Label
Fox International Theatre Marquee
1953
Designed by Carl G. Moeller
Donated by Rafigh Pooya, 1988
Showmanship in architecture, sweeping scrollwork, deep-hanging festooned drapes, multi-colored neon-lit coves, generous use of gold leaf and lighting fixtures of brass and aluminum are just a few of the unique components of what historians call the Skouras style. It was a form of decoration seen almost exclusively in showplaces operated by the national Theaters Amusement Co. and its subsidiaries, especially Fox West Coast Theaters. The beginnings were first in evidence at the end of the Thirties, coming fully into blossom after World War II.
According to architect S. Charles Lee, the man chiefly responsible for influencing creative efforts of his architects and designers was Charles Skouras (1889–1954), and to a lesser extent, by his brother, Spyros Skouras (1893–1971). Attracting movie patrons to enjoy the latest Hollywood attraction in their theaters was paramount. A brightly lit marquee, appealing theater front, jukebox-like ticket kiosk outside, and ornamentation and painting on the walls and ceilings within made the theater a show in itself.
This Fox International Theatre marquee from Venice, California was designed by Carl G. Moeller (1893–1975), an architectural designer for the Fox West Coast Theaters and the chief interpreter of the Skouras style. From the end of World War II until the death of Charles Skouras in 1954, Fox created a number of new theaters and renovated an estimated 200 extant structures in whole or in part in the Skouras style.
(Excerpt from "Skouras-ized for Showmanship" by Preston Kaufmann published by Theater Historical Society of America, 1987.)