Some people would tear down a beautiful historic movie theater just, just …” says 43-year-old Robert Bucksbaum, a single-screen movie theater owner. He hesitates over the words. “Just to make money!”

That was never his goal. On a fly-fishing trip in the California Sierras in the fall of 2000, Bucksbaum bought a circa-1950s single-screen movie theater in nearby Wofford Heights for $150,000. Almost two years later, he bought the Crest, a beloved 1941 Westwood neighborhood theater in a suburb of Los Angeles, for $3.2 million. “They were going to make it into an Islamic mosque, a swap meet or a nightclub,” he says. “I had to do something.”

Theaters in need of rescue include the Gillioz in Spring-field, Mo., below, and the 1925 Fox Fullerton, center. Until a donor gave $1 million at the end of 2004, it look-ed like curtains for the Fox, which features dimensional plasterwork in the Italian Renaissance style, far right. Its architects created many historic California buildings including the Egyptian, as well as the Grauman’s Chinese theaters. Previous page: A stunning example of a great rescue is the 1927 Coronado Theater in Rockford, Ill., which received the National Honor Award from the National Trust of Historic Preservation. (Click image to enlarge)

Like many people in this story, Bucksbaum believes enjoying a show should be like a visit to Oz. The difference between taking in a movie in a grand single-screen theater and a multiplex is the difference between haute cuisine and a Big Mac.

“A theater should be as magical and exciting as what is on the screen,” agrees Joe Musil, the theater designer who repackaged the Crest with a dazzling $3 million renovation for Disney Studios, designed Paris’ Fantasia Theatre and restored the El Capitan in Hollywood. “It should transport you to another time and place.” The Crest, he explains, came after the Golden Age of movie palaces. From 1915 to 1930, architects like John Eberson, Thomas Lamb and brothers C.W. and George Rapp—the Beethovens of movie theater design—were designing some of America’s most interesting and evocative architecture, and they were commissioned by bold and daring entrepreneurs such as Adolph Zukor, Samuel Rothafel and Sid Grauman. In these ritzy palaces, moviegoers were treated like royalty for the price of admission. Uniformed ushers waltzed across plush carpeting and powder room attendants handed out heated towels.The theater’s gradual decline came in the 1930s when Europe’s classical Beaux Arts training came to a close, the Depression struck, antitrust movements against the film industry were heating up and radio arrived. While fewer theaters were breaking ground, Art Deco and Art Moderne styles —glamorous but less expensive to build —were gaining in popularity.

The auditorium of the Coronado Theater, left, is a Spanish-Moorish–style “atmospheric.” The City of Rockford, Ill. bought it and provided $7 million for renovations. Local supporters purchased a neighboring building to enlarge the theater’s stage and raised $11 million in two years. (Click image to enlarge)

The Crest, however, originally was a simple structure, once owned by the Henry Fonda family and boasted a stage for film star appearances. Completed after the Musil/Disney redo, its architecture is reminiscent of the works of S. Charles Lee, who built dazzling Art Deco and thematic atmospherics around Los Angeles during that period. The Crest is an “atmospheric” design, with a star-studded ceiling and three-dimensional murals—all of which transport the audience to an outdoor garden with cypress trees. Disney Studios paid for the restoration so it had a premiere-and first-run-worthy venue for their films.

Bucksbaum spent New Year’s Eve 2000 removing dozens of dead pigeons from the top of the Crest marquee. Its 5,000 twinkling multicolored neon bulbs, contribute to the theater’s $4,000 monthly electric bill. In time, he spent about $140,000 to improve the sound, lighting and seating. Beneath the ceiling’s celestially accurate stars, the theater owner—with the help of his 6-year-old sons—takes tickets, makes popcorn, officiates over weekend drawings and arranges live music. The theater has an old-fashioned neighborhood feel again.While the seats are filled, Bucksbaum’s bank account is not. Luckily, he’s able to make a living operating Reel Source, a box office data firm. Advising theaters about which films to show gives him some leverage in terms of securing good bookings, one of the deadliest problems facing independents. In this respect, he considers his theaters to be laboratory experiments. “Even if I were the most imaginative, brilliant man alive, I could not break even considering what it cost to buy [the theater] in the first place,” Bucksbaum says.

