Bing Crosby Theatre
901 W. Sprague Avenue,
Spokane,
WA
99204
901 W. Sprague Avenue,
Spokane,
WA
99204
No one has favorited this theater yet
Opened February 22, 1915 as a movie theater called the Clemmer Theater. Designed in a restrained Neo-Classical style by noted theater architect Edwin W. Houghton, the Clemmer Theatre originally sat 800 patrons and boasted a 4/32 Kimball organ, one of the most impressive instruments in the city. Among the Clemmer’s first musicians to helm the organ was Jessie Crawford, eventually recognized as one of the great silent film organists of all time.
In 1988, the movie house underwent a substantial restoration and the building eventually became known as the Metropolitan Performing Arts Center, or “Met”, for short. In 2006, the theatre was renamed Bing Crosby Theatre.
Contributed by
Lost Memory
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 14 comments)
When this theatre was known as the State Theatre it was operated by Evergreen State Amusement Corp., which was part of the Fox Theatres chain and later known as National Theatres then National General Theatres.
This a.m. on CBS Sunday Morning they did a segment on what will be called the Bing Crosby Theatre which is now the Metropolitan Performing Arts Center. The following article gives details of the plans for the name change. View link
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988
Clemmer Theater (added 1988 – Building – #88002758)
Also known as State Theater
W. 901 Sprague Ave., Spokane
Historic Significance: Event
Area of Significance: Performing Arts, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1900-1924, 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Business, Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Theater
Here is a history web site for this theater. Comes with pictures too.
View link.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.historylink.org/results.cfm%3Fkeyword%3D%2520Performing%2520Arts%26refine_keyword%3D%26count%3D1%26perpage%3D40%26searchfield%3Dtopics%26search_library%3D%26searchletter%3D%26start%3D%26end%3D&h=201&w=260&sz=13&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=Buj5n2ikrZ85TM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=112&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHippodrome%2BTheater%2BSpokane%2BWA%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den)
A Kimball theater organ size 4/32 was installed in the Clemmer Theater in 1914.
Some photos can be seen here.
This theater is also know as the Bing Crosby Theater. Movies would be another function. Here is a recent photo.
From Boxoffice magazine, January 1960:
Bud Schmidt of the State at Spokane, Wash. used the “girls only” gimmick to get a running start with “Yellowstone Kelly”. Billing it as the “Kookie Matinee”, Schmidt had 350 avid fans of Edd “Kookie” Byrnes waiting at the box office when it opened at 10 a.m. The promotion was carried out with the city’s top-rated teenage radio station.
1984 Photo
February 22nd, 1915 amusement page: View link
no big ad for this theatre.