Senator Theatre
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| Senator Theatre | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Register of Historic Places) | |
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| Location: | Baltimore, MD |
| Built/Founded: | 1939 |
| Architect: | John J. Zink, et al.[1] |
| Architectural style(s): | Art Deco |
| Added to NRHP: | 1989 |
| Reference #: | 89001153 |
The Senator Theatre [2] is a historic single-screen Art Deco movie theater located at 5904 York Road in the Govans section of Baltimore, Maryland 21212. It shows first run movies as well as classics.
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[edit] Architecture
The Senator Theatre[2] is an Art Deco landmark built by E. Eyring for Durkee Enterprises at an original cost of $250,000. It opened to the public Oct. 5, 1939. The first movie it featured was Stanley and Livingstone, starring Spencer Tracy and Nancy Kelly. The architect, John J. Zink, designed the Senator with a circular upper structure of glass blocks and limestone. Multicolored backlighting of the glass block was added to produce a dramatic effect at night.
The lobby still features the original terrazzo floors, and art deco murals about the history of performing arts. A massive gold curtain still opens to dramatically reveal the screen before each performance. The theatre’s interior is accented by a back lit sun-burst at the apex of the screen, and rainbow prisms in the recessed ceiling. "Originally, it had 1150 seats but that has gone down to 900." [3]
The Senator Theatre also has two skyboxes for private parties. They are connected by a mezzanine overlooking the outer lobby and can host up to 40 people.
The sidewalk in front of the theatre features a ‘walk of fame’ which highlights local cinematic accomplishments.
The Senator Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[1]
On March 5th, 2007, the Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) is scheduled to review and vote on the proposed Baltimore City Landmark designation for the Senator Theatre [4].
[edit] Technical Specifications
The Senator Theatre boasts a massive, modern 40 ft curved screen, state of the art projection systems, and Dolby Digital sound with surround EX. Today, the Senator Theatre mainly showcases first run movies. It is able to screen films in 35mm or 70mm. Equipment includes a Bauer U2 projector with top of the line German lenses. [5]
In 2003, it the Senator was selected to become the first venue to complete the Historic Cinema Certification Program offered by THX Ltd., the San-Rafael, California based company founded by George Lucas. The special skyboxes are also equipped with user-controlled digital sound.
The snack bar offers traditional movie house snacks, and real, freshly popped, hot buttered popcorn.[6] Tickets are $8 each.
[edit] Notoriety
Many celebrities have attended movie premiers, fundraisers, and screenings at the Senator. They include: Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, John Travolta, Joaquin Phoenix, Salma Hayek, and Edward Norton.
The Senator Theatre’s facade has been featured in many movies and commercials. It was featured prominently in the cult film Cecil B. Demented, which showcased historic theatres around Baltimore. The theatre can also be seen in the movies Twelve Monkeys, Diner and Avalon.
Directors John Waters and Barry Levinson premiere most of their films at the Senator. It often hosts East Coast premieres of films shot in and around Baltimore, including Ladder 49, Runaway Bride and The Accidental Tourist. The theatre also showcases films starring Baltimore area natives like Edward Norton and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Several books feature the Senator Theatre, including Cinema Treasures[7], Popcorn Palaces, Exit: A History of Movies in Baltimore and Motion Picture Exhibition in Baltimore: An Illustrated History and Directory of Theatres.
- The August 5th, 2005 issue of Entertainment Weekly Magazine[8] ranked the Senator Theater fourth on the list of “10 Theaters doing it right… movie houses that make watching films a dream”.
- In its September 29, 2003 edition, USA Today[9] declared the Senator Theatre to be one of America’s best “Places to see a classic cinema”.
- In 2001, the National Trust for Historical Preservation designated the Senator as America's quintessential independent historic movie house.
On May 19, 2003 the National Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation honored owner Tom Kiefaber with the “2003 Business Leadership Award”[10]. The award was “in recognition of his tireless advocacy for historic, independent movie theaters".
