The lead projectionist at opening was Thomas (Tommy) Watters, Jr. Tommy was the long time business agent for the projectionists union, IATSE Local 154. He held the business agent job for 30 years, 1968 - 1998. In 1998, the projectionists local(154) merged with IATSE stagehands local 15 and Tommy retired.
In the local news this morning comes the sad news that a major water pipe has burst late Tuesday on the 4th floor of the building. Damage is reported to be severe and the theater is closed until further notice. The Egyptian is operated by SIFF but the building is owned by the State of Washington as it is on the campus of Seattle Central College. There are classrooms elsewhere in the building.
The Embassy had two entrances, two lobbies, and two box offices, one on 3rd Avenue and another one just around the corner on Union Street. A friend told me years ago that his father once had a considerable amount of time to kill in Seattle, sometime in the late 1940’s. He decided to see a movie and bought a ticket at the 3rd Avenue entrance to the Embassy. After the film, he walked around downtown a bit but still had time to kill. He decided to see another movie. This time, he bought his ticket at the Union Street entrance to the Embassy, not realizing that it was the same theater.
Shortly after the theater was re-opened by the 7 Gables circuit in 1980, a newly promoted assistant manager was closing one night. There had been issues of break ins through the rear exit doors that opened to the alley behind the theater and the solution was to chain and padlock them from the inside. The green assistant manager, in a hurry to go home, did not check carefully to make sure that all patrons had left for the night. At about 4:00 AM, the man who had been asleep in one of the back rows woke up to find himself locked inside an empty theater. He used the theater phone to call the fire department who came to break in so he could leave. No, I was not the assistant manager mentioned above.
I was a Union projectionist in Seattle at the time that this non-union theater opened. It’s owner, “Luxury Theaters” of Portland, OR was well known to cheaply build and operate theaters. I went to one of the opening weekend shows as a “spy” for the Union local. The opening was a rush job, the lobby was not yet completed. There was no concession stand, just a couple of 6 foot folding tables with candy displayed on them. Just a small table top popcorn popper with bags of pre-popped popcorn on the floor behind. Auditoriums were very plain, all mono sound and poor sound isolation between auditoriums. I could clearly hear audio from the theater on either side of the one I was in. The Union Local (IATSE Local 154) maintained an informational picket line outside for the first few years of it’s operation.
In the 1980’s, I was a Union projectionist and had a full time job with another theater that belonged to General Cinema Corporation, a competing company. My good friend, Anthony (Tony) Holmes was the full time union projectionist at the Lynn. In his later years, Tony became very religious and no longer wanted to work his 12+ hour Sunday shift. I was the only projectionist in IATSE Local 154 at the time that had Sundays free and was willing to work on them. Nice bit of extra money for a couple of years. All 4 booths were identical, Century projectors with lens turrets, Xetron lamps, Cinemeccanica Towers for film transport rather than platters, all mono sound. We were a second run double feature house at the time. While I was there but not on a night I was working, the manager David Clements was shot and killed in a failed hold up attempt late one night.
Both the Alpine and the Auto Vue drive in are for sale as of today. $800,000 for both: search.colvillerealestate.com/idx/details/listing/a527/42933/112-N-MAIN-ST-COLVILLE-Washington
I worked for SRO Theaters starting in 1981. SRO purchased the Viking and the Moonlite D.I.in the mid 1970’s from the original independent owner who did not believe in showing “R” rated films, either at the Viking or at the Moonlite. SRO did not have an issue with booking “R” films.
Before it became the Georgetown Ballroom, it was an auto body shop for expensive classic cars. I was in the area one day and saw that the doors were open so I went in and met the owner. The floor had been leveled and a garage door cut into the back wall. The projection booth was the owners office. Very few traces of orginal decor, building had been gutted for the shop.
Thomas Watters, Jr was The Business Agent for IATSE Local 154 Seattle Projectionists from 1968 - 1998 and his retirement. This was his first projectionist job in 1946, fresh out of the Navy. Tommy told me that the Mission was the first theater to close due to competition from television in the early 1950’s. First TV station in Seattle went on the air in November 1948.
