Cinema Treasures: A New Look at Classic Movie Theaters by Ross Melnick  (9)
$26.40
|
Movie Palaces (Architecture and Film, 1) by Ave Pildas  (2)
$21.86
|
The Show Starts on the Sidewalk: An Architectural History of the Movie Theatre, Starring S. Charles Lee by Maggie Valentine (3)
$27.00
|
Theatres of San Francisco (CA) (Images of America) by Jack Tillmany  (4)
$15.99
|
Theatres in Los Angeles (Images of America: California) by Suzanne Tarbell Cooper  (2)
$14.99
|
This item is not eligible for Amazon Prime, but millions of other items are. Join Amazon Prime today. Already a member? Sign in.
|
|||||||||||||
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Editorial Reviews
Midwest Book Review
Enhanced with an informative and highly readable introduction by Stephen Silverman, The Last Remaining Seats is a photographical tour-de-force of classic motion picture theatres from the golden age of Hollywood and the silver screen, when going to the movies was an esthetic experience long before the lights went down and the screen lit up. These "movie palaces" were architectural wonders of art, decor, imagery to excite the visitor and give an almost "temple" or "cathedral" experience of worship, a feeling that transformed a mundane entertainment into a weekly pilgrimage. The Last Remaining Seats documents an era now gone -- but not forgotten in the memories of those of us who are old enough to remember how hard times were left outside while dreams were spun in the darkness for all who had the price of a ten cent ticket.
Interiors
An unsurprising number of these theaters went bankrupt not long after their klieg-lit opening nights. Berger and Conser spent six years documenting the surviving follies around Los Angeles, and selected 16 of the most extravagant for this collection. The architectural-style names alone are worth the admission price: "Zigzag Moderne," "Movie Palace Rococo," "Aquarium Decco, with a smattering of Botticelli." So are the amber-tone detail shots and sweeps of interior dreamwork, with pagodas rising over a snack stand and Egyptian scarabs crowning a proscenium. Fortunately, evidence of peeling, fading, and bad repair work has not been cropped out. The brief texts cover premieres of important movies like Citizen Kane and Charlie Chaplin's City Lights and equally prophetic debuts of live performers like Frances Gumm (later Judy Garland), followed by declines into abandonment with the rest of L.A.'s downtown. (Scholars, though, may be frustrated by the inconsistent details about the interior motifs, alterations, and current uses of buildings). A helpful addendum gives addresses for the 16 theaters highlighted, plus 4 more that behind unspoiled facades-have been ravaged into retail stores.
See all Editorial Reviews
Enhanced with an informative and highly readable introduction by Stephen Silverman, The Last Remaining Seats is a photographical tour-de-force of classic motion picture theatres from the golden age of Hollywood and the silver screen, when going to the movies was an esthetic experience long before the lights went down and the screen lit up. These "movie palaces" were architectural wonders of art, decor, imagery to excite the visitor and give an almost "temple" or "cathedral" experience of worship, a feeling that transformed a mundane entertainment into a weekly pilgrimage. The Last Remaining Seats documents an era now gone -- but not forgotten in the memories of those of us who are old enough to remember how hard times were left outside while dreams were spun in the darkness for all who had the price of a ten cent ticket.
Interiors
An unsurprising number of these theaters went bankrupt not long after their klieg-lit opening nights. Berger and Conser spent six years documenting the surviving follies around Los Angeles, and selected 16 of the most extravagant for this collection. The architectural-style names alone are worth the admission price: "Zigzag Moderne," "Movie Palace Rococo," "Aquarium Decco, with a smattering of Botticelli." So are the amber-tone detail shots and sweeps of interior dreamwork, with pagodas rising over a snack stand and Egyptian scarabs crowning a proscenium. Fortunately, evidence of peeling, fading, and bad repair work has not been cropped out. The brief texts cover premieres of important movies like Citizen Kane and Charlie Chaplin's City Lights and equally prophetic debuts of live performers like Frances Gumm (later Judy Garland), followed by declines into abandonment with the rest of L.A.'s downtown. (Scholars, though, may be frustrated by the inconsistent details about the interior motifs, alterations, and current uses of buildings). A helpful addendum gives addresses for the 16 theaters highlighted, plus 4 more that behind unspoiled facades-have been ravaged into retail stores.
See all Editorial Reviews
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Inside This Book Citations: This book cites 11 books | 3 books that cite this book Explore: Citations | Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Key Phrases - SIPs: ceiling detail, wall detail Key Phrases - CAPs: Los Angeles, Albert Lansburgh, Million Dollar, Sid Grauman, Charles Lee (more) Browse Sample Pages: Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | |