Sombrero Playhouse
North 7th Street and East Highland Avenue,
Phoenix,
AZ
85016
North 7th Street and East Highland Avenue,
Phoenix,
AZ
85016
2 people
favorited this theater
My memory fades as to the specifics of this wonderful place. But it was the pemiere art house theater in Phoenix, switching films every other day. It was also the first place in Phoenix that I remember showed “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” every Friday and Saturday night at midnight.
Does anyone else remember this place?
Contributed by
Justin Levine
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Recent comments (view all 19 comments)
I just found out that my Uncle Duke Gaskins was an owner of the Sombrero Playhouse in the 1950s and 60s. Has anyone found the history of ownership after Anne Harris??
Stacy Gaskins
My Mother took me and my Brother to the Sombrero back in ‘79. There used to be an Asian restaurant right next to it with a little bridge that connected the two properties. We had dinner and then walked across to see Woody Allen’s Manhattan. Great movie, great night, great memories!
Julie,
We lived behind the Sombrero Playhouse in the 50’s (in that Spanish looking house). There was what looked like a built in laundry hamper in the hall that when you opened it gave us a clear view of the wine cellar! LOL.
Behind our house, lived the Gene Salyer family. I played with their kids, a daughter (forgot her name) a younger brother I think his name was Bobby and might have also had a baby. I think Gene was manager (I thought of the Playhouse and also the Palms Theatre). They had a dog named ‘Trio'
Down from them was a row of pink apartments (L shaped) and all the band guys used to stay there. We loved that! They gave us real silver dollars to go way and make noise somewhere else!
My older sister spotted Montgomery Cliff one day walking briskly to the Playhouse. She asked for his autograph but he was too busy. I wondered why she’d want an old, short guy’s autograph, anyway.
Next door to the south was The Island’s Polynesian restaurant/bar/entertainment often with Rusty Warren on the marquee. (I think that might have been her band members in the apartment).
I remember sitting in the playhouse before showtime. It was so cool with air conditioning and my sister and I loved the piped in music before showtime, 'The Grand Canyon Suite’ playing in the
background. ~
Here is a link with some additional information.
http://catnyp.nypl.org/record=b7461612
Here is a link that discusses the Sombrero in conjunction with its midnight showings of Rocky Horror (late 1970s until it closed in 1981):
http://www.azrocky.com/index_files/Page621.htm
I remember that in the lobby there were signatures of great artists who played there (does anyone know if the artists actually signed the walls or were these fake?)
I frequented the Sombrero mostly in the late 1970’s. There were some wild, wild nights there when Rocky Horror was playing. I got to know some of the people who worked there at the time and my friends and I would often stay behind after the movie was over to help clean up. For anyone who never got to witness the Rocky Horror then you would bring rice, newspapers, toast and various other items as your own personal props to enhance to screen experience. The theater was usually a mess afterward.
The Island’s Polynesian restaurant—sorry I don’t remember the Sombrero Playhouse but I have a very vivid memory of the Island’s…my family went there to eat and everyone loved it except me. I got deathly ill after taking a few bites. Everyone wondered why I got so ill from eating the food that didn’t affect anyone else. As it turned out I was in the early stage of influenza and that was the cause of my awful illness. Even though I knew the food did not cause my illness, I was unable to eat at the Island’s restaurant again. Sad but true.
Hi gang My names Carl Kennedy. I lived in Phoenix for 46 years. 1960 to 2006…….I left at 68 years old to live in Thailand, where I am now
I was Advertising/Promotion Director KPHO TV Ch5 for several years. Acct exec for various ad agency’s. Sales Mgr for several graphic firms. Bartended in many clubs. Was head bartender At JD’s the double decker night club in Tempe where Waylon Jennings recorded his first live album and became famous. Ricky Nelson, Everly Bros etc played there to packed houses, 750+ upstairs, 350+ downstairs. Owned a bar. Owned the first after hours club in Phoenix. Did and saw a lot in Phoenix’s growth years
The Sombrero was not at 7st and Highland. You have Camelback Rd Going south you have
Mariposa St
Pierson St
Sombrero Playhouse
Big 7 After Hours (I owned it) Islands Retaurant (4839 7st)
Highland Ave Coolidge St Char’s has the Blues (4631 N 7St) (NE corner Coolidge) Hazelwood St canal
Sombrero was many things to many people Excellent movies, plays etc in it’s heyday Got to be a hangout for social wannabe’s Just a great great place with lots of nostalgic history.
