Bluebird Theatre

3317 E. Colfax Avenue,
Denver, CO 80206

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rivest266
rivest266 on April 1, 2024 at 2:34 pm

Opened as Thompson on September 11th, 1915. Ad posted.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 16, 2017 at 10:58 pm

Facebook page for the Bluebird Theater.

https://www.facebook.com/bluebirdtheater/

bbfarmer
bbfarmer on February 5, 2013 at 1:05 pm

Now I see that the pictures in lostmemory’s post already made that clear.

bbfarmer
bbfarmer on February 5, 2013 at 1:03 pm

Was a porn theater during the short time I lived in Denver; this would be 1976.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 19, 2009 at 6:51 pm

Here is an album cover that features the theater:
http://tinyurl.com/dm2r48

JRed
JRed on November 22, 2008 at 4:52 am

Anyone have shots that are not of the marquee?

paulomalley
paulomalley on March 13, 2007 at 7:28 pm

I am not sure where the Colorado State Register obtained its information concerning the Thompson/Bluebird Theater, but it is inaccurate. The 600 seat Thompson Theater opened on September 11, 1915 and was far from being the “first Denver theater designed specifically for the exhibiton of movies.” The first “movie” theater opened in Denver was the Princess Theater (1620 Curtis Street) which opened on October 11, 1910 and sat 1,300. The next was the Paris/Rivoli Theater (1751 Curtis Street) which opened on October 5, 1912 and sat 2,300. This was followed by the New Isis Theater (1724 Curtis Street) which opened on May 1, 1913 and sat 2,200; and the United States/Rialto Theater (1544 Curtis Street) which opened on February 12, 1914 and sat 1,200. All of these downtown theaters opened before the Thompson/Bluebird and were larger theaters.

In addition there were three smaller (450 seat) theaters opened outside the downtown area before the Thompson/Bluebird. The Royal Theater (243 Broadway) was in the Schomberg Theater Building and opend in June 1910. The Rex/Queen Theater (110-112 Broadway) was opened on April 1, 1911 on the site of the present Mayan Theater. The York Theater (2221 East Colfax Avenue) was opened on September 1, 1911.

The Thompson/Bluebird Theater is the oldest theater site still operating as a theater in Denver. However, they have not shown films at the theater for several years and the projectors have been removed. The building that housed the York Theater is still standing, but is a watch repair store. All of the other building have been torn down.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 9, 2007 at 2:11 am

The Directory of Colorado State Register Properties entry about the Bluebird Theatre says that it was “…the first Denver theater designed specifically for the exhibition of movies.” They give the opening year as 1914.

William
William on March 8, 2007 at 12:34 pm

The Bluebird Theatre was operated by Fox Intermountain Theatres, Inc.

paulomalley
paulomalley on November 1, 2005 at 11:34 am

The Bluebird Theater was originally opened on September 11, 1915 as the Thompson Theater. The owner (John Thompson)also owned and operated the Ogden Theater (1917) at 935 East Colfax Avenue. Thompson sold his theaters in 1920, and the Thompson Theater became the Bluebird Theater in 1922. Sometime before 1925, the Bluebird came under the control of Harry Huffman, who also ran the Bide-A-Wee Theater at 1036 West Colfax Avenue (next door to his Pharmacy) and later built the Aladdin Theater at 2010 East Colfax Avenue.

William
William on November 18, 2003 at 6:48 pm

The Bluebird Theatre’s address is 3317 E. Colfax Ave..