Look back at ornate movie ‘Palaces’, how theaters have changed at Modesto screening
A film at the State Theatre will cover the evolution of movie theaters, part of the theater’s 85th anniversary celebration this year.
“The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace” is a documentary that will screen Monday, Nov. 18, at the downtown Modesto venue.
The film shows how theaters have changed over the past century, from penny arcades to grand film palaces.
Built in the 1910s-’30s, when movies were the height of entertainment and the stories were larger than life, according to the State Theatre website, so were theaters, with thousands of seats, giant screens, ornate interiors, balconies, lounges, in-house organs and orchestras, marquees and more.
The film also tracks the eventual decline of theaters, to the current day.
Filmmaker April Wright will introduce the film and answer questions following the screening. There also will be a display of past memorabilia from the State Theatre.
The film will be screened at 7 p.m. Monday; tickets are $11. For more see www.thestate.org.