While I belonged to IATSE Local 154, the Seattle projectionists union local, I was “loaned” to the much smaller Local 180 in Everett and worked a handful of shifts here. The Union contract at that time, had management working the matinee shifts at 1-2-3 with a Union projectionist evenings and weekends. 4-10 had a Union Projectionist for all shifts. I was brought in to run 4-10 for a few weekday shifts, subject to being called to the 1-2-3 complex on the opposite side of the mall parking lot in case of trouble at that theater. There was no trouble at 1-3 while on the few days I was at 4-10 so I never had to make the drive across the parking lot. This would have been in the late 1980’s. All mono sound at 4-10 but I believe that Cinema 1 only at the original triplex had Dolby Stereo by this time. Cinema 2 & 3 were mono. Century SAW projectors, Christie lamps and Christie AW3 platters, Rank Cinemation automation in all 10 booths, #’s 1-6 had the pegboard Mark 3 which was my favorite automation system. Cinemas 7-10 had Rank Mark 10. Theater was always clean and well manitained under GCC but they were a typical GCC build for the day. Very plain decor. It had those uncomfortable Griggs “Push Back” seats painted white.
I belonged to the Seattle IATSE Union Local 154 but worked this drive in for a weekend in 1992 as an emergency fill in Projectionist even it was in the Tacoma IA local’s jurisdiction. The regular projectionist was in the hospital and the Tacoma local didn’t have anyone to cover the job. That weekend would have been the last time I ever worked at a drive in.
I worked there in the late 1970’s. By that time, the heat and AC were long gone. I was told that it’s use was discontinued in the early 1960’s. To prevent speaker theft, all speaker poles were retrofitted with ¼ inch mono phone jacks and each speaker had a ¼ inch plug on the end of it’s cord. When you bought a ticket, you were handed a speaker to plug in at whatever spot you parked in. The only exit open at the end of the show had employees stationed at it to retrive the speakers as cars left. If the driver said that at it was still on the pole, someone from the car would have to walk back to get it. We did still have some of the custom made speakers in use for sell out nights when we would run out of the newer ones. Eldon Pollock, the theater owner designed the combo heat/AC/Sound speakers himself and had them custom made locally.
When I worked there in the 1970’s, the second floor seating/viewing room was no longer open to the public. The owner of the property, Eldon Pollock, was an avid bridge player and the room was used one evening a week for the local duplicate bridge club. Most of the bridge players were well advanced in years and by the late 1970’s some of the films being shown were hard “R” product. The players were often displeased at the content.
The concession/projection building had a second floor added when the second screen was added. The second floor housed the booth for both screens and a small apartment. The original projection booth on the ground floor was turned into storage. Brenkert BX-80 projectors, RCA soundheads. It’s been some 45 years since I was last in that booth, can’t remember any more details. It was owned by Jim Bonholzer who also operated theaters in Eastern Washington state.
The former Business Agent for the Everett Projectionists Union local told me years ago that this theater closed due to poor business. He said that one of the reasons for poor business was it’s proximity to the City’s garbage dump and the resulting odors from the dump.
Jamey: I beg to differ, I live in this area. The Basin Drive In was at the intersection of what is now I-90 and State Highway 17. Nowhere near East Broadway. I posted a photo of it (from State Department of Transportation. There are also pictures of it at the I-90/SR17 in the Grant County Historical Society archives.
The lead projectionist at opening was Thomas (Tommy) Watters, Jr. Tommy was the long time business agent for the projectionists union, IATSE Local 154. He held the business agent job for 30 years, 1968 - 1998. In 1998, the projectionists local(154) merged with IATSE stagehands local 15 and Tommy retired.
Statement from SIFF as to the Egyptian Theater closure. https://www.siff.net/blog/egyptian-update-november-2024
In the local news this morning comes the sad news that a major water pipe has burst late Tuesday on the 4th floor of the building. Damage is reported to be severe and the theater is closed until further notice. The Egyptian is operated by SIFF but the building is owned by the State of Washington as it is on the campus of Seattle Central College. There are classrooms elsewhere in the building.
