Des Moines Cinema

Des Moines, WA

22333 Marine View Drive South

, Des Moines, WA 98198 United States

(map)

Status:	Open
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Unknown

Function:	Movies
Seats:	400
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

The Des Moines Cinema building was opened in March 1947 by Delbert and Wally Osterhoudt to house a 400-seat cinema, retail stores and office spaces.

The cinema over the years has changed hands and had been closed entirely. In 1973, the theater was sold and changed from running family-oriented films to showing adult movies. Local groups picketed the theater in the 1970s, and in the 1980s the city even took legal action.

In the 1990s, the theater reopened under new management and reverted to showing family-oriented films.

It features 1940s decor, snack bar, a stage and shows second-run movies. The theater sits on situated on Marine View Drive and could go almost unnoticed by people driving by.

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Des Moines Cinema

Contributed by Kate

YOUR COMMENTS

Now that the Lewis and Clark theater has closed, the Des Moines Cinema has started showing first-run movies. That along with the closing of 12 screens in Federal Way means this single screen movie theater has a large area of South King County all to itself.

posted by Arthur Allen on Jun 26, 2005 at 12:36pm

I remember that in the 1960s this theater would project advertisements out the upper window onto the wall of the building across the alley. The only movie I can recall seeing there was Bambi which really messed with my head, animals being burned alive. Later when it became a porno house I was still pretty young & it seemed so weird that I'd seen Bambi in a porno theater.

posted by paghat on Sep 7, 2005 at 9:53pm

I just discovered that this theater closed TEMPORARILY in December for repairs. It had to close for noncompliance building issues. A bunch of volunteers stepped up to help operator Joel Thomson get the theater into compliance. The theater is expected to reopen this month. Fingers crossed!

posted by Katie Mac on Mar 9, 2006 at 7:35pm

Here is their website.

posted by Lost Memory on Aug 18, 2008 at 9:11am

Here are photos from 1961 and 2003. Function should be changed to movies (first run).
http://tinyurl.com/4z5tsb

posted by ken mc on Dec 18, 2008 at 4:22pm

In the future I'll make sure that I mention things like type of movies when I post the website links.

posted by Lost Memory on Dec 18, 2008 at 4:24pm

Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/mf2odv

posted by ken mc on Aug 25, 2009 at 9:41am

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