Orpheum Theatre

The Orpheum has two "mouse holes" on each side of the auditorium that project moving clouds on the ceiling. there are two further projectors on the balcony that project stars.

Some of the original seats in the balcony have the letter R, I believe, on them that is supposed to be the original architect, but this is heresay.

The area below the seats is full of rooms where they used to keep animals for the vaudeville shows.

There was a large well at the bottom level with a fan. It would blow the cool air up through the floor of the theater to "cool" patrons in the summer.

Restoration is magnificent except for some strange reason they put in wrought iron ceiling lights in the foyer areas instead of the original 1920's type fixtures.

The carpet was interesting. No one knew what the original carpet looked like. A workman during the restoration had to move a very heavy cement vase and there was a pristine piece of carpet underneath about 2 feet in diameter. It was reproduced and installed.

I have done extensive research on this theatre. The theatre opened on January 5, 1929 as the crown jewel of the Rickards & Nace Enterprises. At that time Rickards & Nace had an affiliation with Universal Pictures. Universal divested itself of theatres and Rickards & Nace was acquired by Paramount Publix at the end of 1929. Harry L. Nace, Sr. continued as general manager for Paramount until 1948 when a new general manager was named by Paramount. The "R" on the end stanchions in the balcony seats may be for Jo Rickerts, the President of Rickards & Nace. He retired when the chain was acquired by Paramount. The architects for the original construction was the Phoenix architectural firm of Lesher & Mahoney. The associate architect was Hugh Gilbert who was an architect and contractor who worked for Rickards & Nace as Superintendent, Maintainence & Construction.

Hello, I am looking for any information that I can find on the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, AZ My great Uncle Hugo Radke had done the magnificent Wood Carving through out the Theatre. My Mother Bonnie Schaffer Danced there during the 1950's for The Cavalcade of Rythm, Dancing the opening and closing acts for the Wayne Newton Television Show on Channel 12 in Phoenix. Any one with any information on how to obtain the films from that show, please contact me at maryapierce@hotmail.com
Thank You

The end caps on the seats in the balcony contain a "R" over a "N." The R&N stands for Rickards & Nace the developer and operator of the theatre when it opened on January 5, 1929

Tonight's presidential debate (with all nine remaining Democratic presidential candidates) is taking place at the Orpheum!

(The debate is being aired on CNN.)

The address listing for the Orpheum is incorrect, it should be 203 West Adans Street.

Growing up in Phoenix I remember fondly spending many hours at the Orpheum/Paramount. Seeing "War of the World's" and the first Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis films. Was always fascinated by the ceiling filled with stars and clouds.
Also remember the Fox, Rialto, Strand, Vista, Guild and Phoenix theaters. That was wayyyy back when it was FUN to go downtown on the #11 Encanto Bus and spend Saturday or Sunday afternoon in an "Air Cooled" movie palace. Bob Wasserman 10/20/04

Here is a website with current pictures of the Orpheum Theater.
http://www.acmeron.com/puhs/orpheum_theater_phoenix.htm

This theater is one of the coolest things in all of Phoenix.

For some great pictures of the Orpheum Theatre click on the following link http://www.acmeron.com/puhs/orpheum_theater_phoenix.htm

Foxy: Wonderful story about the carpet! "A workman during the restoration had to move a very heavy cement vase and there was a pristine piece of carpet underneath about 2 feet in diameter. It was reproduced and installed."

My grandfather Harry S. Keffer was the architect (or one of) on the original orpheum. My parents bought one of the bricks in his name.

Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 edition the seating capacity of the Orphuem Theatre is given as 1,690.

One of the downtown theaters had a dentist's office upstairs as I recall. Seems like his name was Edgar B Pease.

Maybe that was the Fox?

Bil

Recent color photos of this theatre can be found on the site: "America's Stunning Theatres" by photographer and stagehand Noah Kern at: http://www.pbase.com/affablebeef/theatres Comments and information may be left there without registration; such can be public view or only to Mr. Kern. Scroll down the page to find the name, and then click on the sample image above it to be taken to the page of photos of it.

Contact the Orpheum Theatre or the Valley of the Sun Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society (atos.org) regarding the upcoming 2005-2006 silent movie series with theatre pipe organ accompaniment. The first of the "Silent Sundays" series will be in October, 2005.

a few pics here
http://southernarizona.tripod.com/Phoenix.htm

An excellent article conveys the history of the ORPHEUM as the cover story of the 1st Quarter issue of MARQUEE magazine of 2005 of the Theatre Historical Soc. and can be ordered as a back issue via their web site's page at: www.historictheatres.org The nine pages devoted to the theatre contain 17 b&w photos, and the following article discusses the chain that founded the ORPHEUM: Rickards & Nace, hence the dual initial monogram on the seat standards.

The captions for the cover as well as that for the photo of the proscenium on page nine are wrong in describing the mouldings on the proscenium as "rope [moulds]" since these are actually Torus moulds here heavily enriched as described by my caption given in the photo of them in color on the web site I list in my previous comment.

This web site is the greatest! I was in Phoenix yesterday on business. While driving through an intersection my old theatre radar picked up the Orpheum's marquee about a block to my right. I did not have time to stop. But now I can log on here in a spare five minutes and read all about it.

The Orpheum looks like a fine house.

I have friends who are in Phoenix right now and when I call them tonight I will tell them about the Orpheum and give them the address on Adams! Wish I could be there to see it with them!

"There was a unique disappearing organ also. Organ shows with a thematic orchestra was all the rage. Movietone and Vitaphone were now paving the way for sound in motion pictures, so big things were happening in Phoenix because of the Orpheum."