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/siff-cinema-egyptian-closes-foreseeable-future-pipe-leak/281-dd6e293d-f372-427d-8b1b-f72adb88d71c
While visiting my aunt and uncle who lived nearby, my family went to see “Paper Moon” in 1973. It was an amazing theater.
The Embassy had two entrances, two lobbies, and two box offices, one on 3rd Avenue and another one just around the corner on Union Street. A friend told me years ago that his father once had a considerable amount of time to kill in Seattle, sometime in the late 1940’s. He decided to see a movie and bought a ticket at the 3rd Avenue entrance to the Embassy. After the film, he walked around downtown a bit but still had time to kill. He decided to see another movie. This time, he bought his ticket at the Union Street entrance to the Embassy, not realizing that it was the same theater.
It was open at least until sometime in the 1980’s. I worked there during the 1981 - 1984 time frame.
This was a conversion of an existing supermarket in an older strip mall.
Your Dad is showing “Patton” starring George C. Scott.
Shortly after the theater was re-opened by the 7 Gables circuit in 1980, a newly promoted assistant manager was closing one night. There had been issues of break ins through the rear exit doors that opened to the alley behind the theater and the solution was to chain and padlock them from the inside. The green assistant manager, in a hurry to go home, did not check carefully to make sure that all patrons had left for the night. At about 4:00 AM, the man who had been asleep in one of the back rows woke up to find himself locked inside an empty theater. He used the theater phone to call the fire department who came to break in so he could leave. No, I was not the assistant manager mentioned above.
I was a Union projectionist in Seattle at the time that this non-union theater opened. It’s owner, “Luxury Theaters” of Portland, OR was well known to cheaply build and operate theaters. I went to one of the opening weekend shows as a “spy” for the Union local. The opening was a rush job, the lobby was not yet completed. There was no concession stand, just a couple of 6 foot folding tables with candy displayed on them. Just a small table top popcorn popper with bags of pre-popped popcorn on the floor behind. Auditoriums were very plain, all mono sound and poor sound isolation between auditoriums. I could clearly hear audio from the theater on either side of the one I was in. The Union Local (IATSE Local 154) maintained an informational picket line outside for the first few years of it’s operation.
In the 1980’s, I was a Union projectionist and had a full time job with another theater that belonged to General Cinema Corporation, a competing company. My good friend, Anthony (Tony) Holmes was the full time union projectionist at the Lynn. In his later years, Tony became very religious and no longer wanted to work his 12+ hour Sunday shift. I was the only projectionist in IATSE Local 154 at the time that had Sundays free and was willing to work on them. Nice bit of extra money for a couple of years. All 4 booths were identical, Century projectors with lens turrets, Xetron lamps, Cinemeccanica Towers for film transport rather than platters, all mono sound. We were a second run double feature house at the time. While I was there but not on a night I was working, the manager David Clements was shot and killed in a failed hold up attempt late one night.
Both the Auto Vue and also the Alpine Theater in downtown Colville are for sale as of today. $800.000 for both.
Both the Alpine and the Auto Vue drive in are for sale as of today. $800,000 for both: search.colvillerealestate.com/idx/details/listing/a527/42933/112-N-MAIN-ST-COLVILLE-Washington
Corning Glass Company was the major employer in the area. This drive in was just outside the City of Corning, NY.
I worked for SRO Theaters starting in 1981. SRO purchased the Viking and the Moonlite D.I.in the mid 1970’s from the original independent owner who did not believe in showing “R” rated films, either at the Viking or at the Moonlite. SRO did not have an issue with booking “R” films.
Before it became the Georgetown Ballroom, it was an auto body shop for expensive classic cars. I was in the area one day and saw that the doors were open so I went in and met the owner. The floor had been leveled and a garage door cut into the back wall. The projection booth was the owners office. Very few traces of orginal decor, building had been gutted for the shop.
