Des Moines Cinema

22333 Marine View Drive S,
Des Moines, WA 98198

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Des Moines Cinema

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Functions: Housing

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Des Moines Cinema

The Des Moines Cinema building was opened in March 1947 by Delbert and Wally Osterhoudt to house a 400-seat cinema, retail stores and office spaces.

The cinema over the years has changed hands and had been closed entirely. In 1973, the theater was sold and changed from running family-oriented films to showing adult movies. Local groups picketed the theater in the 1970’s, and in the 1980’s the city even took legal action.

In the 1990’s, the theater reopened under new management and reverted to showing family-oriented films.

It features 1940’s decor, snack bar, a stage and screened second-run movies. The theater is on situated on Marine View Drive and could go almost unnoticed by people driving by. It was closed in January 2012. By 2022 it was being converted into condominiums.

Contributed by Kate

Recent comments (view all 11 comments)

paghat
paghat on September 7, 2005 at 9:53 pm

I remember that in the 1960s this theater would project advertisements out the upper window onto the wall of the building across the alley. The only movie I can recall seeing there was Bambi which really messed with my head, animals being burned alive. Later when it became a porno house I was still pretty young & it seemed so weird that I’d seen Bambi in a porno theater.

kateymac01
kateymac01 on March 9, 2006 at 7:35 pm

I just discovered that this theater closed TEMPORARILY in December for repairs. It had to close for noncompliance building issues. A bunch of volunteers stepped up to help operator Joel Thomson get the theater into compliance. The theater is expected to reopen this month. Fingers crossed!

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 18, 2008 at 4:22 pm

Here are photos from 1961 and 2003. Function should be changed to movies (first run).
http://tinyurl.com/4z5tsb

rivest266
rivest266 on January 4, 2012 at 8:58 am

Has this closed? showtimes for this cinema are nowhere to be found.

mcmanussj
mcmanussj on January 22, 2012 at 12:32 pm

Yes it is closed, and the building is for sale. I hope that it saved.

JackCoursey
JackCoursey on April 19, 2016 at 8:36 pm

Still closed as of April 19, 2016. The building was purchased in late 2015 with the intent of making it into a live performance venue but no word since as to what, if anything, has been done to the theatre.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on May 11, 2019 at 6:01 pm

1/27/48 photo added via Steve Larrick.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on July 20, 2020 at 7:20 pm

Website with renovation plans, but undated.

https://thedesmoinestheater.org/index.php/renovation-plans/

rivest266
rivest266 on July 24, 2024 at 10:11 am

Being turned into condos as of 2022 streetview.

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