El Portal Theatre
310 Fremont Street,
Las Vegas,
NV
89101
310 Fremont Street,
Las Vegas,
NV
89101
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The El Portal Theatre was built on the site of the old Las Vegas Airdome. It opened on June 21, 1928 with a pre-release screening of Clara Bow’s movie “Ladies of the Mob”.
It was the first building in Las Vegas to install air-conditioning.
Closed in the late-1970’s, it became El Portal Gifts and now serves as an Indian Arts & Crafts store. Some of the decorative interior remains intact, mainly the ceiling beams.
Contributed by
Scott Zimmerman
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Recent comments (view all 35 comments)
Here is a night version of the 1973 street photo.
1982 Photo
This is a 1970 ad.
Here is another ad
http://tinyurl.com/y8hgz8y
Trivia – The film “Meet Me in Las Vegas” with Dan Dailey and Cyd Charisse had it’s premiere at the El Portal on February 21, 1956. The stars appeared that same night on Milton Berle’s color tv show direct from the Copa Room of the Sands Hotel. This was the first color telecast from Las Vegas.
From the 1940s a postcard view of Fremont Street along with the El Portal Theatre in Las Vegas.
Okay, I’ve been in this theater a lot, but only as the Indian shop. I wish it was a theater again instead.
Modernization described in this 1961 trade article: Boxoffice
Saw “Gone with the Wind” with my folks here, I remember parking was difficult (There were no parking lots in those years) and during the intermission having a look around the theater for the 1st time. as I grew up it became a standard place to see many movies.
fyi Constructed in 1928 by Salt Lake City Builders Ryburg and Sorenson. Owners Ernie Cragin and William Pike spent !50,000.00 to build it.