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Paramount Theatre
Oakland Paramount Theatre exterior, 1975.jpg
Location 2025 Broadway
Oakland, California, USA
Coordinates 37°48′34″N 122°16′05″W / 37.809532°N 122.26805°W / 37.809532; -122.26805
Public transit Bay Area Rapid Transit 19th Street
Owner City of Oakland
Nonprofit
Type Indoor theater
Seating type Orchestra, balcony
Capacity 3,040
Construction
Opened 1931
Renovated 1973
Paramount Theatre
Paramount Fountain of Light.jpg
Grand Lobby interior, Fountain of Light over entrance and marquee
Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California) is located in Oakland, California
Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California)
Location in Oakland, California
Location Oakland, California
Area less than one acre
Built 1931
Architect Timothy Pflueger
Architectural style Art Deco
NRHP reference No. 73000395
Significant dates
Added to NRHP August 14, 1973
Designated NHL May 5, 1977

The Paramount Theatre is a beautiful concert hall in Downtown Oakland, California. It has 3,040 seats and is famous for its Art Deco style. When it first opened in 1931, it was the biggest multi-purpose theater on the West Coast.

Today, the Paramount Theatre is home to the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Oakland Ballet. It hosts many different kinds of shows. You can see R&B, jazz, blues, pop, rock, gospel, and classical music. It also features ballets, plays, stand-up comedy, special events, and classic Hollywood movies.

History of the Paramount Theatre

The Paramount Theatre was built as a grand "movie palace" during the 1920s. This was a time when movies were becoming very popular. In 1925, Paramount Pictures decided to build some of the best theaters. They chose Timothy L. Pflueger, a 38-year-old architect from San Francisco, to design the Oakland Paramount.

The theater cost $3 million to build and opened on December 16, 1931. Pflueger also designed the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. The Paramount's design is called Art Deco. This style became popular after a big art show in Paris in 1925. The term "Art Deco" itself wasn't used until the late 1960s.

The Paramount also had a special organ built by Wurlitzer. It was a huge organ with four keyboards and many different sounds. It cost $20,000 in 1931.

Opening Night and Early Years

The grand opening on December 16, 1931, was a big event. Famous movie stars like Kay Francis attended. The first movie shown was The False Madonna. Important guests included California's governor, James Rolph, and Oakland's mayor.

Tickets cost 60 cents for a balcony seat and 85 cents for a seat closer to the stage. The show included a newsreel, a cartoon, and music from the Paramount's own 16-piece orchestra. There was also a live stage show with comedians, dancers, and a chorus line.

In June 1932, the Paramount Theatre had to close for almost a year. It was too expensive to run, costing over $27,000 each week. The idea of theaters having orchestras and big stage shows was ending. When it reopened in May 1933, it focused only on showing movies.

During the Great Depression and World War II, the Paramount was a popular spot. People enjoyed its comfortable seats and spacious lounges. In the 1950s, popcorn machines and candy counters were added. The theater also started showing new types of films, like the first CinemaScope movie, The Robe, in 1953.

Even with new movies, theaters faced challenges from television in the late 1950s. The Paramount tried to attract people with talent shows and prize nights. However, it closed again on September 15, 1970. Its last film was Let It Be with The Beatles.

Restoration and Reopening

In 1971, the movie The Candidate, starring Robert Redford, was filmed inside the Paramount. This gave people hope for the theater's future. In October 1972, the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association bought the Paramount for $1 million.

They started a big restoration project to bring the theater back to its original 1931 look. New, wider seats were installed, and there was more legroom between rows. A new carpet, just like the original, was laid. They also added two bars and a new box office.

The Paramount Theatre reopened on September 22, 1973, looking as grand as it did on opening night. The Oakland Symphony sold almost all its tickets for concerts there.

However, even with full houses, the theater was still expensive to run. In 1975, the Oakland Symphony gave the Paramount to the City of Oakland for just $1. In return, the symphony got to use the theater for free for 40 years.

When the Oakland Symphony faced financial problems in 1986, a group of seven citizens stepped in. They offered to manage the Paramount as a non-profit organization for the city. The city agreed, and this arrangement continues today.

