During the “Golden Age” of Hollywood, the Movie Palace was the predominant entertainment venue. Studios built these massive, elaborately decorated movie theatres between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the Movie Palace, with hundreds opening every year between 1925 and 1930. Once television came to be, movie attendance dropped and many of these opulent movie palaces were razed or converted into multiple screen venues or performing arts centers. However, scattered here and there across the United States, some of these majestic buildings still stand. And if you have the chance to get inside, you can see first hand how many theatre architects used marble to help create an atmosphere of breathtaking opulence. 

Nowhere is there a better example of this than in the historic Los Angeles Theatre at 615 S. Broadway in Los Angles, California. On a recent tour exploring the rescued and renovated movie palaces in and around Los Angeles, we had the opportunity to visit this one-of-a-kind theatre—a unique experience that proves how no expense was spared to create these lavish buildings that were genuine “palaces” in their day.   
One of the most impressive features in this historic building is the ladies restroom. Not only did the ladies lounge include a massive cosmetics room with individual vanities and three-sided full-length mirrors, but each of the dozen or so individual bathroom stalls features a unique kind of marble. Though the Los Angeles theatre shows its age, walking through this hall of marble is still a breathtaking experience. From bright white marble shades that still shine to black marble with sharply contrasting striations, it is easy to see how impressive this must have been when the movie palaces reigned. What’s even more impressive is the knowledge  that this entire theatre was constructed in six month’s time. 
The blend of custom made draperies and carpets with gleaming marble must have been an amazing sight. The movie palaces offered many special features for the comfort and delight of their patrons. The stunning Baroque architecture, grand chandeliers, flowing staircases, and plush red carpet of the Los Angeles theatre are unforgettable, but the marble on display in the ladies bathroom is absolutely mesmerizing. 

Are you interested in incorporating marble into your own bath project? Give us a call at 877-39- STONE and we can help you create an opulent look that will bring a sense of timeless beauty into your home.