Tower Theatre (Fresno, California)

Last updated
Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts
Tower Theatre (1939-80)
McHatton's Tower Theatre (1980-89)
Tower Theatre Fresno 2.jpg
Exterior of venue (c.2011)
Tower Theatre (Fresno, California)
Address815 E Olive Ave
Fresno, CA 93728-3332
OwnerCity of Fresno
TypePerforming arts center
Capacity 761
Construction
OpenedDecember 15, 1939 (1939-12-15)
ReopenedMarch 13, 1990 (1990-03-13)
Rebuilt1989-90
ArchitectS. Charles Lee
Website
Venue Website
Tower Theatre
LocationFresno, CA
Coordinates 36°45′29″N119°48′05″W / 36.7580°N 119.8014°W / 36.7580; -119.8014
Built1939
Architect S. Charles Lee
Architectural style Streamline Moderne
NRHP reference No. 92001276 [1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 24, 1992

The Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts is a historic Streamline Moderne mixed-use theater in Fresno, California. Built in 1939, it opened to the public on December 15, 1939, under the management of Fox West Coast Theater Corporation. The building was designed by S. Charles Lee, with its tower inspired by the "Star Pylon" at the 1939 New York World's Fair. The theater underwent a renovation and reopened as a performing arts center in 1990, after being closed as a repertory cinema in 1989 due to financial troubles.

Contents

History

Detail of the theater's spire Tower Theatre Fresno detail (crop).jpg
Detail of the theater's spire

The theater is located in a part of Fresno that had been developing into a shopping area since about 1923. Discussions of building a theater in the neighborhood began as early as 1927. [2] The first of three proposals for a theater was made on December 3, 1938, published in The Fresno Bee . [2] [3] Fox West Coast Theater Corporation, in cooperation with A. Emory Wishon, proposed a $200,000 theater similar to the S. Charles Lee-designed Ritz Theatre in Westwood, Los Angeles. The project would be built on the whole block at the northwest corner of Olive and Wishon Avenues. The property was owned by the Wishon Estate and was a playground at the time. A second proposal was made for a larger structure to be built, also on the Wishon property. It was designed in early 1939 by Thomas F. Chase, but was abandoned. [2] A third plan, for a smaller $65,000 theater, was made about the week of April 16, 1939, for Redwood Theatres, Inc. William David was the architect for the proposed structure at North Van Ness and Olive, but the plans never materialized. [4]

Theatre auditorium in 2007 Tower Theatre Fresno 7.jpg
Theatre auditorium in 2007

Building permits were issued on May 11, 1939, by the city of Fresno for a Wishon/Fox theater. Codenamed "The Ritz", the design was significantly smaller than the original Wishon/Fox proposal. It was designed by S. Charles Lee and was estimated to cost $100,000. [4] Construction began immediately following the issuing of permits under the direction of general contracting firm Trewhitt, Shields and Fisher. [4] [5] The original design for a finned tower was revised by Lee in August 1939. The new 80-foot (24 m) design resembled the 130-foot (40 m) "Star Pylon" at the 1939 New York World's Fair, designed by Francis Kelly and Leonard Dean to symbolize the "force of electricity". [lower-alpha 1] On December 14, 1939, the theater, formally dedicated as the "Tower Theatre", opened to a private party for local dignitaries and people associated with Fox Theaters with a premiere of the film Balalaika . [4] It opened to the public the next day, featuring the films Dancing Co-Ed and Henry Goes Arizona . The theater was not certified as complete until January 29, 1940, but there was a push to occupy the building prior to Christmas 1939. [6]

Following A. Emory Wishon's death in 1948, the theater property was sold to a Fox Theaters subsidiary by his estate. [7] The theater was converted to CinemaScope in 1954, resulting in the removal of a false proscenium stage. [8] The theater stopped showing first run films in 1980 and switched to a repertory cinema format. The theater later ran foreign films for several years until 1989 when it ceased operation. The theater was deeply in debt and running films was no longer economically viable. A Certified Historic Rehabilitation began on the property, renovating the theater and retail wings. Following the restoration, the theater reopened as the "Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts". The renovation earned awards from the California Preservation Foundation and the San Joaquin Chapter, American Institute of Architects. [9]

The non-profit organization Fresno Filmworks has been showing first-run independent cinema at The Tower Theatre on the second Friday of each month since 2002. The theater also hosts the annual Fresno Film Festival. [10]

Historic designations

The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 24, 1992. [1] It was nominated under Criterion C for its local architectural significance within three contexts. It was built at the close of the Great Depression and during the peak popularity of the Streamline Moderne style. The theater was the only work completed by Lee in the city of Fresno, and is representative of his designs for suburban movie theaters. Lastly, it is one of only six extant vintage theaters in Fresno; the only one designed with an on-site parking lot and the only suburban facility. [11] Its period of significance was given as 1939–1940, the construction and completion of the theater being the primary significant events in its history. [12] No claim of significance under Criterion B was made, since its owners and developers were not singularly associated with the theater. [7]

