Roxy Theater

It is amazing how many theatres are named ROXY in imitation of the once famous name of the New York City panjandrum of the movie palace: Samual Lionel Rothapfel = "Roxy". His namesake was the famous ROXY THEATRE in NYC, which outlasted him by only 25 years when it was demolished in 1960. The whole story is in that landmark book "The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace" by the late Ben M. Hall in 1961. Various editions of it are sometimes available from www.Amazon.com, but only the first edition contains the color plates.

While stationed at the shipyard in 1962&1968 I saw many films at the Roxy. It was a wonderful theatre. I remember haviny to wait in l;ine for up to 2 hours to 2 movies when they came ot. 1. The Graduate and 2. Guess whos coming to dinner. I am glad to see that the Roxy is still standing and has not gone the way of so many of our quaint an beautiful theatres around the country. Dick Smith. Scituate, Mass.

It's unusual how high the theatres marquee is mounted above the entrance doors.

I'm finding conflicting information about this theater's seating. Other sites list its capacity at 600. Anyone?

Today the Roxy is an unpleasant hick-Christian coffeehouse with almost no patronage except on Sunday but stays open because of tax exemptons & church volunteerism. It dominates a street that was some years ago designated an "arts" street which was supposed to appeal to tourism & get the abandoned buildings rented, but the project failed to attract anything to do with the arts that lasted even a full year; the most successful business on the street was a Wargaming enterprise & even they moved to a better location. So the sign that points the way to the "Arts" street needs to be changed to "Redneck Christians" street, since the sorely abused Roxy is just about the most "successful" "business" there. The only good thing about the Roxy's present use (unless one is also a right-winger for Jesus) is that the hillbillies that run it can't afford to gut it & destroy any chance that it might someday be restored as a cinema. The waterfront has been recently restored or improved to be more than parking lots & ferry terminal, & some Bremertonoids hope the improvements will filter up along the streets where most of the businesses are marginal or the storefronts unrented, & it's the biggest pipedream of all that the Roxy is not eventually going to be hollowed out & turned into a discount shoestore. www.weirdwildrealm.com

The 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook gives a seating capacity of 749.

This is a photo of the Roxy in Bremerton.

Actually, the Roxy is doing rather well in it's latest incarnation. Considering the number of huge single-screen downtown theatres that have closed as its customers have headed to the outlying multiplexes with huge parking lots, the fact that the Roxy is open at all is a small miracle.

It was purchased from the Tom Moyer chain by an area welding contractor, who had visions of restoring the building as a combined movie and performing arts house. However, the cost of asbestos abatement and proper rebuilding was more than the owner could afford, so he sold it to the Calvary people.

While it's likely the Roxy will never return to its original function, it is open, well cared for, respects its origins and does serve as a safe, well supervised venue for the area's young people.

I have my doubts that it will ever be a shoestore! :)

A close up photograph of the Roxy marquee, taken in September 2003:
http://flickr.com/photos/80517818@N00/10448286/

I was in the ROXY only one time during the mid 1980's when the place was owned by Tom Moyer's Luxury Theaters (Portland Ore) and was pleasantly suprised at the design of the theater. The Auditorium is all on onw slope with a large cove lit dome in the cieling. the decorations are very plain but nice late art deco (1941). The lobby has a great deco glass light fixture on the cieling and the base boards around all the walls are red marble. There are many old photo's of the shipyard and various vessels adorning the walls in the lobby and the restroom lounges in keeping with the location of the theater and the importance of the Navy to Bremerton. Truly a Jewel that deserves to be restored and treasured.

The auditoium interior is very similar to the State Theater in Olympia, Washington.

I actually worked at the Roxy from 1977 until 1982. It was owned by United Theatres of Seattle until being sold to Tom Moyer's Luxury Theatres of Portland, Oregon in 1981(?). The sale to Moyer doomed the Roxy - Luxury did not believe in maintenance at all. They just allowed the Roxy to deteriorate throughout the years they had it.

I was hired by C.A. "Cabby" Baur and learned many things from this fine man. At the time, he was the only manager the Roxy had ever known - being hired directly by Ben Shearer himself.

It saddens me to see how this once great theatre has fallen. At least I still have my memories.

As for seating, the Roxy's capacity was about 660. There is no way it could have ever been 749.

Can anyone spell anti-religios bigotted hate speech?

paghat wrote:

"unpleasant hick-Christian coffeehouse"
"the sign that points the way to the 'Arts' street needs to be changed to 'Redneck Christians' street"
"right-winger for Jesus"

Gimme a break! Would any other hate speech be tolerated here? Think about it!

Or religious? LOL

I was in the Roxy for a concert given by Olympic College showcasing their Jazz ensemble and band. The place is amazing, It would be an easy restore and should be bought by someone who will turn it back into a cinema. While competition with the multi screen venues is not possible a specialty movie house might work along with live events. This is an "art modern" dream. The building is in very good condition thanks to the church,(although a little seedy). At least it has not been destroyed like so many others.

1982 Photo

1983 Photo

1983 Photo