Temple Theatre
47 St. Helens Avenue,
Tacoma,
WA
98402
47 St. Helens Avenue,
Tacoma,
WA
98402
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Tacoma's Landmark Convention Center (Official)
Additional Info
Architects: Paul Gordon Carlson, Ambrose J. Russell
Functions: Conference Center
Styles: Egyptian, Greek Revival
Previous Names: Heilig Theatre, St. Helens Convention Center, Landmark Convention Center
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
253.272.2042
Manager:
253.272.2042
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Mar 2, 2010 — Happy 45th, "The Sound Of Music"
Tacoma’s Temple Theatre was built in 1926, designed by architect Ambrose J. Russell, the contractors were Biehn and Chalmers. The Heilig Theatre officially opened on October 18, 1927. It was renamed Hamrick’s Temple Theatre in 1931. Temple Theatre had a seating capacity of 1,800 people. The building served as both a Masonic temple and a theatre. The building is Greek in style with interior Egyptian detail.
Upon the theatre’s opening, the “Temple of Minerva” backdrop from the Tacoma Theatre was presented to the new theatre. The backdrop was painted by artist Thomas G. Moses in 1889 and had hung in the Tacoma Theatre for 37 years.
The Temple Theatre advertised they had the “widest proscenium arch of any theatre or hall on Pacific Coast”. Throughout the years, the Temple Theatre had a number of movie stars making special appearances, including Tallulah Bankhead and Lucille Ball.
In 1954, CinemaScope was installed at the theatre.
The theatre’s original 2/9 Kimball organ remains today and is original in all respects, being one of only five original installations in the State of Washington.
The Temple Theatre was renamed the Saint Helens Convention Center in 1992 and the Landmark Convention Center in 1995. According to the Landmark Convention Center’s website, the theatre now seats 1,620 patrons.
Movies are rarely, if ever, shown at the Temple Theatre. However, the site is still used for live programs, like concerts and wrestling.
The Landmark, with its numerous conference rooms, is one of the most popular places in Tacoma for wedding receptions, luncheons, school dances and the like.
Contributed by
KatieMac
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
I remember the big hoot during the showing of Final Countdown when the Tomcats splash the Zeros.The cheers and yells were wall-shaking from the mostly military crowd.They were always fun to watch an action flick with,because they were so demonstrative.Now that my tiny sons then are now in Iraq,the memories are especially touching.
History & photos:
View link
Saw many films here. In it’s last hurrah as a first run theatre operated under “Galaxy Theatres” it showed the James Bond flick “Octopussy” in the summer of 1983. Later reopened as a second run under “Star Cinemas” it had a few 70mm second run engagements including “Dune” and “2010”. Presentation was impressive.
8-30-07 photo by Rob Bender of exterior:
http://www.futurenostalgia.org/
I saw that engagement of Dune in 70mm (all seats $2.00!). Was very impressive.
Boxoffice magazine did a story about the theater being remodeled in their January 8, 1949 issue:
http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/the_vault/issue_page?issue_id=1949-1-8&page_no=137#page_start
Clickable link to the Boxoffice article KenLayton cited. The article says that the architect for the remodeling was Paul Carlsen. Though it calls him a “nationally known theatre architect” I can find nothing else about him on the Internet.
The page also needs a credit for the original architect, A. J. Russell. Ambrose J. Russell had an interesting life and career. Born to missionary parents in India, he studied architecture at the University of Glasgow and at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris. On emigrating to America, he worked in the office of H. H. Richardson, then in Worcester, Massachusetts, Kansas City, and St. Louis. He practiced in partnership with his former schoolmate Bernard Maybeck for a while before settling in Tacoma in 1892. Alone or in various partnerships he designed a number of notable buildings in the northwest, including the Governor’s mansion in Olympia, Washington.
Here is a 1947 view of the Auditorium before its modernization.
This 1964 view shows the later, simplified design.
This was the finest theater in Tacoma when I was a kid in Fircrest in the 1960s. I saw “The Sound of Music” and “Lawrence of Arabia” here in first run. It had velvet ropes, uniformed ushers with flashlights, the works. Young people today have no idea what a great theater was like. Glad it still exists.
Additional history courtesy Tacoma Historical Society. Accompanying photo credit Tacoma Public Library added to gallery.
“On December 1, 1927, the Masonic Temple at 47 St. Helens was dedicated. This photograph was taken just before the dedication. The Temple Theatre (then called the Heilig Theater), built within the Masonic Temple, had its grand opening on October 18, 1927. The theater was leased by Calvin Heilig and was decorated in an Egyptian motif. The $550,000 building, made of stone and concrete, rose ten stories from the Broadway level. The facade consisted of stone finish with brick trimmings. Sixteen Masonic bodies would utilize the structure as a meeting space.”
Closed as a movie theater on July 15, 1985 with “Secret Admirer” and “Lifeforce”.