Yes, I worked there back in the 1980’s. Nobody was ever willing to shoulder the cost of restoring the building to code and so it fell into such disrepair that the city had to declare it a danger. In the 1990s it had no AC so in the summer we had to role a big evap cooler down to the front of the auditorium and carry buckets of ice down between movies to try to keep movie goers cool. The old roof couldn’t support an AC of a size that would keep the place cool.
I had done a bit of research at the Blythe Historical museum and found quite a bit of history on the place, including original news paper clippings, cards and cable wired messages of congratulation on the theater opening back in 1949, from Hollywood movie executives and stars of the era. A big celebration was held at Todd Park and included visits from the stars of the movie that was playing and, if I remember correctly, a Marine Corps band.
I think that it is horribly sad that this is the only photo of the place that exists online
Yes, I worked there back in the 1980’s. Nobody was ever willing to shoulder the cost of restoring the building to code and so it fell into such disrepair that the city had to declare it a danger. In the 1990s it had no AC so in the summer we had to role a big evap cooler down to the front of the auditorium and carry buckets of ice down between movies to try to keep movie goers cool. The old roof couldn’t support an AC of a size that would keep the place cool. I had done a bit of research at the Blythe Historical museum and found quite a bit of history on the place, including original news paper clippings, cards and cable wired messages of congratulation on the theater opening back in 1949, from Hollywood movie executives and stars of the era. A big celebration was held at Todd Park and included visits from the stars of the movie that was playing and, if I remember correctly, a Marine Corps band.