The Glamorous Era of 1920s Cinema: The Rise of Luxurious Theaters
The 1920s marked a golden age for cinema, characterized by large, ostentatious theaters often seating between 6,000 to 7,000 patrons. By 1920, there were over 20,000 theaters across the U.S., showcasing beautifully ornamented designs reminiscent of aristocracy. The Roxy Theatre in New York, completed in 1927 by Herbert Lubin and Samuel Rothafel (“Roxy”), exemplified this grandeur. It featured lavish amenities for performers and staff, alongside a 110-person orchestra and over 6,200 seats for audiences. This era also saw the evolution of film genres, paving the way for classics.
The Glamorous Era of 1920s Cinema: The Rise of Luxurious Theaters
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Presentation Transcript
1920s- Cinema • Theaters/Palaces • Large, ostentatious • Often 6,000-7,000 seats • More than 20,000 theaters by 1920 • Ornamented, aristocratic • The Roxy – NY – completed in 1927 – prime example • Herbert Lubin, Samuel Rothafel “Roxy” create it • For performers - dressing rooms, rehearsal spaces, dry cleaning and laundry rooms, hair stylist and barber shop, animal pens, private screening room • For staff – cafeteria, gym, billiard room, sleeping/nap room, library, showers • For audience – 110-person orchestra, 6,214 seats
Film stars • Mary Pickford, Charles Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, Greta Garbo • Make about $1 million per year • Pickford photo next
Genres evolve – examples below • Documentary • Nanook of the North – 1922 • Horror • The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari – 1919 • Nosferatu - 1922 • Crime/Gangster • Piccadilly - 1929 • Fantasy/Science Fiction • Metropolis - 1927
Comedy • The Cocoanuts - 1929 • Drama • The Wind - 1928 • Pandora’s Box – 1929 • Romance • Don Juan (1926)
