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Salt Lake Film Society
Tower Theatre
876 East 900 South
Salt Lake City, Utah
84105
801 321-0310
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Isis Theater
Salt Lake City, Utah
Open in 1908, the Isis Theatre was one of the first motion picture theaters in Salt Lake City. Its manager in 1910 was Max Florence, who a year later tried to blackmail the LDS Church by selling amateur photos of the Salt Lake Temple interior. Dan Kostopulos, a benefactor of underprivileged children, later renamed it the Broadway Theatre. In a 1976 press conference, Palace Theatre operator Lee Harper complained bitterly of persecution, made acusations of police brutality, threatened the life of a local judge, and accused the LDS Church of being involved with the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luthar King.
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| Home » Theaters » Tower Theatre » Main Page |
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The Tower Theatre on 29 April 1933
Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society, all rights reserved
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Tower Theatre
(Tower Talkies, Tower East Theatre)
876 East 900 South
Salt Lake City, Utah
84105
801 321-0310
http://www.towertheatre.com/
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Status: |
Open |
Chain: |
Salt Lake Film Society |
Total
Seats:
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342 |
Open: |
1921
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The Tower Theatre, built in 1921, is the oldest movie theater in the Salt Lake Valley which is still in operation today. It was the first air-conditioned movie theater in the city.
The theater originally had a facade that
resembled the Tower of London, but this was removed in 1950.
In
October 1952 the Tower Theater was leased to the Tower Corporation. L.
Howard Marcus, corporation president, said, "Our intention is to
operate the Tower as a truly 'art theater.' We plan an entirely new
type of theater operation, patterned after the fine entertainment
enterprises so successful in metropolitan centers throughout the United
States. We feel there is a constant demand for high quality artistic
films, both imported and domestic, which we will present at the Tower."1
The theater closed in 1988 and stood vacant for a couple years.
On
26 July 1991, Greg Tanner reopened the 480-seat Tower, hoping to
recapture the theater's reputation as Salt Lake City's premiere movie
art house. Tanner also operated the Blue Mouse, which was a small
screening room in the basement of a building, and Cinema in Your Face!,
which had the stigma of once being a soft-core porn theater. Of the
Tower, Tanner said, "I think that Salt Lake has never had a
high-quality art theater. Not since the Tower held that satus in the
'60s. We feel there will be a lot more support for an arts theater
here." Before reopening the Tower, Tanner improved the projection
equipment, renovated the lobby and rest rooms, and fixed electrical and
plumbing problems. He still hoped to do work on the marquee, the
ceiling in the auditorium, and the sound system.2
Businessman
Paul Liacopoulos bought the Tower in 2000. The Salt Lake Film Society,
a nonprofit organization, operates the Tower and later took over the
Broadway Centre 6 downtown.3
In
about 2001, the Salt Lake Film Society took over management of the
Tower Theatre. Brooke Harper, president of the society, selects the
movies herself, traveling to film festivals across the country to find
the perfect films for the theater. The society has done so well that
in 2002 it expanded its operations to 7 screens by taking over the
Broadway Centre Cinemas.
Harper said, "Operating an art house
theater is a completely different enterprise . . . You have to be
creative with finances, make every dollar go as far as possible, and
people who traditionally work with Hollywood cinema don't know how to
do that."4
During July and
August 2003, the Tower shut down its daytime and evening film programs
"to protect patrons from the moderate discomfort that stems from the
Tower's antiquated air-conditioning system." The Tower continued its
weekend midnight movies and video-rental business stayed opened.5
1. "New Company Takes Over S. L. Theater", Salt Lake Tribune , 17 October 1952 , Page 12B
2. "Tower Hopes to Recapture Reputation as S.L.'s Premiere Art House", Deseret News , 26 July 1991 , Page W3
3. "Art-house showdown: Utah flavor vs. New York slick", Salt Lake Tribune , 08 August 2003
4. "Salt Lake Film Society corners independent film market", BYU NewsNet, 5 September 2003
5. "Tower cuts back", 27 June 2003, Deseret News
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