New Ritz Theatre

107 E. Main Avenue,
Ritzville, WA 99169

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Additional Info

Architects: Bjarne H. Moe

Functions: Movies (First Run)

Styles: Streamline Moderne

Previous Names: Ritz Theatre

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 509.659.1950
Manager: 509.659.1950

Nearby Theaters

Interior from loge seats

Opened in 1937 with 400-seats, the Ritz Theatre sits at the edge of Ritzville’s small downtown. It’s large enough to be multiplexed, but still has just one screen. The name ‘RITZ’ is on a tower at the left end of the building. Judging from old postcards, it was once red enamel with light (yellow?) letters, but is now painted in nauseating putty pink like the rest of the building, with the neon tubes removed.

Taken over by new management in 2014, it was re-named Ritz Theatre (again) and the seating capacity has been reduced to 250.

Contributed by Seth Gaines

Recent comments (view all 15 comments)

Mikeyisirish
Mikeyisirish on June 26, 2012 at 11:12 am

2011 photos can be seen here and here.

gingersnaps
gingersnaps on April 26, 2013 at 1:26 pm

Here is a link to the Boxoffice Magazine article that Mr. Vogel refers to. Also available from boxoffice.com as a PDF.

gingersnaps
gingersnaps on April 26, 2013 at 1:29 pm

The local weekly paper featured a snippet about the theater in its “Remembering from the Files” feature last year under the “75 years ago” section. A PDF is available.

gingersnaps
gingersnaps on April 26, 2013 at 1:32 pm

Another “Remembering from the Files” blurb about transfer of ownership. This must be the “other theater in town” people have asked about. A PDF is available.

gingersnaps
gingersnaps on April 26, 2013 at 7:13 pm

The Kendrick Collection of photographs (search for “theater” or “main street”), available for viewing on the Washington State Digital Archives page, is an excellent source for older photos of the theater around the time it was first built.

The collection also has a few photos of the “original” Ritz theater, which looks to have been located near the train depot.

gingersnaps
gingersnaps on October 18, 2013 at 10:13 pm

“Artist’s Drawing of new $30,000 Theater at Ritzville” from April 8, 1937 of the Spokesman Review includes fun tidbit about the theater being the first in Adams County to be air-conditioned.

dart384
dart384 on October 23, 2013 at 4:17 am

Does anyone remember a person by the name E.R Bechtel I found a watch at a auction his name engraved on the watch with bf shearer 1946 I was wondering if relatives r still around my email is

NickBackman
NickBackman on September 16, 2014 at 7:36 pm

They will be showing Guardians of the Galaxy this weekend while it is still in Spokane!! Cant wait to go, as I havent been to a movie in years!!

KenLayton
KenLayton on September 17, 2014 at 5:41 pm

The B.F. Shearer company was a huge theater equipment dealer all up and down the west coast during the late 1940’s through the mid 1960’s. They had offices in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on July 16, 2016 at 9:15 am

No website. Movie showtimes are listed on their Facebook page.

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