Walking into the main lobby of the Paramount is like stepping back in time. It has beautiful gold decorations, a curving staircase, and glowing lights. You can take public tours of the theater on the first and third Saturdays of each month.

The Paramount Theatre is a very important building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It also became a California Historical Landmark in 1976 and a National Historic Landmark in 1977.

Photo gallery

  • Paramount

    The marquee in 2005, showing Elvis Costello

  • Paramount Lobby 1975

    The four-story Grand Lobby in 1975

  • Paramount Fountain of Light in Lobby

    The Fountain of Light above the entrance

  • Paramount ceiling

    Auditorium ceiling and balcony in 1932

  • Paramount Proscenium

    View from the balcony of the stage and seating

  • Paramount basement lounge

    Basement lounge with unique designs

  • Paramount mezzanine foyer

    Mezzanine-level foyer

  • Paramount Mens Lounge

    Men's lounge on the mezzanine level

  • Paramount Ladies Lounge foyer

    Women's lounge foyer in the basement

  • Paramount Ladies Lounge

    Women's Smoking Room in the basement

  • Paramount basement plan

    Architect's plan for the basement

  • Paramount 1st floor plan

    Architect's plan for the first floor

  • Paramount mezzanine plan

    Architect's plan for the mezzanine

  • Paramount longitudinal section

    Architect's side view drawing

  • Grid-ceiling-detail-Paramount

    Detail of the special ceiling grid

  • Oakland Paramount facade mosaic detail 1

    Mosaic detail on the outside of the building

  • Oakland Paramount facade mosaic detail 2

    Another mosaic detail on the facade

  • Paramount Theatre Oakland Women's Lounge

    Detail inside the Women's Lounge

Main Events and Performances

Symphony and Ballet Performances

The Paramount Theatre is a key venue for classical music and dance. Michael Morgan was the music director for the Oakland East Bay Symphony from 1990 until 2021. The symphony often performs sold-out shows here.

In December 2007, the Oakland Ballet celebrated the 35th anniversary of Ronn Guidi's Nutcracker. The ballet was performed at the Paramount, with Michael Morgan conducting Tchaikovsky's famous music.

Concerts by Famous Artists

Since the mid-1970s, the Paramount has hosted many famous musicians. Artists like Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, and James Brown have performed here. Other notable performers include Diana Ross, Bonnie Raitt, Al Green, Lionel Richie, B.B. King, Alicia Keys, and Elvis Costello.

Here are some highlights from the many concerts held at the Paramount:

Stand-Up Comedy Shows

The Paramount Theatre is also a popular spot for stand-up comedy. Many well-known comedians have performed here.

Black Comedy Explosion Series

This series featured many top comedians:

Live Stage Plays

The Paramount has hosted many exciting live plays.

Classic Movie Nights

In 1987, the Paramount started showing movies again, just like in its early days. They showed The General (1926), a silent film, with the Wurlitzer organ playing live music.

In 1988, Casablanca (1942) launched the first regular movie series. Other classic films shown include:

The Paramount Movie Classics series continues to show classic films throughout the year. Many guests and staff members even dress up as movie characters for these fun events!

Other Events and Gatherings

Since 2001, Oakland's Temple Sinai holds its main High Holy Days services at the Paramount. The large theater can fit many people for these important religious events.

Notable Special Events

The Paramount Theatre has been the site of many special events.

  • Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame: This group was founded in Oakland in 1973. They held elegant events at the Paramount to honor film legends like Hattie McDaniel and Danny Glover. In 2001, Harry Belafonte and Diahann Carroll were inducted here.
  • 1995: Poet Maya Angelou read from her work at a benefit event.
  • 1999: Actress Halle Berry attended the premiere of her film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.
  • 2007: Ron Dellums was sworn in as Oakland's 48th mayor in a public ceremony at the theater. About 1,900 people attended.
  • 2011: The premiere for the movie Moneyball was held here. The cast and some Oakland Athletics baseball players were there.
  • 2012: The silent film Napoléon was shown over four days. It was a very long film (5.5 hours!) with a live orchestra playing the music.

See also

  • Alameda Theatre (Alameda, California)
  • Fox Oakland Theater
  • Grand Lake Theater
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