Geller’s Theatre was the dream project of a Russian born American named Ike Geller, who entered the theater business in 1923 when he opened Walnut Park Theatre in Northeast Portland. Four years later, in 1927, Geller worked with architect Edward A. Miller to construct a vaudeville house with “a Golden 20’s aesthetic.” The theater was called, simply, "Geller's." The theater played host to vaudeville performers such as “Jack Benny, until the mid 1930s when the demand for cinema overtook that for live performance,” (Lime, 1). The auditorium of the Geller is still the same as it was nearly a century ago, with 620 seats, a balcony, chandelier, organ grilles, and the entire front marquee are all still intact today – minus the infamously grand “Geller’s Theatre” sign. In the early 1930s, the theater was equipped with a projector and a small screen to host movie-going audiences and transitioned away from its show house style. In 1934, the Geller Theatre was renamed the “Aladdin Theatre,” which remained an all-ages cinema until the 1970s when it became an adult entertainment theater. After going through many of it's changes, the Geller Theatre, or now Aladdin Theatre(1934-current), exists today as a live performance show stage. With it's high occupancy seating, it offers a classic, but still very practical, venue for renting. Current titles popular at this location consist of things like comedy shows, live music, talks, and readings. A chain company called True West hosts events like concerts at this theater, and many others in the Pacific region at other venues. One of the things that this theatre is most famous for once being renamed to the Aladdin theatre is the screening of the X rated film, Deep Throat, in the 1980's.
