EASTWOOD THEATER
2090 Atwood Avenue
The Eastwood Theater, now known as the Barrymore, was designed by local architect H. C. Alford and Peoria theater designer F. C. Klein. The exterior is Moorish in its inspiration. The original interior decor was meant to create the illusion of a Spanish hacienda courtyard. The Capital Times (Dec. 28, 1929) described the Eastwood as "...unique in Madison in its atmospheric effects. The illusion is of an open sky with stars that twinkle convincingly and soft, fleecy clouds floating along." The twinkling stars are all that is left of the once romantic interior design. The Eastwood and its four adjoining shops were built by a group of east side businessmen under the direction of the East Side Businessmen's Association. It was the first theater in Madison built exclusively to show the new "talkies" motion pictures and was the only major theater built outside of the downtown area until the 1960's.