Now the movie palace is a premier facility. Few of the striking Fox theaters of the 1930s remain. However, preservationists raised $3.5 million and now own the Fox Fullerton. (Click image to enlarge)

According to experts, these old-timey theaters are labors of love. “If you show motion pictures only, it’s near impossible for the independent to make a profit,” says Shan Sayles, a semiretired independent theater owner in Carmel by the Sea, Calif.

Still, Bucksbaum has no regrets. Just like Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life, he finds joy in giving back to the community. “My reward is sharing the excitement on people’s faces when they walk into our gorgeous auditorium.”

Since 1988, a less Capraesque drama has been taking place in Pasadena’s trendy downtown. Similar to plots that are playing out across America is the story behind the 1921 Beaux Arts Raymond Theatre, which was saved by a determined band of preservationists. While the drama continues today, it seems as if the Raymond’s life as a theater may be irrevocably altered soon.The preservationists, led by Gina Zamparelli and Sue Mossman—former Raymond theater manager and executive director of Pasadena Heritage, respectively— saved the building by campaigning to list it on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately, the City of Pasadena can protect only the exterior.

Some plasterwork in the 1903 Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Mass., has survived. Designated a National Historic Treasure, the theater will host a variety of arts, educational and entertainment events, and classic and foreign films. (Click image to enlarge)

Mossman, like the National Trust and most preservationists, believes that the reuse of historic theaters should be approached carefully so that one day the structure might be returned to its original use. “If [Raymond owner] Gene Buchanan carries out his plans, the interior will be gutted and lost forever,” Mossman says.

Designed by local architect Cyril Bennett, the Raymond Theatre once hosted 1,800 guests for live performances, silent films, talkies and concerts. It’s a study in the understated elegance for which Old Pasadena is known, and it’s among the oldest buildings in a city known for its Greene & Greene architecture. “It’s a graceful old lady with all her parts intact,” Mossman says. “It has been renovated twice, but there’s plenty to restore.” She echoes Zamparelli’s hopes of preserving the Raymond as a performance or film theater.Some may feel Buchanan’s pain, however. After all, he owns the theater and the neighborhood surrounding it has become very desirable. Residential housing is moving in. His plans for a mixed-use project with shops, condos and offices have received city council approval—and more than a dozen stipulations on preserving portions of the interior and decorative columns and features. Eager to maintain some semblance of history amidst new development, Buchanan says that the exterior will remain the same “so it still looks like a theater” and he’s also trying to preserve the original look of the lobby and mezzanine. Pasadena Heritage holds a historic preservation easement on the facade.

A movie theater in distress is the Capitol Theater in Burlington, Iowa. Closed since 1977, you can rescue it for $46,500. (Click image to enlarge)

The design review process will continue into early 2005 after which Buchanan can begin interior renovations. However, it appears that the theater will never be used for its original intent.

Behind every successful historic theater stand preservationists. In the 1970s, when the preservation of historic architecture caught fire, many movie palaces were lost to urban renewal or were irreparably disfigured by multiplexation. In the past decade, preservationists have blocked many bulldozers, causing developers to fume.Preservation proponents point out that theaters are valuable to their communities as they keep many downtowns active after dark. Increasingly, civic leaders are in agreement. Yet city councils, including that of Pasadena, are also friendly to the idea of developing downtown residential housing. Furthermore, it’s not unheard of to make an old theater the architectural center of a mixed-use development. For example, the ornate RKO Keith Flushing Theater in Queens, N.Y., is the center of a $100 million development that includes apartments, parking, restaurants, stores and a senior center. Movie theaters also have been adapted into bookstores, bars, nightclubs, gymnasiums, churches and, sadly, parking lots and bowling alleys.

