"College Coach"

Pat O'Brien, as Coach Gore, is waiting for a passenger as the train pulls into the station in "College Coach" (Warner Bros., 1933). The coach has been hired by cash-strapped Calvert College to develop a football team that will sell tickets and ease the school's financial difficulties. 

Thanks to Colleen Connell for identifying the location of this scene and recognizing the South Pasadena Opera House building that we see a minute later. She's an archivist with the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation.

 

 

 

Lyle Talbot is a player coming in on the train and he expected a warmer welcome from Pat. All he gets is "See you at practice."

 

 

 

It turns out that Pat is actually waiting for his wife, Ann Dvorak. Earlier we saw Ann and Lyle having an interaction on the train. 

 

When we head to the car we get a view of the South Pasadena Opera House, 915 Center St. The building dated from 1888 and was demolished in 1939. On the left is Charles C. Wilson, who has come to the station with Pat. The car is a new one that Pat has bought for Ann.

 

 

 

Pat has also found a house. Ann hasn't seen it yet and expects he'll show it to her. But he says that Charlie will show her around and he'll be home for dinner.

 

 

Ann at the wheel of her new car. 

 

 

A better view of the Opera House facade after Ann and Charlie drive away.

 

 

Although Pat says he's swamped with work at the office he really has other plans. The scene ends with him whistling for a cab.

The film also features Dick Powell,  Arthur Byron, Hugh Herbert, Donald Meek and Berton Churchill. William A. Wellman directed. The cinematography was by Arthur L. Todd.

See the page about the South Pasadena Opera House on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the building. 

On IMDb: "College Coach"

A door card for the film that appears on IMDb.