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Academy Theatre, Inglewood, auditorium

Description:
The overlapping wall and ceiling surfaces, illuminated by indirect lighting, create a powerful perspective that focuses on the screen. The floor plan (2070001) and ceiling plan (2070001) show how the effect was achieved. Oversize leaf forms decorate the walls. Dark borders edging the ceiling panels accentuate the perspective.
Date:
1939
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Shulman, Julius
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Academy Theatre, Inglewood, auditorium

Academy Theatre, Inglewood, street elevation

Description:
The Academy Theatre was Leeýs most fully realized design in the Streamline Moderne mode. The extensive use of glass block, stainless steel, curved forms and modern graphics gave the building an image of modernity that suited the transitory commercial building type of the motion picture theatre, but was not often attempted in residential architecture or most commercial architecture.
Date:
1939
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Shulman, Julius
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Academy Theatre, Inglewood, street elevation

Follies Theatre, lobby entrance

Description:
The Lee collection contains a number of photographs of theatres that Lee was charged with remodeling. This series of photos of a turn-of-the-century vaudeville theatre illustrates by contrast the innovations developed by architects for motion picture theatres. The entry to these older theatres was often off the street, through a long hallway. Advertising displays were merely cardboard signs.
Date:
[between 1930-1940]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Follies Theatre, lobby entrance

Fox Theatre, Bakersfield, auditorium

Description:
The auditorium is a so-called atmosphere theatre, a popular design type which created a stage set surrounding the audience. In this example, the auditorium simulates a Spanish Colonial Revival village into which the audience enters to see the show. Simulated buildings project from the walls, ivy hangs from their balconies and windows, trees painted on the wall behind provide a natural setting, and the whole is illuminated to create a realistic effect. Above is the dark sky, painted with clouds and featuring twinkling lights simulating the stars.
Date:
1929-1930
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Luckhaus Studio
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Fox Theatre, Bakersfield, auditorium

Fox Theatre, Long Beach, auditorium, proscenium

Description:
The Beaux Arts style interior features a proscenium arch framed by pseudo quoins and flanked by giant compositions of paired columns centered by oversize sculptures and cartouches. There is clearly a stage behind the curtain and the organ used to accompany silent motion pictures is seen at the lower left. The perforated panel in the center of the ceiling is a ventilation vent.
Date:
1931
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Haight, George D.
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Fox Theatre, Long Beach, auditorium, proscenium

Fox Theatre, Long Beach, facade

Description:
Lee designed an elegant Beaux Arts style theatre to be used both for legitimate stage shows and motion pictures for the Southern California beach city, Long Beach. The massive poured-concrete building with its monumental cornice centered by a giant cartouche dominated the urban landscape of downtown Long Beach. The retail shop fronts at street level give a sense of the scale of the building.
Date:
1931
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Haight, George D.
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Fox Theatre, Long Beach, facade

Fox Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, auditorium, proscenium

Description:
The walls and ceiling are decorated with swirling Art Deco and Zig-Zag motifs, accented by a pair of leaping mythical gazelles above the proscenium. Above them a gilded sunburst spreads out over the ceiling, an ornament incorporating the air intake grille of the ventilation system. The fire curtain displays an abstracted version of the Arizona desert landscape. Gilded grilles echoing the design of the box office and topped by sunbursts flank the proscenium above the front exits. The theatre organ to accompany silent motion pictures is at the front of the auditorium.
Date:
1930-31
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Woodcock, W.P.
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Fox Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, auditorium, proscenium

Fox Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, façade

Description:
The Fox Phoenix Theatre of 1930-1931 was one of Lee's largest and most elaborate creations. Designed in the sharp-edged, abstract Zig-Zag Moderne style, the building covered half of one of Phoenixýs giant city blocks and had retail shop fronts at the sidewalk. Colored translucent glass in an Art Deco design decorated the transoms above the display windows. Behind the symmetrical façade the auditorium is offset to the left. The foyer is in the interior of the building. A vertical neon sign mounted on the central pylon above the marquee advertises the theatre, while a temporary sign on the marquee advertises a cool interior, an important advantage in Phoenix's desert climate.
Date:
1930-31
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Fox Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, façade

Fox Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, lounge

Description:
In the commodious upstairs lounge, Lee repeated the sunburst motif in the doors to the menýs and ladiesý rooms. A drinking fountain set into a marble niche was framed by an abstract fountain design painted on the wall. Sculptures of rearing horses set on the tables introduce a Western theme. The large-scale furnishings with their angular forms are similar to those in the foyer.
Date:
1930-31
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Woodcock, W.P.
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Fox Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, lounge

Fox Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, mezzanine

Description:
The foyer ceiling is decorated with large-scale Art Deco designs abstracted from leaf, flower, sun and wave forms. The arched ceiling is squared off and accentuated by wooden moldings forming broad ribs. Furniture, mirror and lights are all squared off with cut corners, contrasting with the curving forms painted on the ceiling. Even the carpet design exhibits angular diagonals.
Date:
1930-31
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Woodcock, W.P.
Collection:
S. Charles Lee Papers, 1919-1962
Fox Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, mezzanine