Bing Crosby Theater
901 W. Sprague Avenue,
Spokane,
WA
99204
901 W. Sprague Avenue,
Spokane,
WA
99204
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Current name uses the “er” ending of the “T” word:
Bing Crosby Theater.
Described as the Clemmer in this 1915 trade article: archive
Description from same issue: Boxoffice
Front cover treatment as the State Theatre in January, 1977: Boxoffice
A 2012 photo can be seen here and here.
February 22nd, 1915 amusement page: View link
no big ad for this theatre.
1984 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.
This theater is also know as the Bing Crosby Theater. Movies would be another function. Here is a recent photo.
Some photos can be seen here.
A Kimball theater organ size 4/32 was installed in the Clemmer Theater in 1914.
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)
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
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
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.
From the Met’s Web site:
Built in 1915 by local developer August Paulsen, the Old Clemmer Theater was considered state-of-the-art in its day, seating nearly 800 patrons. The theater represents a turning point in mass entertainment, when vaudeville was relinquishing top billing to silent films and the era of lavishly embellished movie palaces was about to begin. Designed by noted theater architect Edwin W. Houghton, The Clemmer embodied the restrained Neoclassicism of these traditional movie houses. It would come to be known as The State Theater in later years. Inland Northwest residents lined the streets in anticipation to see “Casablanca,” “The Godfather,” “Gone With the Wind” and thousands of other first-run movies.
In the description for this theater, I wrote that it opened in 1914. Thats incorrect. This theater was built in 1914 and opening day was February 22, 1915.
that a cool website maybe should has more website do tour like that
How wonderful it is to have a virtual tour of the auditorium accompanied by such lovely music on the home page.