The Irvington Theatre opened October 9th 1924 in the Irvington neighborhood in North East Portland. It was opened and operated by A. H. McCurtain and D. A. Hathaway. The first film screened was the silent drama “Boy Of Mine” , a now lost film. $30,000 was originally spent to equip and furnish the theater which featured a unique illuminated-stop Organ. When there was an organist present to play they would be advertised alongside the film as well as the occasional newsbroadcast. The theater was sold just 3 years later for $55,000 to the estate of Mary E Simmons as an investment. Besides this the theater operated normally as a neighborhood theater for the remainder of the decade receiving positive reviews on screenings from locals. As a neighborhood theatre Irvington was not focssed on showing the newest films of the era although this does not mean they did not. It was common however for the entire lifetime of the theatre to play re-runs of successful films. Evidence for this is further strengthened by the fact that when the theater showed a new first run film it was heavily advertised as a unique event.
Through the 1930s the Irvington became a slightly more prestigious theatre, partially thanks to its location in the high class neighborhood of Irvington. This meant major pictures airing like All Quiet on the Western Front in 1930. 1931 also saw the end of the theater's organ days though marking an end to that unique chapter in its history. During this time the theatre was operated by Lillian E Willson, a prominent woman theater operator of the era. This was very unique for the time and contributed to the neighborhood community aspect of the theatre. During the 1930s the theatre had limited advertising besides major releases but continued to host community events for the local population and free shows to children. News reels would also often play before shows along with the double feature.
With the 1940s dawning the theater began showing war movies different from their normal fare as the US entered WW2. Along with this they would also have free entry to films with proof of a bond donation to the war effort. This era largely continued on as the 1930s had with programming mainly being family friendly comedies, musicals and dramas. By this point those genres were established as the main films that were shown at the theatre and this would largely continue for the entire history of the theatre regardless of other changes around it.
The 1950s was the era when theatres began to decline in the US because of television but Irvington continued to thrive. The theatre remained an important community meeting center and free tickets for children for particular shows was continued. This is also the first decade where advertisements for the Irvington became more pronounced in the paper. Prominent pictures like 80 Days Around the World and North By Northwest were shown towards the end of the decade solidifying the heightened status of the theatre. Much of this success can be attributed in part to new owner Stan Smith who purchased the theatre in 1948. Smith would later remark that he tried to show films for the white collar crowd and focus not just on younger audiences but keep the adult audience in mind as well, keeping it in his words a class house.
The 1960s marked a large transformation for the Irvington theater and the Irvington neighborhood as a whole with the opening of Lloyd Center mall in August 1960. The new shopping center was located only a couple of blocks away from the theatre and would henceforth be a constant form of competition and cooperation. Going forward Irvington would always advertise either location as being near Lloyd Center to bring more customers to the theatre. This was a double edged sword though as the mall also took away from the community center importance that the theatre had held for so many years. Despite this the 1960s was a strong era for the Irvington theatre with prestige films like West Side Story airing there as a first run film. There was also the Loved One in 1966 which was at the Irvington on its first run in Portland. Possibly the biggest indicator of Irvington's increased prestige was that it was often featured alongside the Laurelhurst theater above the neighborhood theaters.
The 1970s was in many ways one of the greatest eras for the Irvington but also an end of an era. This was the decade when Tom Moyer, the influential theatre owner, acquired Irvington in 1970 alongside many other theaters in the area. This meant a continuous stream of funding for advertising with this era featuring the theatre's most unique advertising to date. For example the release of Monty Python and the Holy Grail in 1975 was heavily advertised including 500 free coconuts to the first 500 movie goers on opening night. Tommy that same year was also advertised gimmicky with Jack Nickolson prominently featured despite his minimal role in the movie. Both these films were British and it marked a trend for the theatre that decade of primarily featuring British films. This era also saw the double feature take on a different role often featuring much older films often from the 1950s. Given the ownership by Tom Moyer the theater would occasionally show films far different from their normal screenings. For example, in line with their trend of British films, the Hammer horror Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell was promoted heavily in 1974. As well other horror films were shown in 1974 including a Dracula film, another Frankenstein film and the Exorcist. This is evidence that during the 1970s the Irvington would focus on certain genres throughout the year as is also proof of the heavy amount of British films in 1975. All the films that were shown around this time also fall into cult status suggesting a shift in promotion and marketing strategy. Films like this give a window into the more gimmick side of the 1970s and while the theater may have been going strong still during this time it was a sign of things to come that that stability would not endure forever. Still many remember working at the theater and going to see films like A Clockwork Orange during this time fondly securing the 1970s as another great decade for the theatre.
As the 1980s dawned the Irvington theatre began to decline with advertising dropping off substantially from a high prestigious point in the 1970s. In 1986 Lloyd Center got a multiplex cinema which was a massive competition that Irvington's single screen could not compete with. In 1985 Tom Moyer sold the theatre to its final owners Marty and Barbara Robertson making it a neighborhood theatre again just as it had been in the early days. About the closure the couple would remark “By the time we get hold of films to run, they don't have any legs left.” During this era the theater operated as an art cinema showing many foreign films from Asia and Europe. The cinemas in Portland were entering decline by this point though and despite several successful shows the theatre could not survive and would be closed in late October of 1990. Today it has been turned into business space with the primary building now occupied by a Japanese restaurant.
The Irvington may have closed but its memory was carried on in the community which had supported it for so long. The many movie goers over the years have shared their experiences at the theater remembering the films they saw there positively. Recently in 2024 a large mural was completed on the building honoring the theater's 100 year anniversary. The old marque above the building still remains intact as it was over the decades, proudly reminding locals of the theater's long history as one of Portlands most storied neighborhood theaters.
