Whiteside Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Whiteside Theatre
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The Whiteside Theatre in 2009
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 Location in Corvallis OR
Location in Oregon
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| Location | 361 SW Madison Avenue Corvallis, Oregon |
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| Area | Approx. 0.16 acres (0.065 ha) |
| Built | 1922 |
| Built by | McFadden & Swain |
| Architect | Henderson Ryan |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000060 |
| Added to NRHP | February 25, 2009 |
The Whiteside Theatre is a really old and special movie theater building in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. It was built way back in 1922. This theater has 800 seats, which is a lot! It stopped being a regular movie theater in 2002. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
Contents
History of the Whiteside Theatre
Grand Opening in 1922
The Whiteside Theatre first opened its doors to the public on November 10, 1922. It is located in Corvallis, Oregon, at the corner of 4th Street and SW Madison Avenue. The very first movie shown was The Old Homestead, a film from Paramount Pictures. It starred actors like Theodore Roberts and Constance Talmadge.
The opening night was a huge success! The local newspaper said that many people came to see the new theater. Even though it was raining, the theater was completely full. Hundreds of people waited outside or couldn't get in for the first show.
The theater had a special Wurlitzer organ. People said it had the best sound of any organ in Oregon. The Whiteside Theatre also had fancy curtains and beautiful paintings on the walls. In those days, movies were silent, so the organ played music during the film. A movie theater owner from Seattle said that "pictures can not be produced without fitting music." He also said the Whiteside Theatre was perfect for enjoying this music.
The Whiteside brothers, Sam and George, built the theater. They owned a company called Corvallis Amusement Company. Building the theater cost about $120,000, which was a lot of money back then!
The Whiteside brothers were from Iowa. They had lived in Corvallis for 25 years before building this theater. They had been in the movie business in Corvallis since about 1910. They owned the Crystal Theatre, which was the town's first movie place. Later, they built the Majestic Theatre. The Whiteside Theatre was even bigger and better than the Majestic. The Crystal Theatre closed in the summer of 1922.
Fire in 1927
In October 1927, the Whiteside Theatre had a big fire. The fire started in a paint room behind the stage. The valuable Wurlitzer organ, which was worth $16,000, was completely destroyed. New curtains and chairs were also needed. The theater had to close for repairs and remodeling for the rest of that year.
The theater reopened on January 2, 1928. It was full of people again! They watched a movie called Hero for a Night. Before the movie, a local person played popular songs on the theater's brand new organ.
Talking Pictures and Other Events
On December 26, 1928, the Whiteside Theatre showed the first "talking picture" in Corvallis. This meant movies with sound! The Whiteside brothers spent about $35,000 on new Vitaphone equipment from Warner Brothers. It took about six weeks to install. The Vitaphone system used a special record player connected to the movie projector. This made sure the sound and picture stayed together. Speakers around the theater played the sound loudly.
With the new sound system, ticket prices changed. An adult ticket cost 50 cents, and a child's ticket was 15 cents. Special seats cost 75 cents. But there were cheaper tickets for weekday and afternoon shows. The famous movie The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, was planned to show at the Whiteside on New Year's Day 1929. Many more "talkies" were scheduled after that.
The Whiteside Theatre was not just for movies. Its stage was also used for many community events. For example, in May 1928, there was a patriotic Memorial Day program. In April 1929, the Whiteside hosted Corvallis's first citywide beauty contest. The winner of this contest was sent to the International Pageant of Pulchritude in Galveston, Texas. This pageant is now known as the "Miss Universe" pageant!
Recent Years and Restoration
The Whiteside Theatre kept showing movies for many years. In the 1990s, a company called Regal Cinemas bought it. Regal Cinemas operated the theater until it closed in January 2002. The last movie shown there was The Fellowship of the Ring. The theater closed because of expensive plumbing problems and because big, single-screen theaters were not as popular as multiplex theaters (which have many screens). Luckily, Regal Cinemas did not tear out the inside of the theater. This made it possible to restore it later.
In 2006, people in Corvallis started a group to save the Whiteside Theatre. They wanted to raise money and support to fix it up. Over the next ten years, they raised a lot of money. The theater has been restored, and classic films are often shown there again. Public events are also held on its stage. Restoration work is still continuing today.
The Whiteside Theatre was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in February 2009.
See also
- Charles and Ibby Whiteside House
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Benton County, Oregon
