Garland Theater
924 West Garland Avenue,
Spokane,
WA
99205
924 West Garland Avenue,
Spokane,
WA
99205
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Showing 16 comments
1955 photo added via Mike Ohlson.
Updated website link: http://garlandtheater.com/
Finally a place where I can try to contact Tom Hutchinson
From the late 1940s a photo of the Garland Theatre in Spokane.
A 2010 photo can be seen here.
It good to see that its still open and looks the same.Cool looking Marquee and tower.
If Tom Hutchinson’s source is correct, then Bjarne Moe was the architect of the Garland Theatre. It would not be surprising for the Garland to be a Moe design, as he was probably the most prolific theater architect in the northwest during that period.
In various issues of Boxoffice Magazine, Bjarne Moe is named as the architect of the Bungalo Theatre in St. Maries and of the Empire Theatre in Tekoa. An item in one issue of Boxoffice strongly suggests that he designed the Rena in Kellogg.
A few other theaters designed by Moe are listed in my December 29, 2008, comment on the Cinema Treasures page for the New Ritz Theatre in Ritzville, Washington.
I was told that the Garland was designed by the same architect that designed the Empire in Tekoa, Washington; the Rena in Kellogg Idaho, the Bungalow in St. Maries Idaho, and perhaps others.
A couple of years after building the Garland Theatre, original operators Inland Theatres were making plans for a similar project encompassing a theater and shops at an unspecified location in Spokane, according to the May 31, 1947, issue of Boxoffice Magazine. As the new project was to be designed by Spokane architect G.A. Pehrson, it seems possible that the Garland had also been designed by him.
Gustav A. Pehrson, a native of Sweden, practiced architecture in the Spokane region from 1913 to 1968. One of the leading architects of inland Washington during the era, he was best known as the chief architect for the design of the Hanford Engineer Works Village at Richland, Washington, a project that, by 1950, had become a town of 22,000.
If it turns out that the Garland was designed by Pehrson, that would considerably increase the theater’s historic significance.
There’s also a chance that the Pasco Theatre was designed by Pehrson.
Somehow I never got back to this page until now. The theater’s web site doesn’t give me any problems anymore.
I was surprised to see among the photos there one showing that the Garland’s main level seating was continental style, with the aisles confined to the sides of the auditorium. That was a very rare configuration for an American movie theater of the period- or just about any period. In fact the only movie theater I’ve ever been to that had continental seating was the Hastings in Pasadena.
This place looks like a real gem. I especially like that art moderne lobby. If I ever get to Spokane, I’ll be sure to check it out.
I think that’s a great idea!
This is some of our glass and neon detail
Our hallways into our restrooms
Our landmark Marquee
I’ll be posting more soon!
Why not upload them to a free photo hosting site, such as Photobucket, then post the links here for all to enjoy ?!?
Our website is quite the mess… The person who designed it for us had good intentions, but I do believe was just trying to ‘strut his stuff.’ We’re in the process of redesigning our site, but with an independent owner, the costs of restoration, no grants/tax cuts/financial supporters, our website has fallen low on the priority list. If you know of any steps we can take to further our work financially – please let me know. Also, if you’d like newer pictures of the theatre – email me at: and i can send you a few picutres of our newly refinished marquee, art-deco lighting and such!
Not sure if you are on high speed connection. The web site works fine today. The only link that is not functioning is the “Tell Us What You Think” (perhaps they DON’T want your comments!)
At $2.50 for admission, don’t know how they can cover their costs of operation.
I managed (barely) to get through, but this website is a mess. It’s too bad, because the pix I saw are stunning. Love to see this theatre in person!
Too many applets!
That web site with its swarms of Java applets keeps causing my browser to crash. :( Are there pictures of the theater anywhere else?