Rainbo Theatre

The Diluf Theatre, with a complete remodeling from back to front, opened on December 9, 1934. Diluf was derived by combining the names of its owners, L.R. Dillingham and H.C. Luft. On December 12, 1936 the name was changed to the friendlier Rainbo name.

According to the archives of the Spokane Daily Chronicle the Rainbo Theatre originally opened as the Majestic Theatre in 1908 but other than that more information in the Daily Chronicle is slim.

An interesting news item appeared in the Chronicle on April 19, 1940, which attests to the strong patronage of Spokane theatres. It said that 16,000 articles were lost in the city’s theatres during 1939. This included everything from false teeth to handkerchiefs. The State Theater led the list with 3,944 articles while the 450-seat Rainbo Theatre made a strong showing for its size with 1,250. In all 80 per cent of the items went unclaimed and were turned over to charitable organizations.

The Chronicle noted on December 30, 1947 that Harry Luft, who had owned the Rainbo Theatre for 13 years, had sold it. By then it was Spokane best-known second run theatre and was being purchased by Lillian McEachern for $60,000. In April of 1950 it again changed hands after Jules Reisman, formerly with Evergreen Theatres, purchased it.

After June 9, 1952 the Rainbo Theatre dropped out of the listings on the theatre page. On February 13, 1953 the Chronicle noted that there were plans to tear down the 50-year old theatre and to build a parking lot, which is there today.

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