Denver Theatre
510 16th Street,
Denver,
CO
80202
510 16th Street,
Denver,
CO
80202
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 34 comments
Closed by Highland theatres in July 1977.
According to theatreorgans.com the Denver Theatre had a Wurlitzer, Opus 1726, Style 260SP, in the year 9/13/1927 and was sold.
Two screens piggy-back style on May 24th, 1972. Grand opening ad posted.
Grand opening ad posted.
A lengthy article from the Rocky Mountain Journal about Denver’s downtown theaters was reprinted in the Oct. 24, 1977 issue of Boxoffice. It began, “On Nov. 19, 1927, the cream of Denver society paid their 60 cents to see Bebe Daniel’s latest movie "She’s a Sheik” at the Denver Theatre. The patrons were awed by the new two million dollar structure built in French renaissance style and illuminated by more than 5,000 lightbulbs."
in its later history, the denver closed for remodeling 4/18/72 – 5/23/72 and reopened as a twin 5/24/72. i am currently putting together books on the history of the denver area’s drive-ins and indoor theatres. if anyone has questions on the subject, please feel free to contact me at . i am always happy to share my research. see you at the movies ! – ken mitchell
Circa 1967 photo added courtesy of Wade Winsor.
1965 photo added, credit Save the Signs Facebook page. Double feature 8 years before it was divided.
It should be noted that a number of the photo links embedded in previous comments, now link to a generic Chinese web page.
1956 photo added courtesy of Marc Sagrillo. Appears to show a remodeled front behind the blade sign.
1980 auditorium photo and copy added courtesy of The Denver Eye Facebook page.
Inside of The Denver Theatre, 1980, shortly before the wrecking ball
A promotional booklet published by the Federal Cement Tile Co. of Chicago has a photo of the auditorium of the Metropolitan Theatre in Denver under construction at center left on this page. The caption attributes the design to architect William N. Bowman. He apparently designed the building the theater was in, while Rapp & Rapp designed the theater interior.
I am not sure of the opening date listed for the Denver Theater. The theater was built during the latter part of 1926, and was listed in the 1927 City Directory as the Metropolitan in April 1927. This might be the date on which the theater was renamed. It was a Publix theater, built by Paramount, before becoming a Warner theater.
I’m with you, Sagebrushed, having enjoyed many films at both theaters. My late husband used to tell me stories about someone who lived in the Denver Theatre, not too difficult, considering the many levels and sections, to include dressing rooms, etc. in the lower levels. I was privileged to see a “Nutcracker” performance at the Majestic Theater in Dallas, years back, that had a someone similar interior feeling. It was lovely. One of the last management type employees at the Denver, was a lady who always reminded me of Merle Oberon. Elegantly wearing long dark hair into a thick crescent atop her head. In those days, booking agents had to bid for films, guaranteeing specific returns for the studios. Popcorn was heated out of huge plastic bags, and hot dogs, cups and popcorn buckets were counted for inventory/income purposes. From “Jungle Book” to “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” – and now only the memory remains. Too bad.
The Denver to my view was the finest of all the Denver classic theatres and I would have wished for its preservation over the Paramount accross the street. Before it was twained it was one of the finest theatres in how it was arranged interior with the side balconies towards the front. The balcony stairs were a bit steep and a bit dangerous compared to today’s. As metro area native with either parents and later as teen I was lucky in having visited all of the theatres now gone.
From the 1950s a postcard view of the Denver and Paramount Theatres in Denver.
Have some history and pictures I will post if interested. I was Manager from 70-73. The pics of the Glenarm side are correct but the Denver sign was removed by 65. The new marquee on the front entrance was then replace by a Marquee that you could program the pattern of red and white panels. In 1973 the theatre was divided into two theatres and most of the mezzanine and loge seats were removed to run a floor to the screen. The original seating had 2110 seats 1000 in the balcony. The theatre ran the “Indaianapolis 500” yearly closed circuit as well as the “Thrilla in Manila” and other closed circuit fights. There were seven floors of dressing rooms behind the stage with an elevator to all floors. More later.
The Denver Theater was operated by Cooper-Highland Theaters in the 1970’s. You could get a small view of the lobby from the entrance and it was spectacular, even after being cleared of its furniture.
I forgot to mention that there is some confusion about the opening dates of the Denver Theater, and the reason is probably because the theater mentioned here was the third Denver Theater. The first one was built at the corner of 16th St. and Lawrence St. (G Street), where the Tabor Center is now. It is listed in the 1866 Denver City Directory. There was another built downtown in the late 1800s, replaced later by the one on Glenarm.
The two photos of the Denver Theater definitely show the 16th Street entrance and the less elaborate side entrance on Glenarm Place. Both entrances were separated by a row of shops visible in both photos, which gives you an idea of the size of the theater. There was an extensive remodeling probably in the 1950s to bring the theater up to date. The exterior was faced with the typical smooth, bland and boxy look so popular at that time. The two small towers were removed in the process. I remember the theater with the “newer” look. The theater was opened in 1927 according to a newspaper article in the Denver Post, on microfilm at the DPL Western History Dept. I spent many a day at the movies there and ate a lot of popcorn when I was a kid.
I was fortunate to see the Denver Theatre’s auditorium before demolition. It was almost a twin to Rapp & Rapp’s Seattle (Paramount) Theatre in Seattle, WA.
The 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook gives the address of the Denver Theatre, 510 16th Street and the address of the Paramount Theatre, 519 16th Street (across the road).
The Denver Theatre main entrance was on 16th Street between Glenarm and Welton. I believe the photo from the Library with the Glenarm address is indeed a photo of a side/exit/secondary entrance. From what I remember of the theatre, the main lobby was long and narrow and the auditorium was far back on the lot. The 16th Street buildings had offices. The Paramount was similar, except that the office building through which one entered was 50 years older than the theatre. That main entrance on 16th is now closed and what serves as a rather anticlimactic “main” entrance is the former side exit.
Lost Memory – thanks for researching this. If the Paramount’s address is 519 16th Street, then the Denver Theatre would also had to have been on 16th Street, not Glenarm Place. Something’s not right here. Either there were two Denver Theatres in Denver, or it was located in some other city. Or I suppose the Denver Library’s website could be wrong and the correct address is really 510 16th Street as listed here. All I know is that the two photos cited here don’t match.
Still would like to see some interior photos of this theatre!
Has anyone been to Mesa AZ to Organ Stop Pizza that has this theatre’s original organ?