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The Alabama Theatre is a fabulous place to see everything from classic films to a Tom Waits concert. It’s one of the grand architectural accomplishments saved from the wrecking-ball while many others of that era weren’t.

Built in 1927, the Alabama was designed by a Chicago firm that specialized in the extravagant movie palaces of the 1920s. Exploring the theatre is entertainment in itself. The building is designed like a Spanish palace with a hodgepodge of motifs from many periods. Heavy Moorish details with spiraling terra cotta columns greet visitors. Marble columns, bright gold leaf ornamentation and ornate chandeliers decorate the grand lobby. Inside the 3,000-seat auditorium, rich stained glass arches and gilded plaster ornament ice the walls. The interior is crowned with an elliptical dome of recessed panels.

The Alabama Theatre opened on Christmas Day. Silent movies still were the fare of the day, and the films were dramatized through music on the “Mighty Wurlitzer.” The massive pipe organ claimed a sound capacity of a 70-piece orchestra. That same wonderful Wurlitzer still magically rises from underground to accompany classic films or for special performances.

The Alabama’s 2015 Holiday Film Series schedule has just been released. It’s a joy to remove yourself from the breakneck pace of the season, and catch one of these classic Christmas movies. Find the schedule here: http://alabamatheatre.com/events/2015-12/