Flickering Treasures: Rediscovering Baltimore’s Forgotten Movie Theaters

Flickering Treasures: Rediscovering Baltimore’s Forgotten Movie Theaters by Amy Davis    320 pages

I grew up in a smallish town in southern Arkansas. We had one of those grand old movie palaces, The Saenger, that made going to the movies an event. The sheer beauty of that old theater always took my breath away when I entered its lobby. When I was a kid, I swore I could feel the ghosts of those who sat in the seats before. The old girl is shuttered now, empty and a declining nod to a different way of life.

That’s what Davis’ book is about, the old movie theaters that still dot Baltimore’s landscape. Modern movie theaters are so cold and sterile. They don’t have that lavishness and gracefulness that was so common in the past.

Davis explores Baltimore’s rich movie history from 1896 to 2017. I can sit and look at the photos and read the captions time and time and time again. Part picture book, part Baltimore history, and totally fascinating, Flickering Treasures: Rediscovering Baltimore’s Forgotten Movie Theaters receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.