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Cinema Treasures: A New Look at Classic Movie Theaters
More than 100 years after the first movie delighted audiences, movie theaters remain the last great community centers and one of the few amusements any family can afford. While countless books have been devoted to films and their stars, none have attempted a truly definitive history of those magical venues that have transported moviegoers since the beginning of the last century. In this stunningly illustrated book, film industry insiders Ross Melnick and Andreas Fuchs take readers from the nickelodeon to the megaplex and show how changes in moviemaking and political, social, and technological forces (e.g., war, depression, the baby boom, the VCR) have influenced the way we see movies. Photographs from archives like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and movie theater ephemera (postcards, period ads, matchbooks, and even a "barf bag") sourced from private collections complement Melnick's informative and engaging history. Also included throughout the book are Fuchs' profiles detailing 25 classic movie theaters that have been restored and renovated and which continue to operate today. Each of these two-page spreads is illustrated with marvelous modern photographs, many taken by top architectural photographers. The result is a fabulous look at one way in which Americans continue to come together as a nation. A timeline throughout places the developments described in a broader historical context.
"Humble or grandiose, stand-alone or strung together, movie theaters are places where dreams are born. Once upon a time, they were treated with the respect they deserve. In their heyday, historian Ross Melnick and exhibitor Andreas Fuchs write in Cinema Treasures, openings of new motion-picture pleasure palaces that would have dazzled Kubla Khan 'received enormous attention in newspapers around the country. On top of the publicity they generated, their debuts were treated like the gala openings of new operas or exhibits, with critics weighing in on everything from the interior and exterior design to the orchestra.' Handsomely produced and extensively illustrated, Cinema Treasures is detailed without being dull and thoroughly at home with this often neglected subject matter. Its title would have you believe it is a celebration of the golden age of movie theaters. But this book is something completely different: an examination of the history of movie exhibition, which the authors accurately call 'a vastly under-researched topic.'" - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
"We've had a number of beautiful books about the great movie palaces, and even some individual volumes that pay tribute to surviving theaters around the country. This is the first book I can recall that focuses on the survivors, from coast to coast, and puts them into historical context. Sumptuously produced in an oversized format, on heavy coated paper stock, this beautiful book offers a lively history of movie theaters in America , an impressive array of photos and memorabilia, and a heartening survey of the landmarks in our midst, from the majestic Fox Tucson Theatre in Tucson, Arizona to the charming jewel-box that is the Avon in Stamford, Connecticut. I don't know why, but I never tire of gazing at black & white photos of marquees from the past; they evoke the era of moviemaking (and moviegoing) I care about the most, and this book is packed with them. Cinema Treasures is indeed a treasure, and a perfect gift item for the holiday season. - Leonard Maltin
"Humble or grandiose, stand-alone or strung together, movie theaters are places where dreams are born. Once upon a time, they were treated with the respect they deserve. In their heyday, historian Ross Melnick and exhibitor Andreas Fuchs write in Cinema Treasures, openings of new motion-picture pleasure palaces that would have dazzled Kubla Khan 'received enormous attention in newspapers around the country. On top of the publicity they generated, their debuts were treated like the gala openings of new operas or exhibits, with critics weighing in on everything from the interior and exterior design to the orchestra.' Handsomely produced and extensively illustrated, Cinema Treasures is detailed without being dull and thoroughly at home with this often neglected subject matter. Its title would have you believe it is a celebration of the golden age of movie theaters. But this book is something completely different: an examination of the history of movie exhibition, which the authors accurately call 'a vastly under-researched topic.'" - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
"We've had a number of beautiful books about the great movie palaces, and even some individual volumes that pay tribute to surviving theaters around the country. This is the first book I can recall that focuses on the survivors, from coast to coast, and puts them into historical context. Sumptuously produced in an oversized format, on heavy coated paper stock, this beautiful book offers a lively history of movie theaters in America , an impressive array of photos and memorabilia, and a heartening survey of the landmarks in our midst, from the majestic Fox Tucson Theatre in Tucson, Arizona to the charming jewel-box that is the Avon in Stamford, Connecticut. I don't know why, but I never tire of gazing at black & white photos of marquees from the past; they evoke the era of moviemaking (and moviegoing) I care about the most, and this book is packed with them. Cinema Treasures is indeed a treasure, and a perfect gift item for the holiday season. - Leonard Maltin
208 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2004
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October 7, 2023
This book provides a comprehensive history of the American Movie theater from its beginnings in the silent movie era of hastily built Nickelodeons up to 2005 when the megaplex theater form had spread across the landscape. It is profusely illustrated, very well-researched, and written in a captivating, wise, and accessible style.
The authors started the www.cinematreasures.org website, an encyclopedic, sprawling website full of community-contributed theater history and photos, and they are extremely knowledgeable about the topic of movie exhibition. This book does not focus on any particular aspect of movie theaters but actually expertly covers theater history from every angle possible. It is full of movie theater architectural development and traces the theater from improvised Nickelodeons for projecting films in repurposed spaces, through the glory days of the 1920s when studios and showmen like Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel built lavish movie palace auditoriums dripping in the architecture of fantasy, on through the post-war Drive In era, and then up to the present time of mall-based theaters and megaplexes. Their illustrations and descriptions seem to take it all in, from the Mediterranean village atmosphere of the “atmospheric” theaters of architect John Eberson, to the layouts of multiplexes, from the invention of cup holders to the spread of stadium seating.
