Desert Star Playhouse
4861 South State Street,
Murray,
UT
84107
4861 South State Street,
Murray,
UT
84107
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In 1923, Torrance Duvall purchased the Iris apartment building and built a small adjacent theater named the Gem.
In 1930, Duvall demolished the Gem and replaced it with the much larger New Iris Theater.
In 1954, Duvall sold the Iris Apartments and the New Iris Theater to the Sid Horman Construction Company. Horman subsequently sold the buildings to Arthur Proctor, and the name of the theater was soon changed to the Vista.
Since then, ownership has changed several times and the New Iris is now known as the Desert Star Playhouse.
Contributed by
Grant Smith
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
When the Iris Theatre was a movie theatre it seated 520 people.
This is the website for the Desert Star Playhouse.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
Iris Theater, Apartments and Commercial Building (added 2001 – Building – #01000959)
Also known as Vista Theatre
4861 S. State St., Murray
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architectural Style: Other, Art Deco
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation, Commerce, Social History
Period of Significance: 1925-1949, 1950-1974
Owner: Local Gov't
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Department Store, Multiple Dwelling, Specialty Store, Theater
Current Function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Department Store, Institutional Housing, Multiple Dwelling, Theater
This site has some photos.
Here is a nice 2009 photo.
According to their website – this building has two theaters now and I’m not sure which one, or both, were the New Iris Theater. They are both at the same location and they both look old in the interior pictures but who knows. The first it the Desert Star Playhouse with 256 seats. This one has a cabaret setup with tables and chairs. The second is the Desert Star Dinner Theater with 223 seats. These seats are along looong tables that every eats at. The tables have chairs only along one side of course, the chairs facing the stage.
This is another photo.
1983 photo of the Vista Theatre.
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Another 1983 photo of the Vista Theatre.
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