Eltrym Historic Theater
1809 First Street,
Baker City,
OR
97814
1809 First Street,
Baker City,
OR
97814
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11/12/37 Clarick Theatre fire photo added courtesy of Lynette Warneke Gray.
The Eltrym Theatre is in the process of installing digital projection units in all of its theatres. This big investment will ensure the viability of the theatre for years to come. I applaud the owners for investing in our community like this. They have done so much to the Eltrym since purchasing it. It has truly become a shining jewel in our downtown historic district.
There’s a recent photo here among other photos of Baker City, second one down: http://www.lottaliving.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=17711
The Eltrym Theater opened on June 27th, 1940 and had 700 seats. The first film shown was “Ghost Breakers” starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. The theater was built by Frank Buckmiller and Freeman Geddes and was named in honor of Frank’s wife, Myrtle, who passed away before the theater was finished. The architect was Day Walter Hillborn from Vancouver, WA.
Here is a 1953 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cgm5mz
Style should be Pepto-Bismol.
Perhaps function should be first-run movies as opposed to movies, no description.
The Eltrym theater is set to re-open on May 4th, 2007. An agreement was reached to install fire-resistant doors (instead of sprinklers).
This is from August 11:
http://tinyurl.com/m9yzy
Here is the latest on the closure, hot off the presses (or at least lukewarm):
http://tinyurl.com/zdvot
The Eltrym was built in 1940 (not 1943) by Mr. Buckmiller (or Buckmaster) and named after his wife, Myrtle. It replaced the old Clarick Theater (formerly the Baker Opera House) which burned to the ground in November, 1937. Upon its completion, Baker once again had three movie houses—the Eltrym, the Orpheum, and the Empire. The Orpheum was gutted by fire in September, 1943, and remained a burned out shell during the war years. It was rebuilt as the Baker Theater in 1948, and opened in December of that year. The first movie shown in it was “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid.”
The theater owner is still in a dispute with the city about installing a full sprinkler system in this theater. Check out this newspaper story:
View link
Originally opened as the Eltrym Theatre with 585 seats.
I am in Baker City today presenting a live Murder Mystery at the Geiser Grand Hotel. Naturally I walked over to this historic theatre and, lo and behold a nice man on a ladder was changing the marquee. He is the new manager and is relocating here in the magnificent high desert city. Talk about a dream job! I introduced myself and he let me look inside. The lobby still has vestiages of its 1940s past but the rest of the theatre had been modified to make a comfortable three screen venue. It is good to tour old theatres and I encourage all CT members to visit old theatres and report their findings here.
The Eltrym Historic Theatre is no longer in danger of being closed. An agreement was reached to install sprinklers! This wonderful theatre will continue to operate and be the jewel of our Baker City community.