In this age of Redbox and streaming video, it’s surprising to come across a single-screen movie theatre in any city or town, and even more impressive to find one that’s operational. Ever since the Chehalis Theatre, located on 558 North Market Boulevard, reopened in September 2016, it has become literally and figuratively a bright spot in the historic downtown area, gaining a reputation as a great place to meet up for movies and events.
As with many still-intact buildings that have been around for nearly a century, the Chehalis Theatre has had a long and varied history. The space was originally built as the Chehalis Garage, a car dealership, in the ‘20s (a plaque acknowledging the Chehalis Garage can be seen on the theatre’s exterior ticket counter.) It became a movie theatre in 1938, and changed hands in 1958, upon which the owner changed its name from the Pix Theater to the Chehalis Theatre. During this era when television hadn’t yet reached a widespread audience, the theatre would play the usual newsreel-cartoon-B movie western combination.
After additional changes in ownership, and a decade-long stint as a video store in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the theatre closed down in 2008. Enter Debbie Hamilton, Chehalis native and owner of Dairy Dan Drive-In, who leased the building space this year.
“My mom is friends with the owner of the building, and she decided to lease it,” says Tyler Hamilton, Debbie’s son and one of the managers. “I never had any theatre experience or anything like that, but she said ‘let’s make this work,’ and I was on board.”
As luck would have it, the building had not suffered any significant wear and tear since 2008, and there weren’t any costly repairs that had to be made. If any counters or doorways had to be fixed, Tyler and company made sure that any new renovations closely resembled the theatre’s vintage Art Deco style. “We didn’t change much of the architecture. A lot of the stuff is new, but it’s the same shape. We tried to save as much of the original stuff as we could.”
The most notable original items are the large color illustrations of popular cartoon characters located on the theatre’s ceiling. It’s easy to imagine restless movie patrons from past decades looking upward from their main floor seats and staring at the renderings of Pete’s Dragon, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, The Pink Panther, and many others.
Tom Davis, a theatre employee who helps out with the main concession stand, received some first-hand history regarding the illustrations via a chance encounter. “We had two ladies come in during the Christmas parade, and their dad was the one who painted the cartoons on the theatre ceiling. It was cool to hear their stories about their dad and his painting project, and their memories of seeing movies here too.”
In its first few months in existence, the Chehalis Theatre has been an active participant in community events, and has hosted some musical acts. During Halloween, the theatre participated in the downtown trick-or-treat route, and screened Hotel Transylvania and The Addams Family. In mid-November, Danny Vernon graced the stage with his Elvis tribute act, with the theatre’s kitchen serving up Graceland-themed comfort food. After the Chehalis Santa Parade on December 3, the theatre kept the Christmas spirit alive throughout the day, hosting visits with Santa Claus on the theatre’s stage, serving free hot chocolate, and screening holiday-themed movies. It was the theatre’s most popular event so far, with roughly 150 people attending. Tyler sees this as a great accomplishment. “That’s 150 families that now know we’re here.”
Another popular event: Seattle Seahawks games. The Sunday and weekday football games draw a consistent crowd, averaging 30-40 people a night. Watching a sporting event in a converted theatre has its advantages – no cover charge or two-drink minimum, and the space and screen is large enough so that there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The upper balcony has been remodeled to include a bar and dining tables, and the kitchen serves up unique dishes such as bacon-wrapped meatballs and fried green beans. For Seahawks fans who are under 21, the theatre’s main seating area provides a friendly and safe social atmosphere.
“I wish I had a place like this to go watch the game when I was a teenager,” says Tom.
With positive reactions pouring in, Debbie, Tyler, and the Chehalis Theatre staff are looking forward to the new year, and how they can make their historical space a significant part of Lewis County again.
“You got to give the people the nostalgia feel in order to compete, and you have to find new and creative ways to draw people to the space,” says Tyler. “We’re not doing this to get rich. That ship has sailed. Now it’s all about trying to save these little bits of history that are left. It’s more about having something for the community, and hopefully it at least breaks even.”
For updates regarding The Chehalis Theatre’s movies and events, visit their Facebook page.
