Peery's Egyptian Theater
2415 Washington Boulevard,
Ogden,
UT
84401-2315
2415 Washington Boulevard,
Ogden,
UT
84401-2315
12 people
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A memorial service for the recently deceased Van Summerill, who was instrumental in the saving and preservation of Peery’s Egyptian, will be held tonight (March 25th). Details here
A correction and two updates to Peery’s Egyptian (Ogden UT) history, which I wrote:
1948 print ad added courtesy of Rod Nelson.
RIGHT ON, Simon! I completely agree about curtains and NEVER showing a blank screen. During my childhood in the late 60s, through the 70s, and into the 80s, I don’t recall ever seeing a blank screen. It was in some homespun tiny art theatres in the 80s that I first came to walk into some little auditoriums with no curtains. But even then, there were soft lights on the screen—sometimes colored—aimed at the screen until the show started.
My firm belief is that NO cinema or theater is complete without at least one set of working curtains. As my old boss in England told me when I was an apprentice projectionist… “Lad, it’s the magic of what is behind the curtains that keeps the audience in a state of excitement for the show to begin”. I also learned that the timing of the curtains closing on time was to never to reveal a blank screen! “Now that” he concluded “spells professionalism” and I’ve never forgotten my training.
Small photo of marquee on election day, Boxoffice magazine, December 16, 1950:
View link
Great looking pictures,Chuck 1231.
Very nice!!!!
This is Utah’s most fabulous theater left no holds barred! For film projection the booth is equipped with a German made Ernemann 16/35mm projector and Sony DFP-3000 digital sound processor. Stage speakers are JBL 4675 with JBL Dual 18" subs. The speakers are all on movable stands to aid in storage off stage during live shows. The screen is 50 feet wide.
Some restoration information and photos are available at View link
I use to go to this theater a lot as a child in the late ‘70s, early '80s. I was at the very last movie played in the theater, and was glad when a lot of people fought the local government not let this building be torn down.
The Architecture Firm wasn’t Hodgson and McClenahan, they didn’t start the firm until after the theater started construction. From 1900 to 1924 Leslie Hodgson was on his own. From 1925 to 1949 Hodgson and McClenahan was a firm together. The Architect was Leslie A. Hodgson with input from brothers Harman and Louis Peery. The contraction company was Whitmeyer & Sons at a cost of $200,000. Mr. Hodgson used them in most of the well-known buildings in Ogden.
According to an Egyptologist from Utah State University, most of the hieroglyphics that adorn the theater’s outer lobby are actual Egyptian characters, however some are unique to Peery’s Egyptian Theater. They reflect aspects of Harmon Peery and construction of the theater. During your next visit at the theater look for a pie, a book with a check mark over it, a man leaning against a light post and two men fighting
“The theater has been restored to all of its original beauty.” That is what we all want to read for every theater still standing today!
The Architectural Firm; Hodgson and McClenahan are given as the designers of the Egyptian Theatre.
Fabulous place. I was fortunate enough to have traveled through Ogden in the early 1990s, before the restoration was begun. I was able to get a personal tour of the theater from one of the folks responsible for the restoration project. At that time the place was terribly run down, there was trash everywhere, most of the lighting didn’t work, etc. But, one could tell the Egyptian would be spectacular with a full restoration. Even though the restoration is a bit too contemporary for my tastes, the result is worth a special visit.
For those who love the Egyptian style, there are a number of theatres that have had that theme, and an entire special issue of “Marquee” magazine was devoted to them in their issue of: Vol. 29, #3; Third Qtr. 1997, and the issue features wonderful color covers of the EGYPTIANS in Milwaukee (in the form of a wonderful color painting by artist Mark Hylton of Columbus, OH) and Ogden Ut. The table of such themed theatres includes 45 examples of those now, or at one time, with us. An introduction and Prologue carry one to those ancient days, and individual articles on the Ogden and Hollywood help detail the existing examples. Many other photos are included.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
I attended the Los Fakires show last week and unfortunately I didn’t buy a CD. I have been browsing the web, and various shops to see if I can get my hands on it but can’t find it. Do you know where I can get one?
Information on Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Ogden, Utah:
Opened July 3, 1924 with Zane Grey’s “Wanderers of the Wasteland” photographed in “Natural Color"
Became part of the Fox-Intermountain theatre chain in 1936
Restored 1997
Original seating: 1,200
Seating since restoration: 850
Now a performing arts center/movie theatre
Installation of a Wurlitzer 3-manual, 13-rank theatre pipe organ in progress (replaces the original instrument removed in 1959)
Home to some Sundance Film Festival screenings