7th Street Theatre

Ken: Yes I’ve heard the HVAC on the roof, their was no problem when the theatre was heated with steam, and you are right that the people who want stage shows are calling the shots. One of the problems with the 7th st in reguards to stage shows is that the stage house is to small. Most old theaters that have been re-opened as performing art centers have enlarged their stage houses. If this is what they want to do they need to tear down the back wall of the stage and build out on the vacant property behind the theatre. (They already own the extra land). This would double the size of the stage and allow for modern stage productions. (The Paramount in Seattle did this). As the theatre now stands their audience is dwindling and the place will eventually close again with the asumption that Hoquiam can not sustain a historic arts center. I feel that this is NOT true but there needs to be a drastic change in attitudes at the 7th st. Upgrading the working end of the operation is important but customer comforts come first! And to answer your other question, no they did not move the projection equip.

Ron:

Did they move the projectors too? Or are they still in the original projection booth? Sounds to me like the ‘faction’ that wanted stage shows must have won out over the calmer heads that wanted movies done right. I’ve been squaking for several years that they need to fix the ceiling and do something about those “hard-as-a-rock” seats!

The acoustics there were already fine without a $90,000 sound system. Have you heard the rumbling from the new HVAC unit on the roof? When it’s running it reverberates throughout the whole auditorium. Sounds just like somebody running a Coleman generator inside the building.

It’s a pity that a nice place like this is being ruined by incompetence.

a-men to that, the only problem now is that they don’t want to use the booth. They have their lighting board set-up in the middle of the auditorium and there are those who don’t think they should have to move it. Some think that the paying audience should work around the crew not the other way. But there are a few people who are trying to get things set up correctly.

Thanks, just curious. Was also wondering why the new projection and view windows were cut into the booth. I would have thought that the updated projection equipment could have been installed using the old ports and preserving the original look of the booth. I have seen many restored theaters that have installed newer equipment and not altered the outward appearance of the auditorium. Those working in the booth also wonder why the original console was removed. It housed the switches for the curtain and masking motors as well as the lighting controls. I know the dimmers did not work and needed restoring but I think that cleaning and some new brushes would have done the job. The picture is very nice and the sound is excellent when a modern film is shown, taking full advantage of the stereo and surround.

Yes I asked about the projectors and was told that 1 of the e-7’s was gone. The person I spoke with did not know where it had gone to, just that it was no longer in the theater. I did not know that parts were taken off the other lamphouse that is in storage. I am curious why they let one of the projector heads go along with parts from the peerless mag-n-arc. Will have to inquire as to there motive.

Just visited the 7th st again and took them about an hours worth of old previews most of which were for films dating from 1976 to 1990. They like to show older previews before the film and were having trouble finding material. Also included some old service announcements and daters, some of them dating from the 1950’s thru the 1980’s. Things are coming along nicely, the place is looking better all the time. I do feel that they should be showing more films when the theater is dark with no live shows booked, but these things take time. All in all just being open is good.

Was at the 7th St last week for a screening of North by Northwest, great movie in a great theater. Things are getting better, but they have a long way to go. Although it is good to see people coming out for movies there again. They have a very good picture and sound, especially their SCOPE picture.

People in Hoquiam want this theater to succeed … but mostly as a home for live shows. And that’s too bad. As Ken says, I wish they could “see the light” about what a good movie theater can be. As the posts on the Cinema Treasures sites for the Aberdeen and the D & R point out, there’s a huge void for movie lovers in the Grays Harbor area. (Well, there are a lot of voids in a lot of areas in the Grays Harbor region, but I won’t get started on that …) It would be a blessing if the 7th Street could be used for both live shows and movies, and it sounds like maybe there are some steps being taken to improve that balance. YAY!

The “new” equipment I was referring to is the equipment you installed. Which is new compared to the Simplex e7, RCA photophone soundheads and Peerless Magna-Arc lamphouses I used when I was a projectionist there in the early 1980’s. They now also have a real projectionist, Mark Richey, who is trying to teach the people who run the theater what showing a movie is all about. Mark ran the D&R booth for many years befor it closed. The 7th street staff saw no need for screen masking, or using the curtain. There is a contigent at the 7th street who feel the theater should be a live venue only and movies are treated as 2nd class.

The restoration is coming along, all of the projection equipment has been replaced along with the stage lighting. The theater is working at getting the auditorium cieling re-plastered as there are many large holes due to prior roof leaks. Also they are looking at replacing the original seating and new carpet. The old seating is all wood except for 2 rows of loge seats and the water did a lot of damage. The old carpet is thread bare, in some places held togather with duct tape. It all takes time and money. When they are finished this will be a very nice and comfortable performance venue.

Old & newer photos:
View link

The 7th St was built for Ed Dolan of D&R Theaters Inc. Construction was in 1928. The theater is vertually intact with the only changes over the years being carpet and stage drapery. The original lobby furnishings are all gone except for 1 red spanish styled sofa. The lobby is beautifull with many wood beams and muraled cieling. The auditorium walls resemble spanish garden walls and the night sky above. The seating capacity is 1000. The house lights are hidden on the top of the garden walls. The original lighting system would re-create the setting sun with the lighting going from white thru yellow, orange, red then to soft blue to simulate night. There was originally a pipe organ to accompany the silent films and vaudeville was also presented on a regular basis. There is a large stage house and many dressing rooms. In speaking to one of the old projectionists I learned that, during the 1920’s they would sometimes show the same film at both the D&R in Aberdeen and the 7th St. To accomplish this they would start the film at the D&R then as each reel of film would end they would give it to an employee to drive it to Hoquiam to the 7th St., as long as there were no traffic problems or any bridges going up for river boats the film would arrive just in time and the audience would be none the wiser. Scary! The theater is thankfully today being restored as there is a lot of damage from water. The roof has been replaced along with many of the buildings systems. Films are again being shown at the 7th St. along with live performances. Hoquiam has a fine piece of movie history.