Does this theatre still have its original "disappearing organ"?

The original pipe organ was removed years ago. A nicer and larger theater pipe organ has been installed in place of the original organ, and yes it too appears and dissapears just like the original organ did! On a dolly, it rides the orchestra elevator up and down, and can even be pushed on the stage if need be.

Bill: Thanks for the Orpheum organ information.

I own one of the gesso-on-wood hanging lights from the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix and am attempting to restore it. I would appreciate any photos or information regarding the lighting in the theatre. Thanks, BarbSolem

Barb: Nice to read that you have one of the hanging lights from the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix and are attempting to restore it. Congratulations on your piece of Orpheum Theatre memorabilia.

Step inside with 2006-2007 photos of this gorgeous movie palace:

Lobby & foyer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyefulimages/2042493127/
and http://www.flickr.com/photos/larrythefrog/1809381101/

Auditorium Facing Balcony: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7911880@N04/466299886/
Facing Balcony & side view http://www.flickr.com/photos/larrythefrog/1809469075/
Auditorium seats & side view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeke/247748315/
Wurlitzer organ console: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeke/247841650/

HowardBHaas: These theatre photos are fabulous! Thanks for posting!

Those are really nice. Thanks for sharing.

More information here-
http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/STAGES/orpheum.html

Tours here-
http://www.friendsoftheorpheumtheatre.org/about

Quoting below from a paragraph in the book Camelback:Sacred Mountain of Phoenix by Gary Driggs (Arizona Historical Foundation, July 1998)
"In Phoenix (c.1910) Duncan MacDonald established a plastering business and did some of the most beautiful plaster work in Arizona. He did the fabulous plaster work inside the Orpheum Theater which opened in 1929 with Clark Gable and Mae West appearing in person for the opening which featured their movie, 'I'm No Angel'."

Duncan MacDonald is my great-grandfather. Does anyone know what the "fabulous plaster work" Driggs is referring to? I would love to see it.

Not too sure if Gary Driggs got his dates right. We know the Orpheum showed I'm No Angel -- there are pictures of Mae West in a convertible, in front of the theatre, making a promotional appearance. However, the film was released in 1933, not 1929 and her male lead was Cary Grant, not Clark Gable.

You're certainly right about "I'm No Angel" opening in 1933. I wonder what the first film to open at the Orpheum was, and when it opened? The Orpheum history shows that construction on the theater began in 1927. Was it completed in 1929, or later?

I'm still hoping to learn something about the plaster work done by my great-grandfather, Duncan MacDonald (see Jul 16, 2008 posting).

Laurie M: The comment by CT member BarrySGoodkin on Dec 11, 2001, says that the Fox Phoenix opened on January 5, 1929. This date is corroborated by the websites Silent Sundays and Ron Heberlee's Orpheum Theatre Phoenix page.

As for your Grandfather's plaster work, I'm not sure if any of the interior photos of the Orpheum at Ron Heberlee's page show the original work, or some sort of modern recreations. In any case, it was common in building theatres in that era for the architects to order many of the big plaster decorations pre-made from a company specializing in decorative plasterwork, and then a local contractor would install them, making sure they fit together seamlessly, and doing all the plain plasterwork such as wall surfaces (which were often not all that plain, since many styles of architecture required finish coats of special textures.)

So, many or all of the big pieces of ornamental plaster (almost all the decorative pieces in such a theatre would probably have been plaster, though in some buildings quite a bit of interior terra cotta was used) in the Orpheum might have been made by your Grandfather's company, or some of them might have been ordered from another company. Someone would have to see the contracts or work orders from the time of construction to be sure. Maybe that's where Mr. Driggs got his information. Maybe you could track him down.

The year given for this photo is 1991.

What a beautiful theater! Thanks Howard Bass for the photos.

I researching the other Phoenix theaters listed on CT it appears that this one is the only one still standing. The demolition of the Phoenix Fox is an incredible crime.

Nonetheless, it's astounding to me that a city the size of Phoenix, one of the 10 largest in the USA, has a single remaining movie palace.

Sad to say, and Howard Bass, will back me up......It is still ahead of Philadelphia where the Boyd remains, but its future and its renovation not yet settled.

That's Haas, not Bass. www.FriendsOfTheBoyd.org for the Boyd. Here, the Orpheum:

http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_040348/102
if link doesn't work, google search exactly Boxoffice April 3, 1948
insert 102 in page box

World Premiere in Phoenix of Fort Apache at two theaters: downtown Orpheum and neighborhood Palms.

Howard.....please accept my apology! I meant no offense. I will make sure I get it right going forward.

I know. It was just a way to start my comment about what was described as the 1st world premiere in a long time in Phoenix.

1982 photo of the Orpheum Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c3%2c3%2c-1&ProductID=23310

Laurie M- Please contact me, I am trying to do some research on my great grandfather-Duncan MacDonald, and would love to get any info. you have. Thanks.

There are great photos of Orpheum- here as well: I wish I knew what areas Duncan was responsible for, it is some fantastic work throughout!

http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=9605

I have a handful of "Popeye Gobs" that were apparently given to children to redeem at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix. Does anyone have any info to share about these? Thanks!

Some great photos and history of the Orpheum at this link.
http://www.acmeron.com/puhs/orpheum_theater_phoenix.htm
Click each thumbnail to expand the photo.

Sorry I didn't see it is already linked above.

Orpheum Theater (added 1985 - Building - #85002067)
Also known as 37-19
209 W. Adams, Phoenix

Historic Significance: Event
Area of Significance: Performing Arts, Commerce
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Local Gov't
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Theater

This is a nice 2009 photo.