New Ritz Theater
107 East Main Street,
Ritzville,
WA
99169
107 East Main Street,
Ritzville,
WA
99169
1 person
favorited this theater
Opened in 1937, the Ritz Theater sits at the edge of Ritzville’s small downtown. It’s large enough to be multiplexed, but may still have just one screen. The name RITZ is on a tower at the left end of the building. Judging from old postcards, it was once red enamel with light (yellow?) letters, but is now painted in nauseating putty pink like the rest of the building, with the neon tubes removed.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
I worked there several years in the late 90s early 00’s as projectionist. There are 375 seats, as some rows in the front were taken out for parts for the seats. I have a photo of opening night, Sept 7, 1937. Much of the theater is original inside, even the wiring and heating system. The air washer cooling system doesn’t work, as water was left standing in it, and rusted the floor out of it, and ran down the screen. The projectors are from 1952, when the building was paid off, and the owner could purchase new machinery that came from the Old Ritz Theater that was 2 blocks away (building was torn down in late 70’s). The player piano that was used in silent days from the theater still works and was donated to the Benge Community Church when it was built in 1952 by the owner.
Here is a recent photo of the Ritz Theater.
This is the Ritz Theater in 1999.
I saw SO MANY movies here when I was a teenager! I lived in Harrington and Ritzville was much easier to get to than Spokane. Yes, you had to wait 4-6 months for the big movies to come down, but I remember it would be jammed every weekend night – it was only open on the weekends then, as I recall. IT’s nice to know it’s still in business…
Actually, I think I saw them at the OLD Ritz, since it’s the 70s we’re talking about here, but the idea is still the same…
Another photo of the Ritz can be seen here.
From Boxoffice Magazine, September 18, 1937: “Roy Irvine has opened his new theatre in Ritzville, Wash. The house seats 450 and was designed by Bjarne Moe.”
Bjarne Moe was the architect of the Roxy Theatre, Bremerton; the Crest Theatre in Seattle; the Lake City Theatre, Seattle; the Bungalo Theatre, St. Maries, Idaho; and the Liberty Theatre, Ellensburg. There are probably quite a few others, but I haven’t unearthed them yet. In addition, he was the architect for many theatre remodeling jobs.
A 1944 issue of Boxoffice featured a photo of many employees of the Seattle office of the B.F. Shearer Co., a theater supply and design house. Bjarne Moe was among them.
Ritz Theater photo
This was the Ritz in 1980.
1982 Photo
1988 Photo