Community Theatre
5441 S. M Street,
Tacoma,
WA
98408
5441 S. M Street,
Tacoma,
WA
98408
1 person
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The Community Theatre was opened in 1924. From 1974 to 1984 it operated as an adult movie theatre.
Contributed by
jertac
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
This was opened August 20, 1924. In 1930, someone shoved a few sticks of dynamite through the ticket booth window bars and blew the front area to bits. I believe it was part of a Union dispute. I live near this place and it is still a church.
Here is an interior shot with the opening date listed as August 20th 1924.
http://goo.gl/i5ROL
eropel:
Thanks for posting that link to the interior pictures. I had never seen any inside pictures of this theater before.
I’m sure I watched the x-rated porno movie Deep Throat at this theater in the early 1970’s. Is that possible? The theater was on south m street.
This is still owned by a church. In the mid-late 80’s is was called Community World Theater and it hosted many underground/punk shows. Nirvana played here many times under different names before they hit the big time. I was at many shows here during that time.
This item appeared in the May 10, 1924, issue of The Moving Picture World:
The September 13, 1924, issue of Exhibitor’s Trade Review said that the Community Theatre had opened on August 20.This closed in 1984. Playtime Cinemas operated it as an adult cinema from 1974-1984.
It is unfortunately a cult religious hall these days.
Was named Community World Theater from February 1987 through June 1988 hosting roughly 140 live music shows. Extensive history with photos in first link below. Second is a Flickr link with 3 photos, 1 on each side of the 1988 facade photo.
https://www.mikeziegler.com/cwt/?fbclid=IwAR0poHo9p-3h_A4RkrQU5dIeGFfmcciM9C4GFCMDNiUr3HyAg3NQ0LnL5L4
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dan10things/3679901200/
Additional history and crisper version of previously posted Monday, October 6, 1930 photo in Facebook link at bottom.
Photo credit Tacoma Public Library, description credit Tacoma Music History link below.
“This photograph of the Community Theatre, 5441 South “M” St., was taken on Monday, October 6, 1930, after the entire front of the building was heavily damaged by explosives the night before. 3-5 sticks of dynamite were shoved through the bars of the ticket office window. Parts of the ticket booth were blown across the street and door castings, drapes, plaster and glass were blown inward as far as the stage. A loudspeaker and projection machine were also damaged. The bombing caused damage to stores across the street with multiple shattered windows, and buildings and houses in nearby blocks were shaken with minor damage.
Luckily, the building was able to be repaired. After a few more decades of service as a neighborhood movie theater, it stood vacant for a time before being reinvented in the 1980s as the Community World Theater. It was there that Kurt Cobain and his bandmates performed, under a variety of early names for their group, before performing for the first time as Nirvana on March 19, 1988."
https://www.facebook.com/musichistory253/photos/a.1124127121023455/2778056225630528/