Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 Finishes Its Pasadena Run, Will Stay Open For Conclusion of Pasadena Film Festival Thursday

The Laemmle Playhouse 7 on Colorado Boulevard concluded its run of showing independent films in Pasadena on Wednesday mostly playing films of the Pasadena Film Festival.

On Tuesday, the theater ran its last scheduled open-to-the-public independent film at the location, “The Black Phone.”

The theater will remain open one more day to accommodate the final films that are part of the Pasadena Film Festival before permanently closed as a Laemmle theater. It will transition into a Landmark Theater in the future.

A timetable for the transition remains unknown at this point.

“THANK YOU PASADENA for 23 great years! Our 90-year story continues! Please bring your #LaemmleLove to nearby Laemmle Glendale,” a post on the theater’s Facebook page read on Wednesday.

In a separate post, the theater also thanked its staff and employees.

“Thank you to our General Manager, Geoff Waugaman, for over thirty years of management at Laemmle in Pasadena! We cannot thank him enough for his dedication and love of this community!” the post read. “A big thank you to all the amazing employees, our loyal customers, and all of the Laemmle team, for making the Playhouse such a special place!”

The Playhouse 7 opened February 5, 1999. It was built by Laemmle Theatres from the ground up and has been continuously operated by the family-run art house chain since 1938.
New operator Landmark Theatres has entered into a long-term lease agreement for the movie theater, which is located next to Vroman’s Bookstore on Colorado Boulevard.

Landmark plans to undertake a series of renovations in the coming months to the seven-screen, 1,300-seat venue located at 673 E. Colorado Blvd. Planned improvements include upgrades of the sound and projection systems and modernized seats.

The newly-renovated movie house is expected to reopen later this summer, but a set timetable on the opening is not known.

Laemmle Theatres had announced in February the sale of its 22,897 square-foot Pasadena location on Colorado Boulevard near El Molino Avenue in the city’s trendy Playhouse Village to GD Realty Group of Los Angeles, owner and developer of urban commercial real estate in prime Southern California locations.

According to a statement released at the time of the announcement, the sale also included a leaseback that would allow the theater to continue operating, which Pasadena Now reported.

Under a leaseback agreement, the company that sells an asset leases back all or a portion of that same asset from the purchaser.

But when plans to redesign to the property reached the Design Commission, it did not space for the movie theater. Earlier this year Pasadena Now reported the city was working to reach a solution that would see the theater remain.

Landmark Theatres said it will upgrade the theater’s sound and projection systems and in the coming months, after opening, will complete an upgrade of the facilities to reflect Landmark’s luxury styling, including the installation of modern comfortable seating.

At the concession stand, offerings will be expanded to include new gourmet and healthy food items.

Beer and wine will continue to be available, with plans to expand the offering to full spirits.