On December 2 the Tower Theatre will open its doors wide to Fresno High Home Tour participants as favored guests. The Tower Theater is one of the most significant landmarks in the Fresno High neighborhood. Eighty-five years ago the Tower Theatre opened for the first time on December 14, 1939, with a private showing of Nelson Eddy in Balalaika. Co-hosts for the event were developer and owner A. Emory Wishon (1882-1948) of San Francisco, a prominent California hydroelectric executive, and Charles P. Skouras of Los Angeles, president of Fox West Coast Theaters.
The theater was designed by architect S. Charles Lee. As a result of the 80 foot neon-adorned tower jutting from the rooftop of the new theater, this Fresno neighborhood came to be known as the Tower District, and the community enjoyed its very own Art Deco movie house during the heart of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
There are three main architectural variations of Art Deco buildings, each with its own distinctive characteristics. Streamline Moderne, the style of the Tower Theatre, evolved as a result of the Great Depression. In that period of extreme hardship combined with the war in Europe, Art Deco principles began eliminating extraneous decoration and ornament to optimize efficiency and economy. It retained much of earlier Art Deco design, such as smooth planes, curved lines, and geometric simplicity, but distinguished itself by an increased emphasis on industrial sensibilities and the tendency to take on even more simplified contours to heighten the sense of utility in its function. The Tower was one of nearly 2,500 Streamline Moderne theaters built worldwide of which 636 are currently in operation. Most are in the U.S., many are in Europe, especially France.
The theater continued to show first run movies until 1980, when it shifted to older films and later became known for its foreign film series. As with all things on this planet, both animate and inanimate, time and use took its toll on the theater, and it was restored during a Certified Historic Rehabilitation completed in 1990. In 1991 the restoration work was recognized by the California Preservation Foundation’s Award of Outstanding Achievement in Restoration and from the San Joaquin Chapter of the American Institute of Architects an Award of Honor. On September 24, 1992, the Tower Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
For several years, the theater operated a series of entertainment lineups that brought in top-name performers such as Dizzy Gillespie, the Neville Brothers, Dave Brubeck, Joan Rivers, Johnny Cash, Gregory Peck, Ray Charles and Tony Bennett, as reported in The Fresno Bee. Then 2020 arrived, bringing the coronavirus with it, and theaters were shut down. Then Adventure Church announced plans to purchase the theater for their use, igniting a bitter struggle waged by the community in opposition to the sale. Ultimately the City of Fresno bought the theater for $6.5 million, and 809 Olive Ave. LLC currently operates it with Nick Kennedy serving as general manager. Now the Tower again offers a variety of events such as musical groups, movies, and other activities.
The Entrance
The Streamline Moderne style on the exterior of the theater is concentrated at the entrance. “Speed lines” are a key feature of this style, conveying a sense of speed and motion, using long, sweeping lines (an illusion of speed) and rounded corners and edges, resembling the aerodynamic shapes of cars or airplanes. Other features include a horizontal orientation, the use of a glass brick wall in the mezzanine level, a flat roof, the use of chrome, and horizontal grooves or lines in the walls.
Main Theater
Inside, the theater was one of the first in the U.S. to use ultraviolet (black) light as an ornamental device, illuminating fluorescent wall and ceiling murals. During the remodeling completed in 1990 in the auditorium, black light wall sconces, murals, painted wall surfaces and seating were restored. The richly patterned carpet, etched-glass doors, gold- and silver-leafed casework, hardwood paneling and ceiling murals were replicated, and its neon cove lighting and bas-relief etched glass panel were repaired.
During a couple of renovations to make changes to the stage, theater seats were removed and the number was ultimately reduced to 730. Note the 90-plus panel LED screen at the back of the stage that can be used by performers or as a movie screen. On tour night, a slide show highlighting FHS Home Tour events will be shown.
Lounge areas
On large event nights, a full bar is open in the lower lounge (once the home of The Daily Planet restaurant) and on other nights it becomes its own entertainment venue.
Behind the stage, visit the dressing rooms where you will encounter excited actors from Fresno High School ready to greet you. Tour participants will be guided into rooms and pass through doorways normally closed to the public. Docents, including Fresno High students, will be present to highlight points of interest. While you stroll through the theater, music performed by Fresno High School students will entertain you.
Today the Tower Theater remains one of the most recognizable and important landmarks in our neighborhood and in Fresno itself.