The Show Starts on the Sidewalk: An Architectural History of the Movie Theatre, Starring S. Charles Lee

From the 1890 penny arcades and the opulent and ornate movie houses of the 1920s and 1930s to the drive-in theatres of the 1950s and the multiplex cinemas of today, movie theatres have provided an environment where millions of Americans learned about life, culture, politics, romance, and sex. In this entertaining and lively book, Maggie Valentine examines theatres as products and symbols of their time, and shows how they influenced and were influenced by architectural trends and the economic, social, and political forces of the era.