Death of a Movie Palace

Words by Olivia Radbill

Rialto Theatre admission ticket, undated, Courtesy of the Gontz Family

Established in 1888, the City of South Pasadena has a complex 140-year history of westward migration, colonization, and urban growth. Among this complex history is that of the Rialto Theatre, possibly the most revered historic landmark within the City’s 3.4 square miles.

On September 9, 1924, C.L. Langley was granted a $110,000 permit for the construction of the Rialto Theatre, for use as both a photoplay and vaudeville theater. The construction of the Rialto was, perhaps, a marker in the cultural shift taking place in South Pasadena in the 1920s. Just over one decade prior, the South Pasadena City Council requested that an ordinance be drawn to ban motion pictures throughout the City. The proposed ordinance did not pass, due largely to the protests of local businessmen. While the western colonial moralism of the original 19th Century settlers still lingered, the potential for capitalist gains reigned supreme. The Rialto Theatre began construction at the end of 1924 and officially opened on October 17, 1925. Yet, the Rialto was not simply a theater; it was a palace. 

The Rialto Theatre began construction at the end of 1924 and officially opened on October 17, 1925. Yet, the Rialto was not simply a theater; it was a palace.

Rialto Theatre Programme, dated 1931, Courtesy of the South Pasadena Public Library

The Rialto was designed by L.A. Smith, a prolific designer of movie palaces in Southern California. Like much of Smith’s architectural profile, the Rialto was designed with Moorish style and eclecticism in mind. With a stucco exterior, terracotta roofing, original decorative wall art, and a 30-foot stage straddled by the original red and gold house curtains, the Rialto is one of the few remaining premiere examples of Smith’s work. Intricate details throughout the building bring to life an era of craftsmanship that is not seen in modern commercial spaces, where design emphasizes productivity over artistic license. Yet, these architectural details were not enough, at least initially, to save a dying theater. 

After surviving the inception of the talkie, the Great Depression, two fires, a bout as a revival house, and an 82-year run, the Rialto was unceremoniously closed after a final showing of The Simpsons Movie in 2007. 

Intricate details throughout the building bring to life an era of craftsmanship that is not  seen in modern commercial spaces, where design emphasizes productivity over artistic license.

Rialto Theatre exterior, dated 1933, Courtesy of the South Pasadena Public Library 

Rialto Theatre Lobby photographed by Tom B’hend and Preston Kaufmann, dated July 29, 1946, Courtesy of the South Pasadena Public Library

Rialto Theatre interior with view of lower level seating and balcony, dated 1960, Courtesy of the South Pasadena Public Library

Rialto Theatre interior showing organ box, circa 1940s, Courtesy of the South Pasadena Public Library

A dilapidated landmark showing signs of its final death rattle is typically not an easy sell.  However, in 2015 the Rialto was purchased by the Shomof Group for an undisclosed sum. The Shomof Group has a reputation in Los Angeles for restoring historical buildings to their former glory. According to owner Izek Shomof, the original intent upon purchase was to restore the building and turn it, once again, into an entertainment venue. This vision has yet to come to fruition. In 2020 the Shomof Group signed a 20-year lease with Mosaic Church, a Los Angeles-based megachurch.

Film poster for Charles Dicken’s David Copperfield (front, left; back, right), dated 1935, Courtesy of the South Pasadena Public  Library

As a condition of the lease, Mosaic agreed to make renovations to the building’s crumbling  interior. However, the integrity of the design rested exclusively with the Church. Thus, the Baroque-Art Deco-Egyptian kitsch styling of yore is gone. The interior has been drenched in eggshell white, 1940s-era tiles removed, original ceiling stenciling paint updated with muted tones, and winged harpy wall details covered with plaster breastplates. 

While the South Pasadena Library’s Local History Collection has no control over the apparent loss of a beloved structure under private ownership, staff have worked tirelessly to preserve the memory of the Rialto.

Rialto Theatre interior prior to the 2021 interior remodel, undated, Courtesy of the South  Pasadena Public Library

Mosaic Church interior remodel of Rialto Theatre, August 29, 2021, Courtesy of Escott O. Norton

Rialto Theatre Weekly Playgoer’s Newsette for March 28th through April 5th (top, exterior;  bottom, interior), dated 1930, Courtesy of the South Pasadena Public Library

Rialto Theatre Weekly Playgoer’s Newsette for March 28th through April 5th (top, exterior;  bottom, interior), dated 1930, Courtesy of the South Pasadena Public Library

Though a modest collection in size, the few Rialto records preserved by the South Pasadena Library indicate a rich and influential past life. The collection consists predominately of print photographs, programs, and film posters highlighting a long and varied entertainment career. One theatre program from 1930 highlights the novelty of sound, noting film screenings as “ALL TALKING”. Another 1931 theater program somewhat progressively mentions the accommodation of over-ear Western Electric headphones available as a hearing aid for theatergoers. An undated interior shot of the stage shows the original, asbestos–laden red curtains. And, within the depths of the Library’s microfilm collection, rests a South Pasadena Review Letter to the Editor that reads “Dear Sir: Few towns can boast an Orpheum, Tivoli, Bijou, Lyceum, a Rialto. Fortunate South Pasadena!  Let’s preserve our magic Rialto – where a lot of us discovered Necking and Arts Decoratifs simultaneously.” 

October 17, 2025 marks the 100th birthday of the Rialto Theatre.

Since its founding, the Rialto has remained a cherished member of the South Pasadena community. The Friends of the Rialto Theatre, founded in 1983 by Escott O. Norton, has worked tirelessly to preserve and revitalize the Theatre within the confines of private ownership. The Friends of the Rialto’s most recent endeavor, a permanent installation at the South Pasadena Historical Museum highlights the community’s desire to preserve and affirm a disappearing cornerstone of the city’s cultural and architectural history. One can only hope that the Rialto may someday, once more, be a hotspot of necking and Arts Décoratifs. 

“About Friends of the Rialto.” Friends of the Rialto. Accessed October 9, 2025., 
https://www.friendsoftherialto.org/. 

Apostol, Jane. South Pasadena: A Centennial History. South Pasadena, CA: Friends of the  South Pasadena Library, 1988. 

Beley, Jeanne Hughes. “Save Our Rialto.” South Pasadena Review (South Pasadena, CA),  Nov. 23, 1977.  

Kim, Howard. “The Rialto Turns 100: South Pasadena movie palace faces a new future.”  Pasadena Weekly (Pasadena, CA), June 19, 2025,  
https://www.pasadenaweekly.com/feature_stories/the-rialto-turns-100-south-pasadena-movie-palace-faces-a-new-future/article_5c886085-4501-47f5-982a-a97c3486040e.html. 

“Rialto Theatre, South Pasadena.” Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. Accessed October 
6, 2025. https://www.lahtf.org/rialtosouthpasadena/.

Shyong, Frank. “South Pasadena’s historic Rialto Theatre sold to downtown developer.”  Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA), Jan. 9, 2015. 

United States Department of the Interior. “National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form.” Form 10-300 for Rialto Theatre, California, 1978. 
 

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