Downtown Oakland in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Paramount Theatre
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 1, 2012
1. Paramount Theatre Marker
This is a superior rendering of the "Art Deco" or "Moderne" style of movie palace built during the rise of the motion picture industry. The Paramount, which opened on December 16, 1931, is the most ambitious theatre design of architect Timothy L. Pflueger. Restored in 1973, it has retained an exceptional unity of style.
Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Theatre Historical Society, December 16, 1976.
Erected 1976 by California State Department of Parks and Recreation, Theatre Historical Society. (Marker Number 884.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Entertainment. In addition, it is included in the Art Deco, and the California Historical Landmarks series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1950.
Location. 37° 48.608′ N, 122° 16.103′ W. Marker is in Oakland, California, in Alameda County. It is in Downtown Oakland. It is at the intersection of Broadway and 21st Street, on the left on Broadway. Although the theater has a Broadway Street address, the marker is found on 21st Street by the theater box office, not by the main entrance on Broadway. Touch for map
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area and on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Remember Them (approx. 0.2 miles away); Makkeweks (approx. 0.3 miles away); Breonna Taylor (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Lathams (approx. 0.3 miles away); Uptown Saturday Night (approx. 0.3 miles away); General Strike! (approx. 0.3 miles away); Latham Memorial Fountain Unveiled (approx. 0.3 miles away); Crossroads (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oakland.
Also see . . .
1. Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California). Wikipedia entry (Submitted on December 10, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Theatre Historical Society of America. The Society's homepage for information on America's historical theaters. (Submitted on April 2, 2012.)
3. Film of opening night. California Revealed website entry:
(UC Berkeley Bancroft Library, 85 sec.) (Submitted on November 21, 2020.)
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 1, 2012
2. The Paramount Theatre was designated designated a National Historic Landmark...
...on May 5, 1977.
April 1, 2012
3. Paramount Theatre Marker - wide view
Although the theater has a Broadway address, the box office (and the marker) are located on the 21st Street side of the building. The marker is visible here to the right of the box office entranceway.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, March 31, 2012
4. Dancing Figures, north side of Grand Foyer
"Adding greater beauty and splendor to our city, standing as a magnificent tribute to its architects and builders, Oakland's new $3,000,000 Paramount Theatre will throw open its doors tomorrow night..." - Oakland Tribune, December 15, 1931.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, March 31, 2012
5. Womens' Lounge, Lower Level
"....[the] Paramount Theatre has a unity of style remarkable for any building, especially one conceived when novelty was the current rage. It is "moderne" only in the sense that it owes little to any past style, and it is not characterized by the abstract, geometric manner commonly associated with "Art Deco." Because it relies less on conventional "Art Deco" mannerisms than most buildings of its era, the Paramount now seems less dated than most of its contemporaries." - Paramount Theatre website.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, March 31, 2012
6. Decorative Relief, Staircase
The indirect ambient lighting, although dim, allows many of the relief figures to take on a delicate glow.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein
7. Fountain of Light - Grand Foyer
Designed by Gerald Fitzgerald, the Fountain of Light is a nearly 35 foot high illuminated glass sculpture above the lobby entrance.
Photographed by Gabriel Moulin Studios, 1932
8. Proscenium, from the Balcony
The decorative relief panels surrounding the proscenium and on the ceiling were designed by Robert Boardman Howard and Ralph Stackpole. Boardman also designed the panels on auditorium walls.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, March 31, 2012
9. Auditorium Ceiling
The auditorium ceiling is adorned with a ceiling grid. Although appearing solid under theatrical lighting, the grid is actually composed of a series of interconnected sheet metal strips, indirectly lit to give it a warm glow.
Photographed by Jack Boucher, 1975
10. Paramount Theatre - view from southeast
The large scale mosaics that make up the front of the theater were designed by Gerald Fitzgerald, Theodore Bernardi, and Milton Pflueger (Thomas Pflueger's brother). The mosaics were assembled by Gladding McBean in Lincoln (Placer County).
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 1, 2012
11. Paramount Theatre - view from northeast
Although it started out as a movie palace, meant to showcase movies and variety acts, the 3,000 seat theater today regularly hosts a variety of events - classic movies, ballet, lectures, live comedy, and musical performances from a variety of genres.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, March 31, 2012
12. "They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway..."
The Paramount Theatre is one of the finest remaining examples of Art Deco design in the United States. It was one of the first Depression-era buildings to incorporate and integrate the work of numerous creative artists into its architecture and is particularly note-worthy for its successful orchestration of the various artistic disciplines into an original and harmonious whole.... - Historic American Buildings Survey
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 2, 2012, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 1,785 times since then and 44 times this year. Last updated on December 20, 2016, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on April 2, 2012, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 8, 9, 10, 11. submitted on April 3, 2012, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 12. submitted on April 2, 2012, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
