Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Historic Downtown Salem #66: Elsinore Theater

170 High Street SE

IMG_3171 Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Elsinore Theater on September 4, 2006

The Tudor Gothic Revival style Elsinore Theater was designed by Ellis F. Lawrence (a graduate of MIT and the founder and first dean of the University of Oregon School of Architecture) and Fred S. Allyn of the Lawrence & Holford firm of Portland and was built by owner George B. Guthrie, a Portland lawyer that graduated from Harvard Law School, at a cost of $250,000.

IMG_3172 Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Elsinore Theater on September 4, 2006

The theater was designed for both stage and film, and featured the largest stage between San Francisco and Portland when it was new. It is named for the Danish castle from Shakespeare's Hamlet, which it was designed to resemble.

IMG_1405 Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater on March 8, 2006

The theater’s original exterior was stucco with slivers of glass inlaid to sparkle in the mid-day sun and the evening theater lighting. The marquee was originally made of copper by Carl Armpriest of Salem.

IMG_1406 Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater on March 8, 2006

The theater opened on May 28, 1926, showing Cecil B. DeMille's silent film The Volga Boatman. For a time, movies were combined with vaudeville. Celebrities who have appeared at the Elsinore include John Philip Sousa, Clark Gable and Edgar Bergen with Charlie McCarthy.

IMG_1401 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater Lobby on March 8, 2006

The Elsinore is the second largest historic movie theater remaining in Oregon today, exceeded only by Portland’s Paramount Theater, now the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

IMG_1403 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater Lobby on March 8, 2006

The Elsinore's castle-like main lobby is dominated by towering stone gothic arches and vaulted ceilings 25 feet in the air.

IMG_1404 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater Lobby on March 8, 2006

Blue indirect lighting is hidden in the capitals of the columns in the lobby.

IMG_1402 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater Lobby on March 8, 2006

This blue lighting reacts with the dark tones of the vaulted ceilings to give the illusion of a night sky.

IMG_1400 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater Lobby Mural on March 8, 2006

Large murals tower over the grand staircases at each end of the lobby, depicting the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet and the witches scene from MacBeth.

IMG_1399 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater Lobby Mural on March 8, 2006

These murals are over 20 feet tall.

IMG_1437 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 22, 2006
Elsinore Theater stained-glass exit sign on March 22, 2006

The Elsinore Theater features Povey Brothers stained glass windows. I've only been inside the Elsinore at night, when the exterior windows can't really be photographed, but here is a Povey stained-glass EXIT sign on one of the balcony levels.

IMG_1395 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater auditorium on March 8, 2006

IMG_1396 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater auditorium on March 8, 2006

IMG_1397 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater auditorium on March 8, 2006

IMG_1941 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on May 10, 2006
Elsinore Theater balconies on May 10, 2006

The Elsinore Theater's Auditorium features two balcony levels.

IMG_1942 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on May 10, 2006
Elsinore Theater organ on May 10, 2006

The Elsinore was originally equipped with a Wurlitzer organ that remained into the theater until the late 1960s. Another Wurlitzer was donated and installed in the theater in 1986 by Rick and Clayton Parks.

IMG_1940 Interior of the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on May 10, 2006
Elsinore Theater organ console on May 10, 2006

This is the console.

IMG_1407 Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on March 8, 2006
Elsinore Theater marquee on March 8, 2006

After being in decline and deteriorating for years, the Elsinore was nearly demolished in the early 1980s. The Save the Elsinore Committee was formed to raise community awareness of the theater and raise funds for its restoration. The organization gained the support of owner Tom Moyer and eventually raised the funds for an initial restoration, which included a restoration of the marquee and painting of the facade in 1984. The facade painting covered the inlaid glass slivers in the stucco facade.

IMG_3167 Hands in the Cement at the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Elsinore Theater handprints on September 4, 2006

The Friends of the Elsinore celebrated the completion of a $130,000 restoration with a "hand-in-the-cement" ceremony on May 29, 1986. The ceremony included Raymond Barton, Aubray Pierce, Roger Gertenrich, Jerry Proctor, Sue Miller, Tom Moyer, Victor Atiyeh, Mark O. Hatfield and Gerry Frank.

IMG_3168 Hands in the Cement Plaque at the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Elsinore Theater restoration plaque on September 4, 2006

Tom Moyer sold his theaters to Act III Theaters in the late 1980s. The Save the Elsinore Committee merged with the Salem Community Auditorium Committee to form STAGE: the Salem Theater Auditorium Group Enterprise, which bought the Elsinore from Act III in 1993 through a grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust.

IMG_3169 National Register Plaque at the Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Elsinore Theater National Register plaque on September 4, 2006

The Elsinore Theater was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1994. The theater began operating as a performing arts center, but was still in need of a major restoration. Gregory Peck gave the final performance of his career at the Elsinore in 2000, and James Earl Jones and Bernadette Peters appeared in 2001. From 2002 to 2004, a complete restoration of the theater was performed, returning it to its original glory.

Additional Links:
Elsinore Theater at Salem Online History
Elsinore Theater at the Salem Oregon Community Guide
Elsinore Theatre at Cinema Treasures
Elsinore Theatre at CinemaTour
Elsinore Theatre at Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society

Historical Photos:
Elsinore Theater lobby (Oregon State Library)
Elsinore Theater lobby (Oregon State Library)
Elsinore Theater Interior, 1926 (Salem Public Library)
Elsinore Theatre, 1930 (Salem Public Library)
High Street & Elsinore Theatre, 1935-1940 (Salem Public Library)
Elsinore after 1962 Columbus Day Storm (Salem Public Library)
Elsinore Theatre, October 4, 1991 (Salem Public Library)
Elsinore Theatre, 1992 (Salem Public Library)
Elsinore Theatre, 1992 (Salem Public Library)

Continue to 67: Bligh Building

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