Arlington Theatre
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (February 2024) |
34°25′04″N 119°41′49″W / 34.4179°N 119.697°W
Address | 1317 State Street Santa Barbara, California United States |
---|---|
Capacity | 2,018 |
Construction | |
Opened | 1931 |
Reopened | 1976 |
Architect | Edwards and Plunkett |
Website | |
arlingtontheatresb |
The Arlington Theatre is a historic movie theatre in
History
The Arlington was built at 1317 State Street, on the former site of the
In March 2024, its operator, Metropolitan Theatres, declared
Architecture
The Arlington was designed in the
The exterior has a Mission Revival steeple that ends in an art deco finial. The red tiled building features a covered courtyard with fountain and a free-standing ticket booth.
The interior is elaborately decorated. The ceilings of the lobbies are heavily beamed and painted. The auditorium itself seats 2,018 on the main floor and balcony.
It is built to give theatergoers the impression that they are sitting outside in the plaza of a colonial Spanish town, each wall features houses, staircases, and balconies, not painted on but built out from the walls.
The proscenium, in the original theater, was formed by what appeared to be a large stone arc, through which could be seen a river and hills (these were painted on the curtain.) Today, this effect is gone, and the proscenium is topped by the equipment necessary for lighting stage shows. The original ceiling remains to give patrons the impression that they are sitting outdoors under the stars.
One of the Arlington's signature features is a Robert Morton pipe organ from the Loew's Jersey Theatre that was installed in 1949. Hidden below the orchestra floor, the organ's console rises on a platform into view when played at a performance.
References
- ^ "Arlington Theatre will "not be impacted" by Metropolitan Theaters Chapter 11 reorganization". KEYT. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ Michael Redmon, "Architect Joseph J. Plunkett: Designed gems from the Arlington to the airport", Santa Barbara Independent, 2 March 2017.
External links
- The Arlington Theatre - Venue Official Website
- Santa Barbara Film Festival - Main page features photo illustration of the Arlington marquee.