A marquee is most commonly a structure placed over the entrance to a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...

, or similar building. It often has signage stating either the name of the establishment or, in the case of theatres, the

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and the artist(s) appearing at that venue. The marquee is sometimes identifiable by a surrounding compound of light bulbs, usually yellow or white, that flash intermittently or as chasing lights.

Etymology

The current usage of the modern English word ''marquee,'' that in US English refers specifically to a canopy projecting over the main entrance of a theater, which displays details of the entertainment or performers, was documented in the academic journal '' American Speech'' in 1926: "''Marquee'', the front door or main entrance of the big top." In British English "marquee" refers more generally to a large tent, usually for social uses. The English word ''marquee'' is derived from the Middle French word '' marquise'' (the final /z/ probably being mistaken as -s plural), the feminine form corresponding to ''marquis'' ('nobleman'). The word ''marquise'' was also used to refer to various objects and fashions regarded as elegant or pleasing, hence: a kind of pear (1690), a canopy placed over a tent (1718), a type of settee (1770), a canopy in front of a building (1835), a ring with an elongated stone or setting, a diamond cut as a navette (late 19th century), and a style of woman's hat (1889). The oldest form of the word's root ''*merg-'' meant "boundary, border." Other words that descended from this

Proto-Indo-European root The roots of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) are basic parts of words to carry a lexical meaning, so-called morphemes. PIE roots usually have verbal meaning like "to eat" or "to run". Roots never occurred alone in the langu ...

include ''margin'', ''margrave'', and ''mark''. Early examples of the modern use of ''marquee'' include *1931, '' The American Mercury'': "''Marquee'', the canopy at the main entrance f a circus" *1933, ''Billboard'', The marquee of the Rivoli, where ''Samarang'' is playing, reads: 'One of the most exciting films ever shown.' *1967, ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'': "British actors mean little on an American movie marquee and Sherlock Holmes always seems old-fashioned."

History

Movie marquee designs in the United States are closely related to the social, political, and economic forces of the 20th century. The invention of the

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

influenced many elements of theater architecture. The marquee in particular became larger, and stood out from the street to serve as a physical and aesthetic landmark from other businesses along the sidewalk. The shape also evolved from a small rectangle to a trapezoid, making it more readable to automobile traffic. The text also became less detailed but larger. The larger size of the sign and text, combined with the flashing lights and color, made the façade easily visible to fast-passing cars. Movie marquee designs in the 1930s prompted theater historian Ben M. Hall to call them "electric tiaras." During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, aesthetic considerations of the marquee were dictated by the availability of labor and materials. Building materials such as steel, copper, bronze, and aluminum were limited. Even in the postwar years, these building materials were mostly dedicated to building civilian housing for returning soldiers and their families. Concrete and glass, two building materials that were not restricted, became essential to movie theater architects. Light was also an unrestricted resource for architects, and combined with glass it produced striking visual effects. The mild climate of certain locations, such as the American West Coast, also permitted the use of lightweight materials such as porcelain and plastics in marquees. Another benefit of using light and glass together (besides the dramatic appearance it created) was the economic bonus of it being cheap.Valentine, Maggie. ''The Show Starts on the Sidewalk: An Architectural History of the Movie Theatre, Starring S. Charles Lee''. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996. Marquees are also used to illuminate the name of an

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...

at the top of its cabinet.

References

{{reflist Parts of a theatre Signage Stage terminology

Etymology

History

See also

References