Alex Theatre Restored to 1920's Splendor
by Jeff Nelson
Do massive columns excite you? Do friezes seize you? Do you yearn for urns? If so, then be prepared to swoon when you see the recently re-opened Alex Theatre, an historic movie palace that has just received a six million dollar face-lift by the city of Glendale.
Built in 1925, the Alex Theatre has entertained countless numbers of Glendale residents not only with its cinematic offerings, but with its stunning Greco-Egyptian decor as well. Opened just after the discovery of King Tut’s burial site in Egypt, the Alex’s open forecourt is styled in a curious combination of Greek temple and Egyptian tomb. Palm trees now sway gently in the completely restored promenade, and cut-stone walls, flaming braziers, a decorative frieze, and ornamental medallions once again transport the theatre-goer to a land of imagination and fantasy.
The interior of the theatre has also been lovingly restored, and features an “atmospheric” auditorium, complete with a morning sky painted on the domed ceiling and a large gold sunburst atop the proscenium arch. Lighting effects simulate sunrise, twilight, and sunset. The lobby has been restored to tasteful luxury and, happily, the balcony has been reopened after many years of being off-limits.
The Alexander Theatre was designed by architects Arthur G. Lindley and Charles R. Selkirk, and initially hosted feature films, Orpheum-circuit vaudeville acts, and Fanchon and Marco live musical stage presentations. Over the years, it has been the site of movie premiers, live musical performances, organ recitals, Red Cross benefits, and even the 1935 wedding of Glendale residents Eva Hellsby and Don Burton. In 1940, architect S. Charles Lee designed the 100-foot neon-lit Art Deco tower and marquee that still dominate Brand Boulevard, and the theatre’s name was officially shortened to Alex.
Celebrities are no strangers to the Alex, and a famous anecdote tells of Elizabeth Taylor’s arrival at the preview of National Velvet, only to find that all the seats were taken. She and her mother stood in the back through most of the movie and only got seats when someone left early. Bing Crosby hid in the lobby during a preview of Going My Way, fearing the audience’s reaction to his role as a priest. More recently, Bob Hope served as Honorary Chairman of the Alex Theatre Revitalization Project, a committee of The Glendale Historical Society.
In 1990, the Glendale Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously to identify the Alex as an important community resource, thereby reviving interest in the unique building. It was not long before the city council established a Committee for Arts at the Alex, a 21-member citizen task force, to evaluate options for the project, and in 1991 the Committee’s recommendations were accepted by the city council, which authorized the formation of the Alex Regional Theatre Board, a non-profit corporation to oversee the theatre’s rehabilitation and operation. In 1992, the Glendale Redevelopment Agency purchased the Alex Theatre and the $6.2-million dollar rehabilitation began in December of that year.
The restoration of the Alex Theatre reflects an increasing appreciation by city officials of the value and beauty of Los Angeles’s architecture. In the 1920s, even the most modest buildings were often designed in a romantic-historical style, and the landscape of orange groves and poppy fields soon became dotted with miniature French Norman castles, Moorish temples, and English Tudor cottages. Motivated by romantic ideas about foreign locales and a desire to revive the architectural achievements of the past, architects of the twenties designed scores of exotic buildings that fed the post-World War public’s craving for escapism. Los Angeles soon became the center of this style, where the fantasies of the Hollywood back-lot and the lifestyles of the movie people only served to further intoxicate the heat-addled minds of the architects.
The Alex Theatre has announced that three musicals will comprise its inaugural season, which began in January. Sayonara, a new musical version of James Michener’s novel, opened the season on January 27. Performances run through February 13. The 1966 Tony Award-winning Mame will be the second production of the season, and will feature Juliet Prowse in the title role. Performances run from April 7 through April 24. The season will conclude with the California premiere of Fame, the Musical, which opens May 29 and runs through June 5. For information about ticket sales or season subscriptions, call 1-800-883-PLAY. ♦