From the days of silent films to the dawn of television and the multiplex, the movie palace was a defining feature of most American downtowns. Today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots, the story of two of the valley’s most famous movie palaces, Fresno’s Tower Theater and Bakersfield’s Fox, and the man who brought both of them to life.
Architect S. Charles Lee was one of the most influential and prolific theater designers. He built around 400 theaters, mostly in California, including showplaces like the Los Angeles Theatre and the Tower Theater on Broadway in L.A. His philosophy could be summed up like this – “the show starts on the sidewalk.” His designs aimed delight the senses from the exterior to the lobby to the main auditorium.
Lee designed Bakersfield’s Fox Theater in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It opened in 1930. The original auditorium featured an “atmospheric” design. The ceiling was lit to resemble the night sky and the interior walls were decorated to look like a small Mediterranean town. It was later remodeled in the 1950s, before going dark in 1977, only to be reborn as a non-profit venue in the 1990s.
Lee brought a totally different style to Fresno’s Tower Theater. Built in 1939 in the Streamline Moderne style, it brought Art Deco-era elegance to Fresno movie-goers. An 80 foot finned tower, clad in colorful neon, is the theater’s signature feature. Inside, Lee’s design featured etched glass artwork, and painted murals depicting Greek mythology that were further illuminated by ultraviolet light. The theater was renovated as a performing arts venue in the early 1990s, and was acquired by the City of Fresno in 2022.
