Photos: South Pasadena’s Rialto Theatre

South Pasadena firefighter Brad Harris looks out through broken grillwork inside the theater. “They don’t make them like this anymore,” he observed.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s an icon for our town,” said Scott Feldmann, president of the local Chamber of Commerce.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The interior is especially well preserved, with original artwork, murals and a drinking fountain made of Batchelder tile, a mark of California Arts and Crafts design.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The interior is an irreverent mash-up of Spanish baroque architecture and Egyptian kitsch.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The historic venue is one of the last single-screen movie theaters in Southern California.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The 1,200-seat movie palace, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, also features an orchestra pit and balcony seating on both sides of a deep stage, amenities that have not seen steady use in decades. Back in the day, it also hosted vaudeville shows.   (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)