The book is also full of information about movie theaters throughout the past century with movie ticket sales figures, average movie ticket prices, box office figures, and statistics that chart the rise and fall of the number of theaters. The book covers all the major events in movie theater history like the Supreme Court breakup of the studio ownership of theaters after WWII, the rise of television initially as competition for American eyeballs but then as a necessary conduit for movie theater advertising around the time of “Jaws” and the twinning and multiplying of auditoria within theater complexes to host ever-larger lineups of films. It describes the “roadshow”, charts the rise and fall of the studio system, and gives many, many insightful, moving, witty, and thoughtful quotations from throughout the history of theaters from theater industry figures, industry publications, and other movie theater histories. It is in short an amalgamation of movie theater history and nostalgia that has no equal.
The format of the book is large and pictorial, but the text that flows alongside the pictures is just as fascinating and as beautiful as the many illustrations of beautiful movie palaces. There are 9 chapters each covering about 10 or 20 years in the history of motion picture exhibition, and each chapter concludes with a “curtain call” of theaters which have been demolished or repurposed and that is followed by one or more profiles of theaters from the era that live on as commercial movie theaters, family-run theaters, or non-profit arts venues. Some are well-known - the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles is among them - but others are obscure and will be new to most readers. Small venues cherished by a community and spotlighted by this wonderful book.
The introduction of this book promises to give “a broad industrial and social history of ‘mainstream’ commercial theatrical motion picture exhibition in the United States from roughly 1905 to 2005 … and engage in a discussion of where the industry has been, where it is today, and where it may be headed” and that it does. This is much more than a book about movie theaters because the authors understand that movie theaters are wrapped up in communities, in the business of film and entertainment, and they are part of an industry that has had ups and downs and has had to adapt to changing times. The book brilliantly gives the history of the movie theater but also includes much other material about filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors, and patrons because they are all part of this story. Once the theater itself became a part of the show, a part of the entertainment, there was no way to separate out the film studios and the fans from this story and it’s all in here. This book documents the life of the country through the lens of the movie theater.
The authors started the www.cinematreasures.org website, an encyclopedic, sprawling website full of community-contributed theater history and photos, and they are extremely knowledgeable about the topic of movie exhibition. This book does not focus on any particular aspect of movie theaters but actually expertly covers theater history from every angle possible. It is full of movie theater architectural development and traces the theater from improvised Nickelodeons for projecting films in repurposed spaces, through the glory days of the 1920s when studios and showmen like Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel built lavish movie palace auditoriums dripping in the architecture of fantasy, on through the post-war Drive In era, and then up to the present time of mall-based theaters and megaplexes. Their illustrations and descriptions seem to take it all in, from the Mediterranean village atmosphere of the “atmospheric” theaters of architect John Eberson, to the layouts of multiplexes, from the invention of cup holders to the spread of stadium seating.
The book is also full of information about movie theaters throughout the past century with movie ticket sales figures, average movie ticket prices, box office figures, and statistics that chart the rise and fall of the number of theaters. The book covers all the major events in movie theater history like the Supreme Court breakup of the studio ownership of theaters after WWII, the rise of television initially as competition for American eyeballs but then as a necessary conduit for movie theater advertising around the time of “Jaws” and the twinning and multiplying of auditoria within theater complexes to host ever-larger lineups of films. It describes the “roadshow”, charts the rise and fall of the studio system, and gives many, many insightful, moving, witty, and thoughtful quotations from throughout the history of theaters from theater industry figures, industry publications, and other movie theater histories. It is in short an amalgamation of movie theater history and nostalgia that has no equal.
The format of the book is large and pictorial, but the text that flows alongside the pictures is just as fascinating and as beautiful as the many illustrations of beautiful movie palaces. There are 9 chapters each covering about 10 or 20 years in the history of motion picture exhibition, and each chapter concludes with a “curtain call” of theaters which have been demolished or repurposed and that is followed by one or more profiles of theaters from the era that live on as commercial movie theaters, family-run theaters, or non-profit arts venues. Some are well-known - the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles is among them - but others are obscure and will be new to most readers. Small venues cherished by a community and spotlighted by this wonderful book.
The introduction of this book promises to give “a broad industrial and social history of ‘mainstream’ commercial theatrical motion picture exhibition in the United States from roughly 1905 to 2005 … and engage in a discussion of where the industry has been, where it is today, and where it may be headed” and that it does. This is much more than a book about movie theaters because the authors understand that movie theaters are wrapped up in communities, in the business of film and entertainment, and they are part of an industry that has had ups and downs and has had to adapt to changing times. The book brilliantly gives the history of the movie theater but also includes much other material about filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors, and patrons because they are all part of this story. Once the theater itself became a part of the show, a part of the entertainment, there was no way to separate out the film studios and the fans from this story and it’s all in here. This book documents the life of the country through the lens of the movie theater.
May 24, 2011
A nice overview of cinema history and a wealth of historic photos, in a "coffee table book" format. Nothing particularly in depth or insightful, but a grand celebration of movie theatres.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews