical part of preserving the culture of SOuthern California and America. IT is also a beautiful builidng. I hope something can be done tosave this grand movie palace.
So find one and let them help preserve this treasure!!!!