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 2013
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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 famous movie theater in Portland, Oregon. It was built way back in 1926. This theater is a very important landmark in the Hollywood District. In fact, the neighborhood is named after the theater itself!
You can find the theater at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. A special non-profit group runs it. The Hollywood Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It is seen as a true treasure of Portland's history and culture. It is also the only theater in Oregon that can show movies using 70mm film.
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History of the Hollywood Theatre
The Hollywood Theatre was planned by a company called Jensen and Herberg. They wanted it to be like their Liberty Theater in Astoria, Oregon. The architects, Bennes and Herzog, designed the building in a few different styles. The outside looks like Spanish Colonial Revival buildings. The inside was inspired by old Roman baths and the artist Bernini.
The theater first opened its doors on Saturday, July 17, 1926. It had 1,491 seats. Back then, it showed both vaudeville shows (live stage performances) and silent movies.
Cinerama and Special Films
In 1961, the theater became a Cinerama theater. This meant it could show movies on a very wide screen. It used this special wide-screen process until 1963. Even after that, it was still called a "Cinerama theater" until 1969. During this time, it only showed 70-millimeter films.
A very famous movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, opened there on June 13, 1968. It played for more than 10 months!
In 1975, the theater was changed. It was divided into three smaller movie rooms. Through the 1980s and 1990s, it showed movies that had already been released.
Modern Renovations and Non-Profit Status
The theater became a non-profit organization in 1997. This means it's run to help the community, not to make money for owners. Starting in 2011, the theater got a big makeover. They put in new seats, new screens, and better sound systems. They also gave it a fresh coat of paint.
In 2013, people helped raise money through a Kickstarter campaign. This money was used to build a brand new sign (marquee) for the front of the theater. In 2015, the theater got its special 70-millimeter film projector back. This made it the only theater in Oregon with this ability.
What's Playing Now
Today, the Hollywood Theatre shows new movies. It also shows many classic films, both well-known and rare. You can see independent films, educational movies, and experimental films there too. They often show older movies using 35-millimeter and 70-millimeter film.
Since 2015, many special guests have visited the theater. These include famous people like Quentin Tarantino, Pam Grier, Michael Ironside, Piper Laurie, and Joe Dante. The main movie room has a huge 50-foot screen and 384 seats. Upstairs, there are two smaller rooms, each with 111 seats.
The theater is owned and run by the non-profit group. Their main goal is to keep this historic theater in good shape. They also want to offer many different kinds of movies for everyone to enjoy.
Airport Theater
In December 2015, the Hollywood Theatre announced exciting news. They planned to open a small movie theater at Portland International Airport. This tiny theater has 18 seats. There is also standing room for 10 to 20 more people. It can even host live performances.
The airport theater shows short films, each no longer than 20 minutes. The best part is that it's completely free to watch! In February 2017, this "microcinema" officially opened.
Movie Madness
In 2017, the Hollywood Theatre bought a very famous video store in Portland called Movie Madness. This store has a huge collection of over 90,000 movies! Movie Madness is now located right across the street from the Hollywood Theatre.
Gallery
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Exterior at night with neon sign illuminated (2011)
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Lobby with chandelier
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