Egyptian Theatre (Coos Bay, Oregon)
Encyclopedia
The Egyptian Theatre is an historic movie theatre in Coos Bay, Oregon
, United States
. It was originally built as a garage, and was converted to a theatre in 1925. With a seating capacity of 770, the theatre is an example of the Egyptian Theatre
style of Egyptian Revival architecture
that was popular in the early 20th century in the U.S., especially following the 1922 discovery of the tomb of King Tut. The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
on May 24, 2010. In fact it was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service
's weekly list of June 4, 2010.
According to the National Park Service:
and Albert Mercier. It includes piers decorated with papyrus
blossoms, wrought-iron ceiling lights in the form of hooded cobra
s, and stairways with 8 feet (2.4 m) pharaoh
statues.
still in place in its original theatre in Oregon, a 4/18 Mighty Wurlitzer
pipe organ. The theatre also has all of its original vaudeville
backdrops and working stage. The theatre originally had one screen but the balcony was converted to house two screens in 1976, for a total of three screens. In 2007, the theatre was converted back to one room and the balcony is open to the public (depending on attendance).
With the unfunded $3 million cost of renovation, it is one of ten entries on the Historic Preservation League of Oregon
's Most Endangered Places in Oregon 2011 list.
Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was originally built as a garage, and was converted to a theatre in 1925. With a seating capacity of 770, the theatre is an example of the Egyptian Theatre
Egyptian Theatre
Egyptian-style theaters are based on the traditional and historic design elements of Ancient Egypt.The first Egyptian Theatre to be constructed in the US - which inspired many of the identically-named theaters that followed it - was Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California. For several...
style of Egyptian Revival architecture
Egyptian Revival architecture
Egyptian Revival is an architectural style that uses the motifs and imagery of ancient Egypt. It is attributed generally to the public awareness of ancient Egyptian monuments generated by Napoleon's conquest of Egypt and Admiral Nelson's defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of the Nile during 1798....
that was popular in the early 20th century in the U.S., especially following the 1922 discovery of the tomb of King Tut. The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 24, 2010. In fact it was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
's weekly list of June 4, 2010.
According to the National Park Service:
The Egyptian Revival style of architecture was favored for many years in Europe and popularized in the United States during the 1920s with the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamen. The style’s potential for exotic, mysterious theatricality lent itself well to movie palace design of the 1920s, but only four movie palaces in this style are documented as surviving in the United States today. One of those four is the Egyptian Theatre, located at 229 S. Broadway in downtown Coos Bay, Oregon. Originally built in 1922 as a garage and converted in 1925 to a movie palace, the theater is essentially unchanged, possessing its original style décor, light fixtures, and furnishings, including its bronze pharaoh statues, friezes depicting lotus, papyrus, discs, uraei, and ravens, columns painted with hieroglyphics and Egyptionesque characters, a proscenium above the stage featuring a replica of an ancient Egyptian temple, and original curtains and painted backdrops. The Egyptian Theatre is an excellent example of the Egyptian Revival style and it continues to function as a movie palace to this day.
History
The Egyptian was built by Charles Noble, a descendant of one of the area's first settlers. Noble spent $200,000 to convert his service station and garage into the theater. The building was designed by Lee Arden ThomasLee Arden Thomas
Lee Arden Thomas was an architect in Bend and Portland, Oregon, United States. He graduated in 1907 from Oregon Agricultural College . He completed many projects in Bend, often partenering with local architect Hugh Thompson...
and Albert Mercier. It includes piers decorated with papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
blossoms, wrought-iron ceiling lights in the form of hooded cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
s, and stairways with 8 feet (2.4 m) pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
statues.
Theatre interior
The theatre houses the only theatre organTheatre organ
A theatre organ is a pipe organ originally designed specifically for imitation of an orchestra. New designs have tended to be around some of the sounds and blends unique to the instrument itself....
still in place in its original theatre in Oregon, a 4/18 Mighty Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
pipe organ. The theatre also has all of its original vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
backdrops and working stage. The theatre originally had one screen but the balcony was converted to house two screens in 1976, for a total of three screens. In 2007, the theatre was converted back to one room and the balcony is open to the public (depending on attendance).
Current events
Per the official Egyptian Theatre website, as of May 2010:With the unfunded $3 million cost of renovation, it is one of ten entries on the Historic Preservation League of Oregon
Historic Preservation League of Oregon
The Historic Preservation League of Oregon is a 501 nonprofit corporation with a mission to “Preserve, Reuse, and Pass Forward Oregon’s Historic Resources to Ensure Livable, Sustainable Communities." Formed in Eugene, Oregon, in 1976, the HPLO was officially incorporated in 1977 and relocated to...
's Most Endangered Places in Oregon 2011 list.
See also
- Grauman's Egyptian TheatreGrauman's Egyptian TheatreGrauman's Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, is one of the world's most famous movie theatres. Opened in 1922, it was the venue for the first-ever Hollywood premiere.- History :...
- Peery's Egyptian TheatrePeery's Egyptian TheatrePeery's Egyptian Theater is a movie palace located at 2439 Washington Blvd., in Ogden, Utah in the United States of America. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.-History:...
, - Mary G. Steiner Egyptian TheatreMary G. Steiner Egyptian TheatreThe Mary G. Steiner Egyptian Theatre is located at 328 Main Street in Park City, Utah in the United States of America. It has also been referred to as the Mary J. Steiner Egyptian Theatre or The Egyptian Theatre in Park City.-History:...
- The Egyptian Theatre (Boise, Idaho)The Egyptian Theatre (Boise, Idaho)The Egyptian Theatre, also known as the Ada Theater, at 700 West Main Street in Boise, Idaho is a movie theater that opened in 1927.- History :...
- Egyptian Theatre (DeKalb, Illinois)Egyptian Theatre (DeKalb, Illinois)The Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois, United States, is an Egyptian Revival theatre that is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The theatre was built in 1928 and 1929 as part of a much larger wave of national fascination with Ancient Egypt throughout the United States, due,...
External links
- Egyptian Theatre (official website)
- The Egyptian Theatre at cinematreasures.com
- Color photo of the Egyptian from exithere.net
- Color photo of The Egyptian by John Varley'sJohn Varley (author)John Herbert Varley is an American science fiction author.-Biography:Varley grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, moved to Port Arthur in 1957, and graduated from Nederland High School. He went to Michigan State University on a National Merit Scholarship because, of the schools that he could afford, it...
wife Lee (several interior shots on their website as well)
