Beginning with the Nickelodeons and penny arcades in the 1890s, the American movie theater evolved as films did, in sophistication and mass appeal, reaching new heights in architecture, decor and glamour by the 1920s and 30s. This book is the story of the American Movie Palace and how the emergence of great films and cinema stars and the experience of movie-going itself led to the wildly imaginative fantasy styles recalling Egyptian temples, Chinese pagodas and Italian villages. The book identifies the main styles of decoration and gives fascinating detail on the brilliant and daring...