The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • 45

Street and Broadway where the new theater is business establishments have opened offices on the building located A number of Fresno the first and second floors of Bee Photo READY FOR PREMIERE The new Crest Theater pictured above will open tonight The high lighted tower which bears the name of the picture house stands out as a new landmark among the commercial structures along Fresno Newest Movie Theater Crest Will Open Tonight II Stars From Hollywood Will Attend Opening Of Theater ginia McDowell his sister who appeared as Lady Agatha in The Fan and Charles Russell who played with Ronald Colman In The Late George Apley The initial picture in the new theater wilt be a premiere scheduled for Thursday night when admission will be by Invitation only Broadcast Is Planned In keeping with the Holl premiere tradition a radio broadcast will be conducted from the sidewalk In front of the theater and the stars will be introduced as they arrive for the performance along with Fresno civic leaders and other dignitaries Sidewiuk entertainment nnd music is planned for the opening of the premiere prior to the start of the picture about 8:30 The stars will arrive from Hollywood by airplane Thursday after newest motion picture house the Crest Theater at Fresno Street and Broadway la ready for its gala opening An invitational premiere will be staged in the theater tonight with a bevy of Hollywood stars attending the Initial performance In the newest link in the Fox West Coast Theaters chain The theater will be opened to the public tomorrow to begin regular showings Costing more than $500000 the theater offers the ipost modern accommodations for showgoers including all the latest methods and materials for the safety and comfort of patrons Started In May 1948 Work began on preparing the site for -the erection of the new theater building in May 1918 when structures already on the corner were razed and the builders have been active steadily since that time in getting the new theater ready for the opening The auditorium type theater Unbroken Scheme Of Decoration Runs To Ceiling The decorative scheme of the Crest Theater flows unbroken from the walls to the domes In the ceiling The ornamentation is of staff tirork covered with gold leaf and glazed in warm transparent colors The ceiling domes are accoustical-ly treated and the plain area around them is ivory and gold The same ornamentat staff work runs along the wall elevation forming the dado line and is designed to receive lighting fixtures in each side of the auditorium walls which also are finished in ivory gold and pastel colors- A valsnce of staff work leafed with gold in installed at the head of -the proscenium arch to receive the stage drapes and curtains In emerald green blue gold and gray The remainder of the theater is treated in ivory and gold Lounges Are Convenient Lounge rooms for men and women are situated a few steps from the foyer of the Crest seats 1284 persons and the chairs are specially constructed to provide comfortable arrangements for the patrons The fan type arrangement of the seats eliminates eye strain and also does away- with distorted images on the screen Especially Designed The sound reproduction system is designed especially to remove any possibility of in which the words and music of the films cannot be 'heard The interior of the theater has been decorated attractively to reflect the modern theme while all the construction has been aimed at achieving maximum safety for patrons The George Carter Company of Los Angeles was the contractor Er the Los Angeles theater on the project and the site was ac- firm through the office of If Antrim from the Capital Company a subsidiary of the Bank of America Contrast Marks Crest Theater The Crest Theater is designed to stand out as an entertainment house in contrast with the commercial buildings which occupy adjoining sites on Fresno Street and Broadway Stretching in front of the entire width of the theater building including the sidewalks is rich colorful terrazzo floor which forms the base of an approach to the house and is followed on the Interior by deep carpenting The carpeting stretches from the foyer through all passages and aisles and into the lounges Light Troughs KJae From the entrance on the corner of Fresno Street and Broadway light troughs rise to the ceiling of the lobby The ceiling carries additional flush light units illuminating the entrance Glass doors lead Into the foyer where concealed lighting of lesser intensity leads patrons through wide passages Into the moderately illuminated auditorium A group of 11 Hollywood moving picture stars have accepted invita- tions to attend the opening of the Crest Theater and participate in the opening ceremonies set for to night The group will be headed by George Jessel prominent Twentieth Century-Fox producer and well known as a master of ceremonies Others invited include Randy Stuart: who will costar with Cary Grant in I Married A War Bride Marjorie Woodworth Western star Nancy Guild who played opposite Dan Dailey in Give My Regards To Broadway Richard Long now being seen in Ma And Fa Kettle: William Shirley a singing star Just signed by Twentieth Century- Robert Arthur and Sharrl Robertson new Twentieth Century-Fox stars now appearing in My Everything Roddy McDowell the star of Tuna Clipper and Vir- Theater Installs Latest Equipment Sound and projection equipment in the Crest Theater will provide as much eye and ear comfort for patrons as is possible The sound and projection room equipment include the latest type sound with 60 watts of power output The newest type projector machines are used and are mounted on super bases which sssure steadiness in the projection A special control station enables the projectionist to have full control of the lighting system curtains and public address system The public address system includes a backstage microphone through which announcements ran be made Has Dual Amplification The sound equipment has dual amplification to take care of any emergency which might arise in one of the amplifiers and the 60 watt power output eliminates any possibility of distortion The electrical installation Includes an emergency generator set which starts from an automatic throw-over switch in the event power or light ceases to function because- of an emergency Charles Skouras-r-He heads Fox West Coast Theaters Theater Owner Will Be Guest The Fox West Coast Theaters of which the Crest is the newest house are headed by Charles Skouras who will attend the opening premiere of the Fresno theater Skouras became Interested in the theater business in 1914 when he and his brothers Spyros and George bought an 800 seat nickelodeon in St Louis for Worked As Busboy Charles Skouras the first of the family to emigrate to the United States from Greece first worked as a busboy and later as a waiter and bartender to obtain money with which to bring his brothers to this country After buying the first theater the brothers handled all the details of its operation and subsequently after putting the house on a firm financial basis began expanding Three years later they acquired their initial first run theater having operated neighborhood houses up to that time In 1924 they built the Ambassador' -Theater In St Louis and subsequently after developing ttudr chain of theaters to (Continued On Page 6-C) noon and are expected to begin arriving at the theater at approximately 8 o'clock Outside Lighting Of Theater Is Unusual Feature An attractive feature of the Chest Theater la the decorative effect achieved In the exterior illumination One of the more unusual features of the design is the lighted tower which blazes with 75000 watts of electricity The marquee Includes hundreds of feet of neon tubing and much of the decoration design is animated A display of interchangeable plastic letters In color will announce the names of the current attractions in the moving picture house Also offering nn artistic design In color is the terra zzo floor Of marble composition in the foyer Poster frames on either side of the foyer are lighted and bear ad-vertiaements of current and future pictures The marquee celling is illuminated with recessed neon tubes and spotlights.