Kelso Theater Pub
214 S. Pacific Avenue,
Kelso,
WA
98626
214 S. Pacific Avenue,
Kelso,
WA
98626
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
The Kelso Theater was built in 1937, replacing a frame theater that had burned. It was locally owned until the mid-40s, when it was sold to Sterling Theaters, which in turn sold to Cineplex Odeon, then Act III and finally Regal. When Act III took over Cineplex they closed the Kelso, which was having trouble competing with a new fourplex in Longview as well as the art-deco Longview Theater (one screen) which got all the blockbusters because it had more seats than the largest room at the fourplex. A couple of discount chains operated the Kelso for a few years but eventually failed. Local investors took over in 1997 and converted it to the Kelso Theater Pub, which offers first-run movies (Regal doesn’t book anything but strictly mainstream fare). The theater is a bit run down but has a loyal following. The owners are trying to raise money to spiff up the front, including a new marquee to replace a damaged one that has been up since the early 1950s.
Here is a photo of the Kelso Theater.
I hear that they finally got that mew marquee, but that’s it’s dinky and modern. I haven’t been their to verify it though.
Here’s a shot of the building and the new marquee:
http://agilitynut.com/08/8/thpub2.jpg
The new marquee appears to be similar in shape to the old one. The large vertical portion is gone. It looks better without it.
1980 Day Photo
1980 Night Photo
1982 Photo
1984 Photo
1986 Photo
Kelso had a second theater, called the Liberty, until 1954. The March 20 issue of Boxoffice that year said the house was closing after twenty years of operation, leaving Kelso with only one theater. A drive-in was in the planning stage.
KT Pub looks like a cool theatre! Do they ever play any classic films? Just curious.
I agree MPol looks like my kind of place,nice offical web-site.