Rose Theatre
SE Main Street,
Roseburg,
OR
97470
SE Main Street,
Roseburg,
OR
97470
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This started life as the Majestic Theatre and operated as early as 1912. After extensive remodeling, the Majestic Theatre was renamed the Rose Theatre, reopening by managers Lloyd Claver and O.L. Wood on April 7, 1931 with Joe E. Brown in “Top Speed” along with the musical short “Railroad Follies”, the Grantland Rice Sportlight “Racqueteers”, and the Hal Skelly comedy short “The Gob”, featuring RCA Photophone sound.
Information about the theater as of 1931 goes as follows: A flashing neon rose which includes 100ft of electric tubing throughout the marquee, and a double line border around the entire sign flashes on and off at regular intervals while the theater name in 24-inch letters above the marquee. The marquee is a sheet of metal with decorative motif. A large panel at the front contains the name of the theater, with eight large lights furnish illumination beneath the marquee, while the lower side is finished in pure white enamel. The background of the boards is metallic with little panels arranged to hold the photos used to advertise the picture. A box office features a glass window scheme and decorations fitting in with the general plan of the building.
The lobby is in the same scheme and leading to the two entrances enters the foyer. The foyer opens at one end into the managers' office and at the other into the ladies room. Heavy carpeting covers the foyer floor, and special light fixtures throw a soft light on the room. There is also a drinking fountain located at the center of the foyer. Two wide entrances lead to the auditorium. Its carpeting runs the full length of the two main aisles across the front and back of the auditorium, and covers the foyer, office, and ladies room. In the ventilating system which changes the air in the auditorium every four minutes, two large outlets in the ceiling provided the vents through which fans draw the warm air. Steam radiators heat up the building during the winter months.
A total of 400 upholstered seats with red velour seatbacks and red leather seat cushions were placed during the remodel. The original stage curtain is green plush, and green curtains of the same material across the entrances and the exits. Both of these were controlled by the projectionist at the projection room. Finally, one striking detail is the noiselessness of the curtain across the stage, as rubber rollers on the rubber lined track makes the movement of the curtain completely silent. The capacity of the seats was upgraded to 550 sometime later in its history, though I cannot confirm any information about it.