Grand Lake Theater celebrates 100 years as Oakland's movie palace'

"When the Grand Lake Theater opened near Oakland's Lake Merritt in 1926, movies were the dominant new force in American entertainment and culture, and the moguls and exhibitors running Hollywood wanted fans to be able to enjoy their silent dramas, Westerns and comedies in comfort and style. Thus arose the era of the movie palace, of which the Grand Lake Theater is one of the Bay Area's most beautiful and enduring examples with its giant illuminated rooftop sign, famed marquee and elegant interiors, originally built in the elegant neoclassical and Art Deco styles."

"Surviving the advent of television and home movie-viewing via VHS tapes, DVDs and streaming, the Grand Lake continues to operate as a place where people can come together to watch movies on a big screen as movies were made to be watched."

"The Grand Lake Theater opened this week in March 1926, during a period when hundreds of movie palaces were opening around the United States every year. The Grand Lake originally operated as a venue for vaudeville entertainment and silent-film showings on a single screen, with musical accompaniment provided by a large Wurlitzer Hope Jones Unified Orchestral Organ."

The Grand Lake Theater opened in 1926 during the golden age of movie palaces, featuring neoclassical and Art Deco architecture with an iconic rooftop sign and marquee. Originally designed for vaudeville and silent films with live organ accompaniment, the theater adapted to sound movies and became part of the Fox Theater Chain. Despite competition from television, VHS, DVDs, and streaming services, the Grand Lake continues operating as a venue for theatrical film viewing. To mark its centennial, the theater offers free screenings of classic films including Singin' in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Fantasia, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, along with architectural tours celebrating its historic design and cultural significance.

Read at www.mercurynews.com