Princess Theatre
124-130 S. Main Street,
Pocatello,
ID
83204
124-130 S. Main Street,
Pocatello,
ID
83204
No one has favorited this theater yet
The Lyric Theatre opened Oct 9, 1905 at 124 S. Main “for the purpose of vaudeville and motion pictures”. Later entries in the city directory show an address of 130 S. Main. The Lyric Theatre was closed briefly after a fire on Oct 15, 1908 at a nearby theater forced a reconsideration of safety regulations.
In July 1909 the Lyric Theatre became the Grand Theatre. About February 22, 1912 the Grand Theatre was renamed the Princess Theatre – the mythological birthplace of Judy Garland in “A Star Is Born”. On June 15, 1916 the Princess Theatre became a motion picture only facility after having the stage removed. On March 1, 1920 the building was converted to a retail business. This building still stands today, as the ground floor of the Whitman Hotel.
Contributed by
ray carter
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Here is a photo of the Princess:
http://tinyurl.com/2zynuv
Here is a later photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2bw44k
as mentioned in the lyrics of the epic musical number “Born in a Trunk” from A Star Is Born, sung by Judy Garland
“I was born in a trunk
In the Princess Theatre in Pocatella, Idaho
It was during the matinee on Friday
And they used a makeup towel for my didee
When I first saw the light
It was pink and amber
Coming from the footlights on the stage
When my dad carried me out there to say hello
They told me that I stopped the show”
This is a circa 1910 photo.
BTW….The text with the photo contradicts some of the information above.
“Built in 1905, the Princess Theater was originally an Eagles Lodge. The building was redesigned as a 4 story hotel in 1913-1914. Later, the building would be used as the Whitman Hotel. The Hotel is currently closed with plans to turn it into lower income apartments. It was located in the 100 block of South Main St. The Princess Theater gained fame when Judy Garland sang about being born in a trunk in the Princess Theater in Pocatello, Idaho in the movie A Star is Born.”
Interesting 1910 photo with the undertakers right next door.