El Paseo Theatre

810 N. Palm Canyon Drive,
Palm Springs, CA 92262

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Additional Info

Architects: Clifford A. Balch

Functions: Bar, Restaurant

Nearby Theaters

The El Paseo building was built in 1926 and in 1930 a small movie theater opened there in an art gallery. The Riverside Press-Enterprise noted in 2004 that in 1935 Earle Strebe took over the theatre. Mr. Strebe got interested in the theater business around 1928 by running the movie projectors at the Desert Inn. According to a January 1938 Desert Sun story El Paseo Theatre was reopening after a $10,000 renovation, which increased its size.

El Paseo Theatre was generally open seasonally, which was from November to May. In its down time there is mention of it in the newspapers as being used for stage plays and church services. After May 1, 1960 when it closed for the season there is no indication in the Desert Sun that it ever opened again. The Film Daily Yearbook of 1950 listed the theater with 285 seats.

The historic building was restored in 2007 and since September of 2012 the theater section has been home to the Workshop Kitchen+Bar.

Contributed by Ron Pierce

Recent comments (view all 1 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 10, 2014 at 11:55 pm

An item in the July 19, 1935, issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor said that Clifford Balch was preparing plans for alterations to a theater in Palm Springs for Earl “Streib.” It doesn’t give the name of the theater, but as 1935 was when Earl Strebe took over this house, it was probably this one. The Palm Springs (later Village) Theatre was only three years old, and the Plaza hadn’t been built yet.

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