#Marquee theatre movie#

It’s impressive any time of day, but my favorite is going into a movie while the sun’s still up and coming out in the dark to the Mayan’s grandly lit marquee. “The marquee at the Mayan is my favorite because it’s so bright and beautiful. Nothing else to identify it.” - Casey Brown, Asheville, North CarolinaĬhristine Watson/Used with Permission The Mayan Theater Denver, Colorado The marquee only says, ‘NOW SHOWING,’ with a big, lighted arrow. Directness is generally a characteristic for the Southern Appalachian cultural region. You might say it is to-the-point, or blunt, which is appropriate for its location in Blountville. “The sign is one of the most direct forms of advertising you will see. Jake Tatar, Champaign, Illinois*Ĭasey Lance Brown/Used with Permission Twin City Drive-In Blountville, Tennessee “As a huge Beatles fan, I couldn’t help but imagine that this looked very similar in 1964.” - W. I was always proud to see a movie in the theater I owned (a fraction of).” - Brion Woroch, New Jersey “The ART theater became a cooperative while I was a graduate student. It has been in disrepair for a very long time though there have been several efforts to restore it.” - Bethanny, Charleston, Illinoisīrion Woroch/Used with Permission ART Theater Champaign, Illinois

“My father-in-law Dan is 77, and as a little boy, he would frequent the theater with his Uncle Dewey. It has a beautiful marquee and marvelous art deco interior, complete with enormous chandeliers.” - Ann Taguchi, Beaverton, Oregonīethanny Cougill/Used with Permission The Will Rogers Theatre Charleston, Illinois “We saw Bob Marley play there in the 1970s. Scroll through below to see some of our favorite reader-submitted marquees! Anne Taguchi/Used with Permission Arlene Schnitzer Hall Portland, Oregon But no matter what state they’re in today, the lavish designs of classic marquees remain as charming as ever. Many of the marquees our readers sent in are still in use at working historic cinema or theater spaces, though some have clearly fallen into disrepair. Recently we asked Atlas Obscura readers to send us pictures of their favorite historic marquees, and we received an incredible selection of beautiful neon-and-bulb landmarks. Some are in use at surviving theaters, while others sit abandoned or ignored, waiting to be restored. The heyday of the classic movie palace might feel like the distant past, but in cities and towns across the U.S., vintage marquees can still be found clinging to the sides of buildings. There’s just something about the charm of a vintage marquee.