Embassy Theatre
1409 3rd Avenue,
Seattle,
WA
98101
1409 3rd Avenue,
Seattle,
WA
98101
1 person
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Some history and old photos can be seen at this link
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.
The Embassy theatre opened on September 17th, 1926 and closed in 1978. Grand opening ads posted.
Sorry, Dennis. I don’t have any contact info for Doug.
Do you have a current address for Doug Stewart? I’d like to write him a letter.
Hi Dennis: I was on my way to work at the Embassy to relieve Doug Stewart in the booth at the time the bomb went off. I had a matinee shift at the King and was scheduled for the evening at the Embassy. I never made it to work that day. Police wouldn’t let me close. Doug said that the Brenkert BX 80 never missed a beat and continued to project XXX product after the explosion. Broke the port glass, however.
There might have been a fire, but it was bomb that went off in 1984 that resulted in seats being roped off. The bomb was put there by a group called The Order. They were a white supremacist group. Their idea was that all the cops would go the Embassy for bomb, while they were robbing a Brinks Truck north of there.
I was never in the Embassy in it’s movie heyday but also was interested in it often as I toured downtown or waited for the bus close to it. In the 60’s they seemed to feature lots of triple play horror B films. Then porno for years in the 70’s. 3RD ave in Seattle is quite sleazy but this place and the symphony hall next door gives it a better and upscale dimension. Surprising this simpler smaller theatre should survive while the elegant theatres in town like the Music Hall, Orpheum and Palomar and old Orpheum are all dust.
The Triple Door website includes a short history (which includes photos) of the Embassy Theatre. Here’s the link: http://www.thetripledoor.net/Our-Story/Read-Our-Story.aspx
The Embassy Theatre was built in 1926, and was designed by Seattle architect Henry Bittman, who also designed the Music Box Theatre (1924) and the Roosevelt Theatre (1933.) Bittman was credited as the engineer for the 1914 Liberty Theatre, designed by architect Henderson Ryan. Bittman was licensed to practice architecture in 1923.
The Embassy has not been demolished. Instead, the theater has been restored as The Triple Door, a nightclub mostly featuring jazz acts. The interior has been restored, leaving the original details on the walls and ceiling. All of the seating has been replaced with tiered seating featuring tables.
Above the theatre is the Wild Ginger restaurant, located in space formerly occupied by a drug store. This space was never a theater. Both the Triple Door and Wild Ginger are owned by the same person and are wildly popular.