|
The Grand Lake Theatre is a historic movie palace located at 3200 Grand Avenue and Lake Park Avenue in the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland, California. ==History== The Grand Lake Theater, designed as a single auditorium theater by Architects Reid Brothers for local businessmen Abraham C. Karski and Louis Kaliski, held its grand opening on March 6, 1926. On August 1, 1929, Abraham C. Karski and Louis Kaliski leased the theater to West Coast Theatres, Inc. for a period of 94 years, 4 months until November 30, 2023.〔Lease (Indenture) Agreement dated August 1, 1929 by and between Louis Kaliski and A.C. Karski (Lessors) and West Coast Theatres, Inc. (Lessee)〕 The theater is still owned by descendants of Abraham C. Karski and Louis Kaliski; and is still under the original lease terms although the lease has been assigned twice (to Mann Theaters Corporation of California (who later became National General Theaters, Inc.) in 1973 and to the current tenant Renaissance Rialto, Inc. in 1980.) After the Grand Lake Theater opened on March 6, 1926, it held vaudeville and silent movie showings, but with the arrival of "talkies" it began to exclusively show sound films. The original Wurlitzer Hope Jones Unified Orchestral Organ by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. of San Francisco still stands in the main auditorium. The original phone number for the theater was Glencourt 3100 and the original ticket prices were 40 cents for night and Sunday matinees in the orchestra and balcony, 50 cents for the loges, 25 cents for daily matinees, and 10 cents for children at any performance.〔Souvenir Program from the Premier Opening of the Grand Lake Theater on March 6, 1926〕 The theater's exterior is surmounted by a giant illuminated rooftop sign which was originally furnished by Brumfield Electric Sign Co., Inc. Neoclassical faux columns and urns line the main interior space and the ceiling is adorned with a crystal chandelier in the lobby and classical frescos in the auditorium. The theater's interior artwork is considered to be Art Deco. After purchasing the lease in 1980, the current tenant, Renaissance Rialto, Inc., owned by Allen Michaan, spent $3.5 million on renovation and expansion. In 1981, the balcony of the auditorium was split into a second auditorium. In 1985, neighboring storefronts were purchased and attached to the theater. These were transformed into a small Egyptian Revival styled auditorium and a small Moorish styled auditorium. After the expansions of the 1980s, the Grand Lake Theatre had a total of four screens and 1619 seats. The main auditorium is also equipped with a Mighty Wurlitzer organ hidden beneath the floor. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the historical organ rises for a brief concert before the movie.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title= Grand Lake Theatre History )〕 Most recently, Allen Michaan has spent close to $300,000 to install twin 3-D projectors in two of the 84-year-old Oakland movie palace's theaters - similar to the state-of-the-art setup Pixar has in its private screening auditorium, and he also repainted the building at a cost of $170,000. The Karski and Kaliski owners are preparing for the end of the theater's 94-year lease in 2023 by considering what the next century holds for this historic property that has been a stable presence in the community for so many years. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Grand Lake Theatre」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|