It was built just three years into his “atmospheric” period – a style hallmarked by its realistic night sky, twinkling “stars,” and ornate architecture designed to transport audiences to a moonlit courtyard, replete with clay-tile rooftops, old-world statuary, gargoyles, birds and flowering vines. Tampa Theatre was designed by Chicago-based architect John Eberson, one of the most internationally renowned and prolific movie palace designers of his time. Since its rescue, the Theatre has welcomed more than 5 million visitors to downtown Tampa - including 1 million school children for field trips and summer camps - all within the context of one of Tampa’s largest historic preservation projects. As one of the most heavily utilized venues of its kind in the country, Tampa Theatre’s single auditorium hosts more than 600 events each year, including a full schedule of first-run and classic films, live concerts, special events, tours and educational programs. Today, the movie palace is managed by the nonprofit Tampa Theatre Foundation and has become a remarkable success story. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and as a Tampa City Landmark when the designation was created in 1988. By the time Tampa Theatre reopened to the public in January 1977, it had become something of a national model for how to save an endangered theater. But the citizens rallied, committees were formed, community leaders got involved, and the City Council struck a deal to purchase and preserve the building. In 1973, Tampa Theatre was likewise slated for demolition. Many of our nation’s finest movie palaces were demolished as the land beneath them became more valuable than the theater operations. The post-war flight to the suburbs was having a damaging effect on downtown businesses, and the movie palaces that lit up America’s main streets were further impacted by the advent of television. For decades, Tampa Theatre remained a jewel at the center of the city’s cultural landscape as generations of patrons stole their first kisses in the balcony, followed the world through the newsreels and grew up coming to the Theatre week after week.īut by the 1950s, times had changed. For 25 cents the common person could escape into an opulent fantasyland cooled by “man-made air,” enjoy first-class entertainment, and be treated like royalty by platoons of uniformed ushers. Like other lavish downtown movie theaters around the country, Tampa Theatre was enormously popular when it opened. 15, 1926 as one of America’s most elaborate movie palaces. Designed by famed theater architect John Eberson and built by Paramount Pictures, Tampa Theatre opened on Oct.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |