The Grand Lake Theater is a multiplex cinema located in the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland, California. It was designed by the Reid Brothers for West Coast Theaters, Inc. After it opened on March 6, 1926, it held vaudeville and silent movie showings, but with the arrival of "talkies" it began to exclusively show sound films. In 1928, the Grand Lake became part of the Fox Theaters chain, and in total, changed ownership five times until 1980. In 1980, the theater was purchased by Allen Michaan of Renaissance Rialto, Inc. Multiplex is either a word derived from multi- + plex (fold) or a synthetic portmanteau combining the words multiple and complex and can be another word for many or (literally) manifold. ... The Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland, California is generally regarded as the portion of Oakland surrounding the Grand Lake Theater and resting on the northern edge of Lake Merritt. ... Aerial view looking west over downtown Oakland, Lake Merritt and the Port of Oakland in the upper left portion of the image. ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Vaudeville is a style of theater, also known as variety, which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... A sound film (or talkie) is a motion picture with synchronized sound, as opposed to a silent movie. ... 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

The architecture of the the Grand Lake Theater is art deco in style, and includes a vibrant illuminated rooftop sign. It was originally built as a one auditorium theater. After purchasing it, Renaissance Rialto, Inc. spent $3.5 million on renovation and expansion. In 1981, the balcony of the auditorium was split into a second auditorium. In 1985, neighboring storefronts were purchased and attached to the theater. These were transformed into a small Egyptian Revival styled auditorium and a small Moorish styled auditorium. After the expansions of the 1980s, the Grand Lake Theater had a total of four screens and 1619 seats. Asheville City Hall. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Egyptian Revial mausoleum of Maj. ... For the terrain type see Moor Moors is used in this article to describe the medieval Muslim inhabitants of al-Andalus and the Maghreb, whose culture is often called Moorish. For other meanings look at Moors (Meaning) or Blackamoors. ...

Michaan is known to use his liberal politics as a guide in managing the Grand Lake. In 2004, he publicly announced that the theater would not enforce the R rating of the political documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. The Grand Lake has also received widespread recognition for Michaan's use of the marquee as a political message board. In outrage at the 2000 presidential election, he posted this message on the high-traffic side of the marquee: "This Is America — Every Vote Should Be Counted" Since then, and with much support from the local community, Michaan has regularly used one side of the theater's marquee to display a timely political message. In politics, the term liberal refers to: an adherent of the ideology of liberalism —an ideology espousing liberty. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... Fahrenheit 9/11 is a high-grossing, award-winning documentary film by American filmmaker Michael Moore, which had a general release in the United States and Canada on June 25, 2004. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

References

• Grand Lake Theater History (http://www.renaissancerialto.com/masters/grandl~1/GrandHistory.htm). Retrieved May 29, 2005.
• Cinema Treasures | Grand Lake Theater (http://cinematreasures.org/theater/414/). Retrieved May 29, 2005.
• Don Quixote Michaan: Man with a Marquee (http://www.commongroundmag.com/2004/cg3103/dockofthebay3103.html). Retrieved May 30, 2005.

External links

• Photo log of Grand Lake Theater's political marquee messages (http://www.fotolog.net/grand_lake/)