Tower Theater
A Sacramento Treasure
Tower Theater
The beginnings of the Tower Theater started with the Blumenfeld Theater Chain. This entertainment business was headed by Max Blumenfeld, who started showing movies starring Charlie Chaplin in 1917 in North Beach. From there on he and his family have opened theaters all over California and became one of the most prominent motion picture exhibitor by the 1930s. Art Deco in America was a mixture of modern architecture, art, and cinema in the 1920s and 1930s. It is also parallel to the Machine Age, which included the growing interest in industrial design and newly available materials. Although many movements have philosophical or political attachments, Art Deco was purely decorative. The most significant features of Art Deco are the playful usage of geometric shapes and lines.
The History Behind Tower Theater
Tower Theater is a historical Sacramento landmark. Located in the Tower district, the structure stands on the corner of Land Park and Broadway. This monumental building was built in 1937 and opened to the public in 1938. The building was built in the era of Art Deco, a time that marveled modernism. At same time of Art Deco, came the phenomenon of movie magic. In this structure is a piece of history that embodies the influence of pop culture, new technology and modern architecture.
Design
The Tower Theater was designed by an architect named William B. David. The architect formed William B. David & Associates, a theater architectural firm. William B. David did several theaters with the Blumenfelds, including Esquire Theater in Sacramento and Eureka Theaters in Eureka and Marysville. The Tower Theater started construction in 1937 and opened up for business in 1938. It is made of reinforced concrete and steel. The building covers 110x208 feet of area. The lobby area was original in design in that it was circular. The initial floor was made of colored terrazzo. The entrance is encompassed by an elliptical foyer and welcomed with three sets of glass double doors. The walls and ceiling was lined with material that deadened the sound to improve its acoustics. Additional newly discovered technology included refrigeration and heating system that vented through eight large openings. In the beginning, it was built with one screen and seating for 1,000.
Interesting Facts
In 1972, the one large screen was divided into three screens with seating for 1,150. In 2005, a neighboring business of Tower Theater suffered a fire and as result caused smoke damage to the building. The most damage the theater has seen was the tower's slide down two feet when it became loose from its moorings in 1985. Luckily, because of a beam that architect William B. David demanded to build under the tower for support, the tower suffered minor damage and the interior was safe. The current state of the theater is tolerable. In a recent visit to the theater, I found that the seats were almost warn down to the coil, the floors were a questionable color, and even the atmosphere seemed gloomy. Management of the theater has been passed to several owners and it has remained unattended to. Renovations have been pushed back year after by owners without any hope to see it through. There have been alliances such as the Tower District Alliance but have not been able to make progress. Recent articles have stated that the Blumenfelds would like to keep the legacy of their family but action has yet to be taken. The reason many would like to save the Tower Theater is because of the piece of American history it holds on Sacramento's Broadway.
Why Keep the Tower Theater?
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