The theater is also listed on Fresno's Local Register of Historic Resources as property 190. [6] [13]

Design and setting

Theater entrance and neon lighting in 2011 Tower Theatre Fresno 4.jpg
Theater entrance and neon lighting in 2011

The theater is located in a neighborhood eponymously named the "Tower District". [6] It is located at the northwest corner of North Wishon and East Olive Avenues. [14] The building occupies 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of ground in an arrowhead shape. The auditorium, which forms the shaft of the arrow, is situated at a 45° angle to the streets and the two wings of the building contain retail space. The theater and parking lot originally covered a full 2.12-acre (0.86 ha) block. [8] In 1964, a 0.29-acre (1,200 m2) portion at the northeast corner was split off, leaving the theater property at 1.83 acres (0.74 ha). The separate parcel has been home to a service station and a restaurant. At the southwest corner is a non-contributing commercial building. [14]

The building features an 80-foot (24 m) concrete tower fitted with neon tube lighting and capped by a pronged orb with neon lights. A cantilevered marquee wraps around the entrance, appearing to be supported by a hexagonal box office. [8]

Tower Theatre was designed in the Streamline Moderne style. [8] It is the only architectural work to have been completed by Lee in Fresno. [11] Dutch-born muralist Anthony Heinsbergen created the "Leda and Swan" and "Vine" motifs for murals on the theater's ceiling and walls. [15] The Tower Theatre was the second theater in the United States with fluorescent-painted murals illuminated by ultraviolet lights; the first experiments with such a setup were undertaken by Lee at his Academy Theatre in Inglewood, California. [15] [16] The theater features a centrally located bas-relief etched-glass panel, a near-replica of Gaetano Cecere's 1927 "The Huntsman". [5]

See also

Notes

  1. Photographs of the Star Pylon at 1939nyworldsfair.com

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Palladium</span> Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200-square-foot (1,040 m2) dance floor including a mezzanine and a floor level with room for up to 4,000 people. The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The Palladium was designated Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument No. 1130 on September 28, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streamline Moderne</span> Late type of the Art Deco architecture and design

Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design, it was used in railroad locomotives, telephones, toasters, buses, appliances, and other devices to give the impression of sleekness and modernity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saban Theatre</span>

The Saban Theatre is a historic theatre in Beverly Hills, California, formerly known as the Fox Wilshire Theater. It is an Art Deco structure at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Hamilton Drive designed by architect S. Charles Lee and is considered a classic Los Angeles landmark. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stiles O. Clements</span> American architect

Stiles Oliver Clements was an architect practicing in Los Angeles and Southern California.

S. Charles Lee was an American architect recognized as one of the most prolific and distinguished motion picture theater designers on the West Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway Theater District (Los Angeles)</span> United States historic place

The Broadway Theater District in the Historic Core of Downtown Los Angeles is the first and largest historic theater district listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). With twelve movie palaces located along a six-block stretch of Broadway, it is the only large concentration of movie palaces left in the United States. The same six-block stretch of Broadway, and an adjacent section of Seventh Street, was also the city's retail hub for the first half of the twentieth century, lined with large and small department stores and specialty stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Theater, Westwood Village</span> Cinema in Los Angeles, California, US

The Fox Theatre, Westwood Village, also known as the Fox Village Theatre, is a historic, landmark cinema in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. Westwood Village, in the heart of Westwood, is near the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It is currently operated by Regency Theaters under the name Regency Village Theatre. The Westwood Village Theatre has been the site for many Hollywood movie premieres in Los Angeles. The seating capacity of the cinema is about 1,400.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Bruin Theater</span> Historic site in Los Angeles, California

The Fox Bruin Theater is a 670-seat movie palace located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, near University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It is currently operated by Regency Theaters under the name Regency Bruin Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton Odem House</span> United States historic place

The Milton Odem House is a small bungalow home located in Redmond, Oregon. The house was built in 1937 by Ole K. Olson for Milton Odem, a local theater owner. It is one of the best examples of residential Streamline Moderne architecture in Oregon. The Milton Odem House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Theatre (Red Bluff, California)</span> United States historic place

The State Theatre is a Moderne style cinema in Red Bluff, California, USA. It was built in 1945-46 to a design by architects Alexander A. and Mackenzie A. Cantin, replacing a theater that had burned two years before. It provided the only public stage in Tehama County until 1991, and was the only cinema until 1993. It is notable as one of the few theaters to be built in the United States during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eureka Theater</span> United States historic place

