Roxy Theatre

1105 Commerce Avenue,
Longview, WA 98632

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Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on November 12, 2017 at 9:29 pm

This item appeared in the September 12, 1925, issue of The Moving Picture World:

“Work has begun on a new 650-seat theatre in Longview, Wash. G. W. Swope, formerly of Marysville, Cal., an experienced theatre operator, will own the house, the estimated cost of which has been named as $24,000. The house will be dressed in Chinese colorings and designs and will be called the Peek-In. It will be a popular priced family theatre, and will have five dressing rooms under the stage, equipping it to handle roadshows and vaudeville. The house will occupy a site 100 by 50 feet. It will be ready in ninety days.”
I would imagine that the “…customer who fled without paying….” referred to in Katie Mac’s description of this theater was Mr. Swope. There might be a bit more to the story, though, considering this item from MPW of May 1, 1926:
“Quoidback Buys Peekin In Longview, Wash.

“Moving Picture World Bureau, Seattle, April 17.

“G. M. QUOIDBACK and associates have purchased the recently opened Peekin Theatre, Longview, Wash., from G. W. Swope. As the name would indicate, the Peekin is Oriental in its interpretation. It occupies a site 50x120 feet and is housed in a two-story building of masonry construction. It contains seats for nearly 600. Mr. and Mrs. Quoidback will operate the house.”

Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society has this page about the Roxy, which includes a photo of Commerce Street in the 1920s showing the original Chinese style decoration above the theater entrance. It also cites David L. Junchen’s opus list of organs as saying that a 2/4 Robert Morton theatre organ was installed in the Longview “Peking Theatre” in 1921. I suspect that either Junchen or his source made the mistakes, giving the wrong year and theater name. MPW would not have published those notices four years late.

Kyleinlongview
Kyleinlongview on September 28, 2015 at 2:09 am

Right now the building is being gutted, but once more progress starts showing I will post some pictures.

KenLayton
KenLayton on September 26, 2015 at 12:25 pm

This is indeed very good news! I’d like to see some more pictures of this theater.

Kyleinlongview
Kyleinlongview on September 26, 2015 at 1:09 am

As of September of 2015 this theater has started to be restored! It will soon become host to movie events, live performances and will be able to be rented for events such as weddings. It will also host church services on Sundays and have a cafe in the front.

http://tdn.com/news/church-group-reviving-the-historic-roxy-theater/article_598af6c0-d974-5db4-9823-ebf8d76aa353.html

It is very exciting to see the work they have started on this historic structure.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on June 29, 2009 at 8:06 pm

I think this is the theater. Street sign says Commerce Street. The photo was taken in January 2009.
http://tinyurl.com/m82b47

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on May 12, 2005 at 4:14 pm

The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 edition has the Roxy Theatre listed as having a capacity of 350. It is not listed in the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. (only the Columbia Theatre & Longview Theatre are in that edition).

In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the Roxy is again listed (together with the other two theatres in Longview) with a seating capacity given for the Roxy as 600.