The Last Remaining Seats: Movie Palaces in Tinseltown

by Robert Berger, Anne Conser

One hundred vivid color images by architectural photographers Robert Berger and Anne Conser record in lavish detail the spectacular, sumptuous, and often whimsical interiors of 16 of Los Angeles's most important movie palaces built during the '20s and '30s. This breathtaking book will thrill anyone interested in Hollywood's rich past and become a treasured cornerstone in the library of every movie buff.

Genres: Art, Architecture, Film

136 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

Reviews

[Stormy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful book chronicles the grand movie houses in Los Angeles that are finding a revival. The Los Angeles Conservancy sponsors an annual fund raiser called Last Remaining Seats for these beauties that features a festival of classic movies shown in them each June.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone interested in architecture and/or history, "Last Remaining Seats" is a treasure trove of information and beautiful photos detailing the lush and ornate architecture and design of LA's movie-palaces. Thankfully, many of these structures are actually being renovated and or refurbished and finding new life in the 21st century. The LA Conservancy hosts weekly tours and yearly events at the theaters, that allow members of the public to explore and relive a piece of a bygone era. Sidebar, it makes a great coffeetable book.

[Holly Lindquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

This deceptively-slim book contains a feast of California theater architecture. Beautiful detail pictures of the lush French-Renaissance styled Orpheum (my personal favorite), the Art Deco Avalon Theater on Catalina Island (ssshh, it's haunted!), the fabulously elaborate Wilturn, the Aztec, the Egyptian, and many others. A few of the theaters are in a state of moldering neglect, just barely ahead of the wrecking ball in some cases.. One hopes this book will assist in their preservation.

[Charlotte]

picked this up to kill a bit of time from my coworker's shelf at work; if you love pictures of early 20th century over the top architectural decoration, come for that, but don't bother to stay for the text which is scanty and not well written.