Tower Theatre (Fresno, California) facts for kids
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Tower Theatre (1939-80)
McHatton's Tower Theatre (1980-89) |
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Exterior of venue (c.2011)
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| Address | 815 E Olive Ave Fresno, CA 93728-3332 |
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| Owner | City of Fresno |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | 761 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | December 15, 1939 |
| Reopened | March 13, 1990 |
| Rebuilt | 1989-90 |
| Architect | S. Charles Lee |
| Website | |
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Tower Theatre
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| Location | Fresno, CA |
| Built | 1939 |
| Architect | S. Charles Lee |
| Architectural style | Streamline Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001276 |
| Added to NRHP | September 24, 1992 |
The Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts is a famous old theater in Fresno, California. It was built in 1939 and opened its doors on December 15, 1939. The theater was designed by S. Charles Lee. Its tall tower was inspired by a famous "Star Pylon" at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
The building has a special look called Streamline Moderne. This style uses smooth, curved shapes and long lines, like a fast train or ship. The Tower Theatre was first used for showing movies. In 1990, it was fixed up and reopened as a place for live shows and performances.
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History of the Tower Theatre
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The Tower Theatre is located in a part of Fresno that started to become a popular shopping area around 1923. People began talking about building a theater here as early as 1927.
The first idea for the theater was shared on December 3, 1938, in The Fresno Bee newspaper. Fox West Coast Theater Corporation and A. Emory Wishon suggested building a $200,000 theater. It would be similar to the Ritz Theatre in Westwood, Los Angeles, which was also designed by S. Charles Lee. This theater would be built on land owned by the Wishon family, which was a playground at the time.
A second, larger plan was made in early 1939 by Thomas F. Chase, but it was never built. A third, smaller plan for a $65,000 theater was made around April 1939 for Redwood Theatres, Inc.. William David was the architect for this idea, but it also did not happen.
Building permits were finally given on May 11, 1939, for a Wishon/Fox theater. This design was much smaller than the first idea and was called "The Ritz" in secret. S. Charles Lee designed it, and it was expected to cost $100,000. Construction started right away with the company Trewhitt, Shields and Fisher.
The original plan for the tower was changed by Lee in August 1939. The new tower was 80 feet (24 meters) tall. It looked like the 130-foot (40-meter) "Star Pylon" from the 1939 New York World's Fair. That pylon was designed to represent the power of electricity.
On December 14, 1939, the theater was officially named the "Tower Theatre." It opened with a special party for important local people and those connected to Fox Theaters. They watched the movie Balalaika. The theater opened to the public the next day, showing the films Dancing Co-Ed and Henry Goes Arizona.
After A. Emory Wishon passed away in 1948, his family sold the theater to a company owned by Fox Theaters. In 1954, the theater was updated for CinemaScope movies. This meant removing a false stage front.
In 1980, the theater stopped showing brand-new movies. Instead, it started showing older movies that had been popular before. For several years, it also showed foreign films. But in 1989, the theater closed because it was losing money.
A special project began to restore the theater and its shops. After this restoration, the theater reopened as the "Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts." This restoration won awards from the California Preservation Foundation and the San Joaquin Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Today, a group called Fresno Filmworks shows independent movies at the Tower Theatre once a month. The theater also hosts the yearly Fresno Film Festival.
Why the Tower Theatre is Historic
The Tower Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 24, 1992. This means it is a very important building in American history. It was chosen for its special architecture for a few reasons:
- It was built at the end of the Great Depression when the Streamline Moderne style was very popular.
- It was the only building designed by S. Charles Lee in Fresno. It shows his style for movie theaters in neighborhoods.
- It is one of only six old theaters left in Fresno. It's the only one with its own parking lot and the only one built in a neighborhood outside the main downtown area.
The theater is also listed on Fresno's Local Register of Historic Resources as property 190.
Design and Location
The Tower Theatre is in a neighborhood called the "Tower District," named after the theater itself. It is located at the corner of North Wishon and East Olive Avenues.
The building covers about 20,000 square feet (1,858 square meters) of land. It is shaped like an arrowhead. The main theater hall, which is like the shaft of the arrow, is set at an angle to the streets. The two parts of the building on the sides have shops. The theater and its parking lot originally covered a whole 2.12-acre (0.86-hectare) block.
The building has an 80-foot (24-meter) tall concrete tower. This tower is lit up with neon lights and has a special glowing orb at the top. A large sign, called a marquee, sticks out over the entrance. It looks like it's held up by a hexagonal box office where tickets are sold.
The Tower Theatre was designed in the Streamline Moderne style. This style uses smooth, curved lines and a modern look. It was the only building in Fresno designed by S. Charles Lee.
A Dutch artist named Anthony Heinsbergen created the beautiful murals on the theater's ceiling and walls. These murals show "Leda and Swan" and "Vine" designs. The Tower Theatre was only the second theater in the United States to have murals painted with special fluorescent paint that glowed under ultraviolet lights. The first theater to try this was Lee's Academy Theatre in Inglewood, California.
The theater also has a cool etched-glass panel in the middle. It's almost an exact copy of a famous artwork called "The Huntsman" from 1927.
See also