The Eureka Theater is an Art Moderne–style cinema built in 1939 in Eureka, California. The movie theater was initially proposed in 1937 as part of a larger development that would include a five-story, 162-room hotel, which was soon scaled back to the theater with flanking commercial spaces. Built by theater magnate George M. Mann, the theater was designed by noted San Francisco designer William B. David, who had once worked in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Art Department in the mid-1930s. The Eureka Theater was considered an ultra-modern movie theater when constructed in 1939 and was an expression of optimism and confidence in Eureka and Humboldt County, California as they pulled out of the Depression. The Eureka Theater ceased showing regularly scheduled movies on August 1, 1996. The theater is currently undergoing restoration, and is available for rent as a performance or event venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Theater (Minneapolis)</span> United States historic place

The Hollywood Theater is a historic theater building in Minneapolis which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Art Deco theater building opened on October 26, 1935, and the marquee proclaimed it the "Incomparable Showcase of the Northwest". The theater, designed by architects Jack Liebenberg and Seeman Kaplan, had a generous budget that allowed for elaborate decoration in the Streamline Deco style of design; its facade and structure made a "powerful statement of geometric mass punctuated by the entrance, exits, and three small windows that served the projection booth." Liebenberg and Kaplan went on to design the Riverview Theatre in Minneapolis and the Terrace Theatre in Robbinsdale. The building featured a tall vertical sign, a patterned terrazzo floor, gilded pillars, and acoustical tiles in geometric patterns. It had a seating capacity of just under 1000. Much of the interior features are influenced by the Zig-Zag Moderne and Streamline Moderne styles. The exterior is built of smooth Kasota limestone with vertical lines that transition to horizontal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Theatre Inglewood</span> United States historic place

The Fox Theater Inglewood in downtown Inglewood, California is a now-closed but architecturally significant movie theater that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building, designed in the Streamline Moderne style, was designed by S. Charles Lee in 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Deco in the United States</span> Architectural style popular in the 1920s-1930s

The Art Deco style, which originated in France just before World War I, had an important impact on architecture and design in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. The most famous examples are the skyscrapers of New York City including the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and Rockefeller Center. It combined modern aesthetics, fine craftsmanship and expensive materials, and became the symbol of luxury and modernity. While rarely used in residences, it was frequently used for office buildings, government buildings, train stations, movie theaters, diners and department stores. It also was frequently used in furniture, and in the design of automobiles, ocean liners, and everyday objects such as toasters and radio sets. In the late 1930s, during the Great Depression, it featured prominently in the architecture of the immense public works projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administration and the Public Works Administration, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam. The style competed throughout the period with the modernist architecture, and came to an abrupt end in 1939 with the beginning of World War II. The style was rediscovered in the 1960s, and many of the original buildings have been restored and are now historical landmarks.

The De Anza Theatre is an office building and former theatre with approximately 800 seats located at 4225 Market Street in Riverside, California in the United States. The De Anza was designed circa 1937 by Fox West Coast theater architect S. Charles Lee and constructed circa 1938 by local Riverside builder T.C. Prichard. Southern California-based Lee had "one of the most celebrated and prolific careers" in the history of theatre design; the De Anza is the only Lee building in Riverside. Architectural photographer Julius Shulman shot the Streamline Moderne-style building at the time of opening; Shulman "did not merely document significant architecture, but interpreted it, becoming one of the most important and influential architectural photographers in history."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tower Theatre (Sacramento, California)</span>

The Tower Theatre, built in 1938, is a Sacramento, California landmark and the oldest remaining, continuously running picture palace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarlton Theatre</span> Historic theater in Wisconsin, United States

The Tarlton Theatre is an Streamline Moderne theater built around 1925, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In 1999, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the Broadway-Walnut Historic District.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 Powell 1992, p. 16, (Section 8 – 3).
  3. Powell, John Edward (September 24, 1992a). "NRHP Nomination photographs: Tower Theatre". National Park Service. pp. 1–2.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Powell 1992, p. 17, (Section 8 – 4).
  5. 1 2 Powell 1992, p. 20, (Section 8 – 7).
  6. 1 2 3 Powell 1992, p. 13, (Section 8 – Intro).
  7. 1 2 Powell 1992, p. 21, (Section 8 – 8).
  8. 1 2 3 4 Powell 1992, p. 2, (Section 7 – Intro).
  9. Powell 1992, p. 22, (Section 8 – 9).
  10. "Fresno Filmworks Film Festival". Tower District Marketing Committee. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  11. 1 2 Powell 1992, p. 14, (Section 8 – 1).
  12. Powell 1992, p. 23, (Section 8 – 10).
  13. "H.P. #190 Tower Theatre (1939)". Local Register of Historic Resources. Historicfresno.org. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  14. 1 2 Powell 1992, p. 3, (Section 7 – 1).
  15. 1 2 Powell 1992, p. 19, (Section 8 – 6).
  16. Powell 1992, p. 7, (Section 7 – 5).

Bibliography

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Tower Theatre (Fresno, California) at Wikimedia Commons