Peery's Egyptian Theater facts for kids
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| Address | 2439 Washington Blvd. Ogden, Utah United States |
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| Designation | 41°13′19″N 111°58′15″W / 41.221823°N 111.970923°W |
| Type | Movie palace |
| Capacity | 800 |
| Current use | Performing Arts Center and Movies |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Rebuilt | 1997 |
| Architect | Leslie S. Hodgson & Myrl A. McClenahan, F. Berne |
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Peery's Egyptian Theater
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| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002714 |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 1978 |
Peery's Egyptian Theater is a historic movie palace in Ogden, Utah. It is famous for its design, which looks like an ancient Egyptian temple. Because of its historical importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Contents
History of the Theater
The story of Peery's Egyptian Theater begins after a fire destroyed the Arlington Hotel in 1923. Two brothers, Harman and Louis Peery, decided to build a magnificent theater on the empty lot. They wanted it to be "The Showplace of the West."
Designing a Masterpiece
The Peerys hired the architectural firm Hodgson & McClenahan to design the theater. The architects were inspired by other famous theaters, especially Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. They chose an Egyptian theme, which was very popular at the time.
Construction started in 1923 and took ten months. The theater officially opened on July 3, 1924. The first movie shown was a silent film called Wanderer of the Wasteland. A powerful pipe organ, called the Mighty Wurlitzer, played music to go along with the movie.
The Arrival of "Talkies"
In 1929, the theater showed its first "talking picture," a movie with sound called In Old Arizona. This was a big change for movies. Because the films now had their own sound, the Wurlitzer organ was used less often. In 1960, the organ was removed and placed in storage.
Over the years, the theater was updated several times. In the 1930s, the entrance was remodeled with a bigger sign. In 1951, the theater was refreshed with new, fancier details.
New Technology in the 1950s
The 1950s brought exciting new technology to the theater. In 1953, it showed its first 3-D movie, It Came from Outer Space. Later that year, it showed The Robe, a movie filmed in CinemaScope.
CinemaScope movies were very wide. To fit the new, wider screen, two of the decorative columns inside the theater had to be removed. A new sound system with four channels was also installed to create stereophonic sound.
Changes in the 1960s
The theater was remodeled again in 1961. Many of the original details were painted over. The auditorium walls and curtains were painted pink. A new, even larger screen was installed.
To make moviegoers more comfortable, the seating was changed. This gave people more legroom, but it also reduced the number of seats from 1,200 to 850.
Hard Times and a Grand Rescue
The theater continued to show popular movies into the early 1980s. But eventually, it became a second-run theater, showing movies after they had already played in other places. In 1984, the theater had to close because it was in need of major repairs.
For years, the building sat empty and boarded up. Many people worried it would be torn down. But the community came together to save it. The Weber County Heritage Foundation helped buy the theater, and it was given to the Egyptian Theater Foundation to be restored.
The restoration was a huge project. It was made possible by Weber County, Ogden City, Weber State University, and many generous donors. On January 17, 1997, the beautiful Egyptian Theater reopened.
What Makes the Theater Special?
Peery's Egyptian Theater is unique for many reasons. It is one of only a handful of Egyptian-style theaters still standing in the United States.
Built to Be Safe
The theater was built with strong, poured concrete. This was done to make it fireproof and safe for audiences. The builders were so confident in its strength that they once piled over 70,000 pounds of gravel on the roof to test it. The roof barely moved! A sign on the back of the building once read, "Ogden's Only Fireproof Theater ... A Safe Place for the Kiddies."
A Sky Inside the Theater
One of the most amazing features is the "atmospheric" ceiling. It is designed to look like the sky. It can change from a bright daytime sky to a dusky evening, and then to a dark night sky filled with twinkling stars. This effect still works today.
A Beautiful Design
The outside of the theater is covered in colorful, detailed terra cotta tiles. Even after many decades, the facade is in excellent condition. Inside, the seating is on a single, steep slope, so everyone has a good view of the stage. The seats are comfortable and have classic wood backs.
The Theater Today
Today, Peery's Egyptian Theater is more than just a movie house. It is a busy community arts center. It hosts plays, concerts, classic films, and dance performances like The Nutcracker ballet every Christmas.
Since 1998, the theater has been a venue for the famous Sundance Film Festival. In 2004, a Wurlitzer pipe organ was installed, bringing back the historic sound of the theater's early days. It is now a beloved landmark where people can enjoy all kinds of performances.
See also
