Old Chelsea Tri Cinema
514 NW 5th Avenue,
Portland,
OR
97209
514 NW 5th Avenue,
Portland,
OR
97209
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The most notorious theater in Portland in the 1970’s. It showed straight porn in cinemas 1 and 2 and gay porn in cinema 3, the Tom Cat Theatre (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures). It was downtown in the sleaziest area of the city.
Contributed by
David DeCoteau
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
At least they were in step, according to the court:
http://tinyurl.com/2xgjf4
I seem to remember in the 70s they also ran offbeat art films. I’m certain I saw Polanski’s REPULSION there one Friday night, circa ‘71.
The building that housed the Old Chelsea Tri Cinema has not been demolished, at least not as of January, 2024.
The Beaver Hotel was built in 1907. In 1962 local producer and entrepreneur John Hillsbury converted the hotel ballroom into the Portland Playhouse, home of the Portland Players. Later, it was apparently converted into a storefront cinema with three screens.
In recent years the building has been used for transitional housing and social services.