Streamlined theaters of ‘moderne’ movie magic

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” – Frank Gehry – Source: brainyquote.com

Listed below are some of the nation’s most iconic movie theaters that feature Streamline Moderne architecture. Related to art deco, Streamline Moderne was employed principally in the 1930s and 40s as a more economical alternative due to the advent of the Great Depression and World War II. It served as a transitional design between art deco and mid-century modern and is often portrayed through sleekness and curvature to portray a sense of aerodynamics and speed.

As the images below attest, the Streamline Moderne style of architecture can also include a hearty salute towards the heavens with pylon towers extending skyward. While the theaters are listed by year of completion, as the Alex Theatre below notes, the tower adornment may have been added at a later date.

To this avid fan of theaters (or “theatres”), the Tower Theatre in Sacramento, the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California, the Normal Theatre in Illinois, and the Academy Theatre in Inglewood, California are among the most visually breathtaking structures in the nation. Fortunately for all of us, a number of these dynamic structures have been preserved through preservation efforts and/or adaptive reuse, though many are no longer utilized solely as theaters.

Enjoy the magical images throughout the post as representations of this most fascinating design. Peace!

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Alex Theatre (1925/tower added 1940) – Glendale, California = 100 feet tall

Tower Theatre (1926/tower added 1931) – Miami, Florida – 40 foot pylon tower rises above the theater roof

Lincoln Theatre (1936) – Miami Beach, Florida

Tower Theatre (1936) – Compton, California – Sadly, the tower, sign, and marquee have all been removed.

Tower Theatre (1936) – Houston, Texas – now Doc’s jazz performance venue

Landis Theatre (1937) – Vineland, New Jersey

Liberty Theatre (1937) – Ellensburg, Washington

Tower Theatre (1937) – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Tower Theatre (1937-1998) Corpus Christi, Texas = 51 foot tower sign – the tower sign was saved before the building was demolished in 1998

Kallet Theatre (1938) – Oneida, New York

Tower Theatre (1938) – Sacramento, California = 100 foot tall pylon tower

Tower Theatre (1939) – Fresno, California = 80 foot tall finned pylon tower

Grand Theatre (1940) – San. Francisco, California

Tower Theatre (1940) – Bend, Oregon ~ 78 foot tall sign above the roof

Ross Ragland Theatre (1940) – Klamath Falls, Oregon = 97 foot tall tower, including 12 foot spire

20th Century Theatre (1941) – Cincinnati, Ohio

Edison Theatre (1941) – Fort Myers, Florida

Orinda Theatre (1941) – Orinda, California

Fremont Theatre (1942) – San Luis Obispo, California

Del Oro Theatre (1942) – Grass Valley, California ~ 70 foot tall pylon sign

Tower Theatre (1946) – Marysville, California

Will Rogers Theatre (1946) – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Brook Theatre (1946) – Tulsa, Oklahoma

Culver/Kirk Douglas Theatre (1946) – Culver City, California

Mulkey Theatre (1946) – Clarendon, Texas

Village Theatre (1947) – Coronado, California

Boomer Theatre (1947) – Norman, Oklahoma

Circle Theatre (1947) – Dallas, Texas – the tower is now gone

Huish Reel Theatre (1947) – Richfield, Utah

Tower Theatre (1947 as the Park-In) – Springfield, Missouri – the tower and marquee include streamline moderne elements.

Alameda Theatre (1949) – San Antonio, Texas = 85 foot tall marquee sign

Galion Theatre (1949) – Galion, Ohio

State Theatre (1949) – Traverse City, Michigan

Edna Theatre (1950) – Edna, Texas = 60 foot tall pylon marquee sign

Hiland Theatre (1950) – Albuquerque, New Mexico – Another example of streamline moderne elements being emphasized in the signage and marquee.

Clyde Theatre (1951) – Fort Wayne, Indiana – the replica sign was installed in 2018

SOURCES:

• https://www.visitokc.com/listing/tower-theatre/2089/
• https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32999-d17237738-Reviews-The_Tower_Theatre-Sacramento_California.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Theater_(Pennsylvania)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Theatre_(Fresno,_California)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Theatre_(Bend,_Oregon)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Theatre_(Sacramento,_California)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Theater_(Miami,_Florida)
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/del-oro-theatre
• https://ndi-nm.org/hiland-theater/history-of-the-hiland-theater/
• https://noehill.com/yuba/nat1999000692.aspx
• https://www.nmhistoricpreservation.org/assets/files/historic-contexts-and-reports/Movie-Theaters-in-New-Mexico-MPDF-Final-Sent-to-NPS.pdf
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/412764338844049/posts/24629292583431220/
• https://www.retrometrookc.org/tower-theatre/
• https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/11754
• https://www.405magazine.com/boomer-and-bust/
• https://ednatheatre.com/about/historical-information
• https://www.caller.com/story/news/special-reports/building-our-future/throwback/2020/07/08/corpus-christi-tower-theater-landmark-six-points/5390734002/
• https://clydetheatre.com/our-story/
• https://6abc.com/post/iconic-tower-removed-from-tower-theater-/5464901/
• https://www.houstoniamag.com/home-and-real-estate/2024/01/tower-theatre-houston-building-ideas
• gemini.google.ai
• https://ndi-nm.org/hiland-theater/
• https://www.fremontslo.com/venue/
• https://www.fremontslo.com/history/
• https://www.the20thcenturytheater.com/about-us/
• https://fresnotowertheater.com/past-events-artist-list/
• https://coconutgrovespotlight.com/2026/01/12/miami-moves-to-revive-tower-theater-in-little-havana/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Theatre_(Inglewood,_California)
• https://www.modernluxury.com/docs-houston-revives-the-tower-theater/
• https://losangelestheatres.blogspot.com/2020/06/tower-compton.html
• https://www.usmodernist.org/archart/the-apple-tower-theatre-in-l-a-from-traditional-building/index.html#:~:text=Charles%20Lee%20designed%20the%20Tower%20Theatre%20in,straight%20up%E2%80%94by%20adding%20a%20150%2Dfoot%2Dtall%20clock%20tower.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Theatre
• https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/object-lesson-spire-atop-ragland-theater/article_1b764290-b3ce-52bf-858e-462cbec23016.html
• https://www.roadarch.com/theatres/in3.html
• http://www.cinematreasures.com
• http://www.roadarch.com
• https://www.roadarch.com/theatres/fl2.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20060208014715/http://www.lakewoodtheater.com/history/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_Theater
• https://www.roadarch.com/theatres/il8.html
• https://www.roadarch.com/theatres/nj.html
• https://www.roadarch.com/theatres/ny2.html
• https://www.roadarch.com/theatres/oh3.html

#architecture #art #cinema #cities #film #fun #history #landUse #marquee #movies #pylon #sign #streamlineModerne #theaters #TowerTheater #travel

Pylon, Walthamstow Marshes

#photography #urbanphotography #urban #london #sky #clouds #industrial #pylon #architecture

All along the Leaway

#London #photography #landscape #reflection #NightPhotography #photoMonday #FotoMontag #RiverLea #pylon

I lost my lens cloth somewhere in a tunnel with some smelly and suspicious activities going on…we decided not to stay there 🫣.

Luckily, I had more lens wipes with me, but the drizzle was faster than my cleaning.

#photography #nightphotography #Utrecht #drizzle #pylon