Thomas Watters, Jr was The Business Agent for IATSE Local 154 Seattle Projectionists from 1968 - 1998 and his retirement. This was his first projectionist job in 1946, fresh out of the Navy. Tommy told me that the Mission was the first theater to close due to competition from television in the early 1950’s. First TV station in Seattle went on the air in November 1948.
While I belonged to IATSE Local 154, the Seattle projectionists union local, I was “loaned” to the much smaller Local 180 in Everett and worked a handful of shifts here. The Union contract at that time, had management working the matinee shifts at 1-2-3 with a Union projectionist evenings and weekends. 4-10 had a Union Projectionist for all shifts. I was brought in to run 4-10 for a few weekday shifts, subject to being called to the 1-2-3 complex on the opposite side of the mall parking lot in case of trouble at that theater. There was no trouble at 1-3 while on the few days I was at 4-10 so I never had to make the drive across the parking lot. This would have been in the late 1980’s. All mono sound at 4-10 but I believe that Cinema 1 only at the original triplex had Dolby Stereo by this time. Cinema 2 & 3 were mono. Century SAW projectors, Christie lamps and Christie AW3 platters, Rank Cinemation automation in all 10 booths, #’s 1-6 had the pegboard Mark 3 which was my favorite automation system. Cinemas 7-10 had Rank Mark 10. Theater was always clean and well manitained under GCC but they were a typical GCC build for the day. Very plain decor. It had those uncomfortable Griggs “Push Back” seats painted white.
Theater destroyed by fire 7/24/2023. Fire presumed to be arson.
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/explosion-reported-before-fire-vacant-building-seattles-busy-u-district/XKNHDOTFJVB65HT6YMOVXQD4YI/
I belonged to the Seattle IATSE Union Local 154 but worked this drive in for a weekend in 1992 as an emergency fill in Projectionist even it was in the Tacoma IA local’s jurisdiction. The regular projectionist was in the hospital and the Tacoma local didn’t have anyone to cover the job. That weekend would have been the last time I ever worked at a drive in.
It was nearly a 500 foot throw from the booth to the screen.
I worked there in the late 1970’s. By that time, the heat and AC were long gone. I was told that it’s use was discontinued in the early 1960’s. To prevent speaker theft, all speaker poles were retrofitted with ¼ inch mono phone jacks and each speaker had a ¼ inch plug on the end of it’s cord. When you bought a ticket, you were handed a speaker to plug in at whatever spot you parked in. The only exit open at the end of the show had employees stationed at it to retrive the speakers as cars left. If the driver said that at it was still on the pole, someone from the car would have to walk back to get it. We did still have some of the custom made speakers in use for sell out nights when we would run out of the newer ones. Eldon Pollock, the theater owner designed the combo heat/AC/Sound speakers himself and had them custom made locally.
When I worked there in the 1970’s, the second floor seating/viewing room was no longer open to the public. The owner of the property, Eldon Pollock, was an avid bridge player and the room was used one evening a week for the local duplicate bridge club. Most of the bridge players were well advanced in years and by the late 1970’s some of the films being shown were hard “R” product. The players were often displeased at the content.
The concession/projection building had a second floor added when the second screen was added. The second floor housed the booth for both screens and a small apartment. The original projection booth on the ground floor was turned into storage. Brenkert BX-80 projectors, RCA soundheads. It’s been some 45 years since I was last in that booth, can’t remember any more details. It was owned by Jim Bonholzer who also operated theaters in Eastern Washington state.
The former Business Agent for the Everett Projectionists Union local told me years ago that this theater closed due to poor business. He said that one of the reasons for poor business was it’s proximity to the City’s garbage dump and the resulting odors from the dump.
Jamey: I beg to differ, I live in this area. The Basin Drive In was at the intersection of what is now I-90 and State Highway 17. Nowhere near East Broadway. I posted a photo of it (from State Department of Transportation. There are also pictures of it at the I-90/SR17 in the Grant County Historical Society archives.