Good Morning, all! Break a leg today, Bruce. All of you.
My three favorite theatres as a kid were the Fox, the Paramount and the Palms. The Fox was very plain on the outside but an art deco wonder inside. It had a rather faded glory to it by then, but while the other kids were watching the 3 Stooges during Saturday matinees, I was wandering around the theatre looking at all the gazelles and frozen fountains sunrays and lightning bolts. It had a wonderful floating staircase in the lobby that made anyone feel regal to descend it. It looked as if Fred and Ginger should be dancing on it. The Fox is alas, now gone.
The Paramount has been restored and is typical Spanish/Moorish design. Not spectacular like the Fox. BUT it did have moving clouds on the ceiling and lush red velvet drapes. It was originally called the Orpheum, and the name has been restored to it as well. It was the Orpheum, then the Paramount, then Nederlander bought it and brought in some big name tours in the 60's and 70's. It then went dark, then showed Mexican movies and then closed. I'm glad it was saved (Musicguy oversaw the reinstallation of the pipe organ), but they should have saved the Fox instead.
The Palms was more mid-town and was built in the late 40's or early 50's. Very moderne and minimalist, but I liked it. I saw so many great movies there (which is probably why I have such fondness for it). It managed to get most of the A list movies, and I was in heaven.
We also ended up at the Kachina which was a Cinerama theatre (How the West Was Won, etc.) It may have just been an extended screen rather than true Cinerama, but it was good enough for me. It was a three fold screen (like those backing boards for science fair projects) rather than curved, so it was always fun to watch the distortion.
There was another wide screen theatre, the Bethany West. But that was mainly good for rolling down the ailses as a little kid. It had no personality or particular design (even the Kachina had its ugly southwest motifs), but I saw some great movies there too.