There was no bridge between Sombrero and the Islands Rest. Just plain old cement side walk The bridge they are remembering was the entrance to the Islands Rest. There was a fake moat, water and all (approx 10/12 ft wide) in front of the Islands with lots of tropical folaige on both sides. The bridge spanned this neat moat and you had to walk across it to enter/exit the rest. Inside was all beautiful bamboo walls, tabels chairs, bar walking ramps etc and carpet in all the right places Yes Rusty Warren did appear there many times but the big draw was “The Ricardo Lemus Trio” piano, bass and drums, Ricardo was on the drums. He did a drum routine twice a night that featured him with reverb(echo) effect electronically attached to his drums. When he hit drums the beat would echo quite a bit while fading away. It was fascinating to hear and watch. The crowd went wild. The rest owner was “Mr White” who quite often got drunk in rest and was hustled away by the Mgr “Jimmey” who was a very handsome Asian getleman who dressed impeccably in dark suites mostly black sharkskin, white shirt and a beautiful white silk tie. He ran that place like a well oiled clock. I worked there for quite a while. was called assisstant Maitre’d. Just a glorified name for host. I greeted people in the anteroom/entrance which was also where the cashier was and the exit. Also where all the polynesian mugs, cups, nik naks etc were sold People waited for their table also when bar was full. In it’s heyday reservations was a must. Once you left anteroom and headed for your table you walked down a ramp into the sunken dinning area which you entered at the far right and all tables to the left. On the complete left wall was a beatiful tropical garden setting complete with waterfall. Running gurgling water sounds were subtly piped into the whole place just loud enough to sound genuine but not loud enough to tell it was electronic. The bar on the same level as anteroom was to the left and also had several tables and chairs some chairs being the beautiful hi-backed Queens chairs. In back of the bar was an electronically lit (lights etc) 3D topographical display layout of Phoenix and Valley of the Sun. Camelback Mtn, Sky Harbor AP etc
Another story about Islands. A very quiet but effeciant oriental waiter named Henry worked there for years. Had people who would not dine unless he was their waiter. Lived on the rest. grounds, little small units in back of parking lot. Rumored to have only 3 pair of under wear and 2 sets of waiter attire. He washed all every night and rotated them daily. Never went anywhere. Saved all his tips and lived like a hermit. Some people joked about his existance, some pitied him. When he left it was found he owned a couple blocks of RE in downtown LA and lived like a king the rest of his life.
Phew….. that was long huh! If anybody would like to hear about JD’s and Waylon let me know an I’ll post. Will keep it short
I was a cocktail waitress at the Islands in the early 1970s. When I worked there we wore fresh Gardenias every night. I remember the back bar being a scene of the Hawaiian Islands with Diamond Head and it lit up. I remember the night we had a streaker. The only part I caught was when he was streaking across the dance floor and he jumped on one of the booths next to the bar area, jumped over the railing and headed out the door. That’s when streaking was really in!!! LOL! I also worked next door at the Sombrero when it was L'etoile.
This brings back the memories. I just asked last night if anyone remembered the name of this theatre. The group was 50 to 65 years old. All I got was blank stares. My most entertaining experience was in the early 1970’s, when I was a young Phoenix Police Officer. The Playhouse was in my beat this night and Rocky was playing. Not Stallone. These events always brought out the strangoids. The crowd was gathering awaiting entry when I was dispatched on a person threatening suicide. As I role into the Rear (West side facing 7th Street) the crowd of about 200 was gathered screaming “Jump, Jump, Jump in a rhythmic manner. I get out of my police car and follow the eyes and and see and young overweight man in this huge tree. He was dressed in black, wearing black makeup with a noosed rope around his neck. He was about 15 in the air and I had parked my car right under him. Knowing that I would get in serious trouble if my car was damaged I asked him to wait until I moved my car. He was ablating I moved it. AS I got out he screamed over the crowd that the "PIG” was not going to stop him and they began their chant again. I told radio to send an ambulance and my boss. Now I have to tell you this rope was about 2 inches in diameter and tied in a really cool looking noose. Before I could utter another word he jumped and with a loud thud he hit the ground. The crowd cheered and went wild. It seems he should have climbed higher because he brought a 25 foot rope. I walked up to him and he turned to me and said “Am I dead”. I said nope you just broke your legs. The ambulance arrive and took him away. The crowned went wild as the theatre opened and they all went inside. What a way to start the evening.