Movie palace masterpiece

Elegant "movie palaces" by the hundreds once graced American cities and towns, but television, suburbia, and shopping malls doomed virtually all. This is the story of one survivor: the ornate, 2,900-seat former Loew's State Theatre in Syracuse, N.Y., midwife to the Shubert theater chain, Variety, and other entertainment icons. In news stories, personal recollections, and some fifty illustrations - nearly three dozen in color - "Movie Palace Masterpiece" documents this Hindu-Persian-Oriental treasure's conception, 1928 debut, "golden years," near-destruction, and dramatic rescue. It is an extraordinary saga, evoking a memorable era.