Oakland’s Paramount Theatre is one of the finest remaining examples of Art Deco design in the United States.

Completed in 1931, after its initial brief blaze of “movie palace” glory in the 1930′s, this remarkable auditorium suffered three decades of neglect and decline until its rescue by the Oakland Symphony, the City of Oakland and numerous private donors.

The Orinda Theatre was opened in 1941 and later slated for demolition in 1984 before it was saved through the efforts of preservationists and reopened in 1989.

The original lobby and main theatre were left intact as they were built in 1941.

Opened in 1940 as a stage venue called the Westwood Theatre, [The Crest Westwood, Los Angeles] went through several changes in ownership, name, and design over the next seven decades before closing its doors in 2011.

This, in spite of the fact that it had been declared a Cultural Historical Monument three years earlier.

Photographer Frank Bohbot via Messy Nessy Chic with more history and way more photos.