Kelso Theater Pub

214 S. Pacific Avenue,
Kelso, WA 98626

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Kelso Theater Pub

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Act III Theatres, Cineplex Odeon, Regal Entertainment Group, Sterling Theaters, Inc., Tri-State Theaters Inc. (OR)

Architects: Day Walter Hilborn

Functions: Movies (First Run)

Styles: Streamline Moderne

Previous Names: Vogue Theater, Kelso Theater

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 360.414.9451

Nearby Theaters

View towards cafe

Opened in late-1917 as the Vogue Theater. By 1931 it was operating as the Kelso Theater. It was still open in 1957. In recent years it has been renamed Kelso Theater Pub.

Contributed by Lost Memory

Recent comments (view all 14 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on July 12, 2009 at 9:38 pm

Kelso had a second theater, called the Liberty, until 1954. The March 20 issue of Boxoffice that year said the house was closing after twenty years of operation, leaving Kelso with only one theater. A drive-in was in the planning stage.

MPol
MPol on July 12, 2009 at 10:05 pm

KT Pub looks like a cool theatre! Do they ever play any classic films? Just curious.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on July 17, 2010 at 3:04 pm

I agree MPol looks like my kind of place,nice offical web-site.

Mikeyisirish
Mikeyisirish on October 31, 2013 at 9:08 pm

A few October 2013 photos can be seen here and here.

KenLayton
KenLayton on October 31, 2013 at 10:49 pm

When I was in there in 1999, the projection equipment was Ballantyne Pro 35 projector head, Ballantyne Model 7 soundhead, Ballantyne VIP pedestal, Strong Super Lume-x xenon lamphouse.

davefox
davefox on October 19, 2014 at 7:02 pm

The new marquee has been up for several years. Not as impressive as the old one but adequate and works well with the building colors. The Pub was ahead of the local, rundown Regals in installing digital projection.

JackCoursey
JackCoursey on April 21, 2022 at 12:24 pm

The Kelso opened under the banner of the Vogue and later named the Kelso.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 25, 2022 at 5:17 am

The Vogue Theatre in Kelso was mentioned in the May 6, 1922 issue of Moving Picture World:

“J. H. Bomer, of the Vogue Theatre, Kelso, Wash., has disposed of his interests to Strange, Dunham and Greiner, who will incorporate under the name of Vogue.”
The Vogue was rebuilt in 1925 following a fire, as noted in this item from the July 11 MPW:
“The Vogue Theatre, Kelso, Wash., which was partially destroyed by fire some months ago, has been rebuilt and is about ready for its formal opening. B. F. Shearer, Inc., has completed installation of orange and black silk plush drapes which give a warm note of color to the house. A Raven Haftone screen was also placed by this firm.”

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 25, 2022 at 5:34 am

The earliest mention of the Vogue I can find is from a January, 1918 issue of The Moving Picture Weekly, the exact date of which I’ve been unable to discover:

“The Vogue, a genuine Butterfly theatre, is a new venture launched by C. G. Vaughn in Kelso, Wash. Mr. Vaughn was formerly a travelling exhibitor on the road with feature productions. In the beginnings of his enterprise in Kelso, he is booking the most successful of the Red Feather films, to lead into his Butterfly service, particularly the popular Jack Mulhall features.”
Given the delays in publication typical of the trade journals in those days, it’s likely that the Vogue opened in late 1917, but surely in January 1918 at the latest.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on May 10, 2022 at 3:56 pm

The streamline modern elements of the Kelso Theatre were designed by architect Day Walter Hilborn, whose records list the house as a 1940 project.

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