[edit] Community
The Senator Theatre has been an anchor business in the Govans section of Baltimore, Maryland for 68 years. It has been central to the revitalization efforts of the neighborhood. A nearby retail center, Belvedere Square, shares many patrons with the theatre.
[edit] Fundraisers
The Senator Theatre routinely hosts special events that have raised millions of dollars for local charities.
- Each December, the Senator holds an annual Holiday Classics Series on the large screen as a means of raising donations of food and cash to the Maryland Food Bank. "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol" are usually shown.
- On February 22, 2007, the Senator Theatre hosted an American Heart Association Go Red for Women campaign fundraiser starring Gretchen Wilson [11].
[edit] Special Screenings
The Senator Theatre has been the site of extended camp-outs where diehard fans await tickets for premieres of epic movie offerings, including series like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. It is also the place where Maryland’s big media franchises typically go to cover movie openings, and interview hardcore fans. The theatre has also hosted midnight shows of fan favorites such as the Star Wars movies.
The Senator Theatre is a primary venue for the Maryland Film Festival [12].
The Senator also hosts free screenings classic films in cooperation with community enrichment initatives.
- The 1928 silent comedy classic "Speedy" starring Harold Lloyd was screened on February 19, 2007. It was accompanied by live music from Alloy Orchestra as part of Loyola College's 2007 Humanities Symposium.[13].
- A free screening of "To Kill a Mocking Bird" (1962) starring Gregory Peck was held on Saturday, March 24, 2007.
[edit] Parking
There are "300 spaces in back, and plenty of street parking in the area." [3]. Additional parking is available behind the local office supply store, by previous agreement.
[edit] Recent struggles
$109K in donations from loyal fans saved Baltimore's historic Senator Theater from a foreclosure auction that was scheduled for February 21st, 2007.[14]
The Senator’s recent struggles have been attributed to a practice known as “clearance“. Movie "clearing" or blocking occurs when rival theatres, usually multiplexes, invoke agreements with distribution houses to exclude a nearby theatre from ever concurrently running the same films that are running on any of their screens. The Senator's current owner, Tom Kiefaber explains: "We eventually overcame the (rival multiplexes') clearance, but without equal access to the first-run lifeblood of the film exhibition industry during that difficult period, we were forced to accumulate debt that is a continuing detriment to the economic viability of The Senator Theatre.“ The good news is that "if we are able to avert the auction sale...our district will soon become a ’free zone’ and the primary impediment to our profitability, a restrictive film clearance...by an independent Baltimore multiplex... will soon come to a blessed end.“
"(O)ur well-established, activist, anti-film clearance position (has been) outlined… in the national, [but alas not local] media coverage we have received over the years on the subject… in The New York Times, US News and World Report, Forbes Small Business Magazine, USA Today, CBS Sunday Morning, and ABC News among others." [15]
[edit] Grassroots campaign to save the Senator Theatre
Unprecedented grassroots efforts by fans of the Senator raised over $109,000 (USD) in less than two weeks to avert the foreclosure and sale of their beloved theatre. The PayPal service was used to help collect donations from movie theatre fans in Baltimore and throughout the world. Information can be found on the Senator’s website[2].
[edit] References
- ^ a b National Register of Historical Places - Maryland (MD), Baltimore County. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-02-09).
- ^ a b c Senator Theatre
- ^ a b Cinema Treasures Interview
- ^ CHAP
- ^ 70mm Discussion
- ^ Best Movie Popcorn Experience
- ^ Cinema Treasures
- ^ Entertainment Weekly Magazine 08/05/2005
- ^ USA Today 09/29/2003
- ^ 2003 Business Leadership Award
- ^ Heart Assoc Benefit
- ^ Maryland Film festival
- ^ Humanities Symposium
- ^ Historic Senator Theatre to be sold at auction
- ^ Clearance discussion
