The people who owned, managed and worked in movie theaters.
Francis A. Greulich, also known as “Gus” Greulich, was a very important figure in the history of movie theaters in La Grande from the 1920s through the 1950s. He was a businessman and owner of several theaters in the city, especially the Granada Theatre, the Liberty Theatre, and later the La Grande Drive-In.
The Lake Theater and Cafe was opened on March 23rd 1940 in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The journey to find the opening date was long but rewarding. The first traces of the Lake Theaters early existence I found were announcements and construction updates for the Oswego Districts “theater project”.
The building that houses the Granada Theatre constitutes a representative example of the architectural evolution of American movie theaters throughout the twentieth century. Its origins date to the 1910s, when it opened as the Star Theatre on September 18, 1917. At that time, its design reflected the functional and restrained aesthetic characteristic of early cinemas.
The historic Times Theatre in Seaside Oregon went through an array of owners and operators during its two stints in business.
During the Early 1900s the printing of advertisements in the local papers is what brought the people around the surrounding towns and cities to certain venues or events. Everyone these days had access to the local papers and how a company advertised was based on the cost to do so and what information they could fit in a two inch by two in box. Now looking at the Orpheum Theater located in Pendleton Oregon they had a consistent flow of advertisements that would consist of a few specific things.
The Oregon theater during its time of operation (1913-1921) was a true hotspot for the people of Pendelton to see a show or a moving picture, of all genres. There is evidence of many different genres from romance to musical. Yet, of all of the advertisements, “Ole The Swede” starring Dave Williams was the one that caught and held my attention.
Underage Workers in Early Exhibition
The Moreland Theater, among others, was involved in a dispute against the Portland motion picture machine operator’s protective union. This was a major battle for better working conditions that began with the union demanding that there be two projection operators, instead of just one, and an increase in pay.
As theater exhibition increased during the 1920s, theater owners went about making changes to their theaters; adding more seats, hiring more help, etc. For John Hamrick, owner of the Portland Blue Mouse theater, installing a new, custom designed Wurlitzer organ was just the trick. According to an article in the Oregonian, Hamrick had the Hope-Jones Wurlitzer organ installed at the local theater in the spring of 1922. As the first of its kind in the city, the new organ, on its own, was sure to stir up some attraction.
The Heilig theater, located in Portland Oregon, was a vibrant and thrilling addition to the Portland theater scene in the 1900s. It was built in 1910 and slowly became a staple for movie patrons in the Portland area. Although the Heilig was well known as a movie theatre, it was also extremely popular for showing comedic operas and vaudeville shows.