At the turn of last century, when the Colonial was built in Pittsfield, Mass., the Berkshires were a summer retreat for wealthy industrialists. The Colonial was Pittsfield’s showcase, and its stage has been graced by everyone from Al Jolson to Sarah Bernhardt and the Ziegfeld Follies. A sterling example of early theater architecture in the U.S., it closed its doors in 1952. Not until recently was the community able to come to the rescue with a restoration, due to finish next summer. (Click image to enlarge)

Not all theaters are worth saving. Few individuals know more about the subject than architect Paul E. Westlake Jr. of Westlake Reed Leskosky in Phoenix. Westlake, a board member for the League of Historic American Theatres, has overseen many theater and historical building restorations. “I probably have been in some 250 pre-1930 theaters,” he says. “They range from having no redeeming architectural value to being among the most interesting buildings in the United States. Strangely, it has nothing to do with the size or prosperity of the community.”

As an architect, Westlake finds inspiration in movie palaces dating between 1915 and 1930. During the Golden Era, movie architects were encouraged to take creative risks to attract audiences. “The older I get, the more I’m fascinated by creative risks. It wasn’t the community that backed them, either. These great historical theaters were built for profit by entrepreneurs. They were the guys before Wal-Mart and McDonald’s, who were willing to put their money on the line in their own hometown.”Few of these kind of entrepreneurial developers exist today, nor are there many private investors like Bucksbaum. That’s why most restored historic theaters are run as not-for-profits by the community as a way to lure people downtown. Today, it takes a village to operate a theater.

The battle has gone on since 1985. However, even in a preservation-minded Pasadena, the Raymond Theatre, above, may come to a close. (Click image to enlarge)

Experts such as Westlake and Janice Barlow of Toronto say it’s not just about raising $1 million to $30 million in restoration funds. It’s also about keeping the theater running. “According to a [city] feasibility study, the Raymond would have to do 225 live shows annually to break even,” Buchanan says.

“I don’t care about saving old theaters,” says Barlow, who has consulted on successful restorations. “What’s important is the community. If these buildings are culturally, historically or architecturally important and they’re worth recycling, do [so] if it benefits the community. My job is to figure out if it will work and make it happen.”

“Usually three disparate groups join the cause,” Westlake adds. “Pure preservationists want to save bricks and mortar. Arts users want to use it for performances. Community redevelopers want it to boost business. The restorations that work best are a result of a conspiracy between all three.” From Cleveland to Rockford, Ill., there are many restoration stories with happy endings in which the community profits from a resurrected performing arts center/ theater. “What saves the building is that it is economically viable,” Westlake says. “A lot of them have operating losses but they more than make up for it in extraordinary contributions to the community.”

Soon to be Resurrected

Auburn Schine—Auburn, N.Y.
Pedigree: “This is a very rare [John] Eberson,” says restoration architect Paul Westlake of the 1938 Art Moderne structure. Eberson was known for his atmospheric auditoriums with twinkling star ceilings. He also embraced the new Art Moderne style, which was introduced through the Schine Circuit Theaters started by immigrant brothers from Bavaria. Unfortunately, by the time the theater was commissioned for a facelift, the Depression had arrived.

Meanwhile, Piper’s Opera House, a 19th-century performing arts center, top and bottom left, and the Auburn Schine, top and bottom right, a 1938 Moderne theater by famed architect John Eberson, are on the road to recovery thanks to well-organized rescue missions that include plans for future operating costs. (Click image to enlarge)

The Auburn is listed as an American Treasure by Hillary Clinton’s “Save America’s Treasures” project and on national and state historic restoration lists.

