Hollywood Theatre (Portland, Oregon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hollywood Theatre
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The marquee and front facade on Sandy Boulevard in 2011
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 Location in Portland, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Location | 4122 NE Sandy Boulevard Portland, Oregon |
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| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Bennes & Herzog |
| NRHP reference No. | 83002172 |
| Added to NRHP | September 1, 1983 |
The Hollywood Theatre is a very old movie theater in Portland, Oregon. It is owned by a group that doesn't make a profit, called a non-profit organization. This theater is a super important landmark in the Hollywood neighborhood. You can find it at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. It's right across from where the first Fred Meyer store used to be. The Hollywood Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. People think of it as a special part of Northeast Portland's history and culture.
Contents
A Look at the Theatre's History
The Hollywood Theatre first opened its doors on Saturday, July 17, 1926. It had 1,491 seats! Architects John Virginius Bennes and Harry A. Herzog designed the building. They used different styles for the outside and inside. The outside looks like Spanish Colonial buildings. The inside was inspired by famous Roman baths and artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
From Vaudeville to Cinerama
When it first opened, the theater showed both vaudeville shows and silent movies. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with many different acts. In 1961, the theater changed to show movies using a special system called Cinerama. This system used a super-wide screen. It kept showing Cinerama films until 1963. Even after that, it was still called a "Cinerama theater" until 1969. During this time, it only showed special 70-millimeter films. One very famous movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, played here for over 10 months starting in June 1968.
Changes Over the Years
In 1975, the big theater was split into three smaller movie rooms. For many years in the 1980s and 1990s, it showed "second run" films. These were movies that had already been shown in other theaters.
Becoming a Non-Profit and Renovations
The theater became a non-profit group in 1997. This means it focuses on its mission rather than making money. Starting in 2011, the theater got some big upgrades. They put in new seats, screens, and sound systems. They also gave the building a fresh coat of paint. In 2013, people helped raise money through a Kickstarter campaign. This money helped build a brand new marquee, which is the big sign outside. In 2015, the theater was able to show 70-millimeter films again!
What's Playing Now?
Today, the Hollywood Theatre shows new movies. But it also shows many different kinds of older films. You can see classic movies, unusual films, educational films, and independent movies. They especially like to show films on old-fashioned 35-millimeter and 70-millimeter film.
Since 2015, many special guests have visited the theater. These include famous people like Quentin Tarantino and Pam Grier. The main movie room has a huge 50-foot screen and 384 seats. There are also two smaller rooms upstairs, each with 111 seats.
The theater is run by the non-profit group that owns it. Their main goal is to keep this historic theater in good shape. They also want to show a wide variety of movies for everyone to enjoy.
Hollywood Theatre at the Airport
In December 2015, the Hollywood Theatre shared exciting news. They planned to open a small theater inside the Portland International Airport! This tiny theater would have 18 seats. There would also be standing room for 10 to 20 people. It would even have space for live shows. The airport theater would show short films, no longer than 20 minutes. The best part? It would be completely free to watch! This "microcinema" opened in February 2017.
Movie Madness Joins the Family
In 2017, the Hollywood Theatre bought a famous video store in Portland called Movie Madness. This store has a huge collection of over 90,000 movies! Now, this amazing collection is part of the Hollywood Theatre's family.
Images for kids
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Exterior at night with neon sign illuminated (2011)
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Lobby with chandelier
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September 2013 view, shortly after new marquee was brought into use
_at_night,_2011.jpg)