Status: Used as everything from a nightclub to a video store, the Auburn faced demolition 10 years ago. Thankfully, the community rallied and in 1996 the Cayuga County Arts Council purchased the theater with a state grant. Other grants and fund-raising efforts are being organized. Although it’s badly damaged, existing photography will help guide the restoration. For donations, contact Dia Carabajal, arts council president, 36 South Street, Auburn, New York 13021; 315.252.7291; cayuganet.org.Fox Fullerton—Fullerton, Calif.
Pedigree: Built by Meyer and Holler, of Grauman’s and the Egyptian theater fame in Hollywood in 1925, this Italian Renaissance-inspired theater encircles a courtyard and is adjoined by the two-story Tea Room building and a 1929 building that is used for retail.

The Auburn Schine, a 1938 Moderne theater by famed architect John Eberson, is that rare gem—a single-screen neighborhood theater owned and operated by a private owner. (Click image to enlarge)

Status: Six murals created by Anthony Heinsbergen and Co. and several handcrafted wrought-iron chandeliers grace the auditorium. Some of the plasterwork and hand-stenciled artwork survived with the original proscenium and drapery, and functional dressing rooms and orchestra pit. The Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation is raising money to meet the $1.65 million challenge grant from the city. However, $12 million is needed to buy, restore and operate the theater for live performances, concerts and movies. Naming opportunities will prominently honor donors. For $2 million, your name can grace the theater and $750,000 will get your name on the Tea Room building. Seats cost from $2,500 to $5,000, depending on location. For donations, contact the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation; 714.607.0884; foxfullerton.org.

Gillioz Theatre—Springfield, Mo.
Pedigree: Built in 1926 by road and bridge builder M.E. Gillioz to coincide with the birth of Route 66, the Gillioz boasts 1,100 seats, an orchestra pit and a Wurlitzer organ, and it will soon have state-of-the-art projection equipment. Originally designed for stage shows and silent films—sound equipment was added much later—the Gillioz was a movie house until it closed in 1979.

Status: The Springfield Landmarks Preservation Trust purchased the Gillioz in 1991. Major renovations are underway; a neighboring building of 27,000 square feet is being incorporated to accommodate offices, restrooms, a restaurant, bar and a ballroom. More than $3 million has been raised for the project.To make donations, contact Nancy Brown at 417.883. 9827,nbrown715@aol.com; gillioz.org.Piper’s Opera House—Virginia City, Nev.
Pedigree: This 19th-century performing arts theater, set around Lake Tahoe, still has its audience chamber virtually intact. A two-story structure with a brick facade, Piper’s was rebuilt after an 1883 fire and was used for silent movies around 1911. The 1940 premiere of Virginia City, hosted by Piper’s, graced several magazine pages in Life, complete with photographs of socialites who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Humphrey Bogart. Piper’s evokes the ornate decor of frontier saloons and the refined elegance of Victorian counterparts.

Status: First Lady Laura Bush designated it an American Treasure. Its restoration program has received one of the National Park Service’s largest awards, but more funding is needed for the $8.5 million rehab and expansion to create a full performing arts venue. Westlake Reed Leskosky of Phoenix is handling the restoration. For donations, contact Sam Folio or Andria Daley at 775. 847.0433.

The Colonial Theatre—Pittsfield, Mass.
Pedigree: This theater, the oldest remaining in Pittsfield, dates to 1903. It was designed by architect J.B. McElfatrick with magnificent box seats, elaborate gold and ivory plasterwork and ornamentation worthy of the wealthy industrialists who summered in this area of the Berkshires. Ethel Barrymore, Sarah Bernhardt, Al Jolson and Will Rogers performed here, but in 1937 the theater was converted into a movie house. Thanks to energetic preservationists, it was named a National Historic Treasure in 1998.

Status: The theater’s been dark since 1952, but a business owner kept its interior intact. Because of its sail vault proscenium, the auditorium has exceptional acoustics. Purchased by the Colonial Theatre Association in 2001, the theater needs more than $15 million for its restoration, endowment and a five-year operating budget. For donations, please contact Susan Sperber at 413.448.8084; thecolonialtheatre.org.