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Tower Theater3/30/2021
Hundreds of nonprofit and community organizations use our stage each year.And the next generation of theatre-goers enjoy LessonPLAN programs that engage their minds and hearts.
Berg to convert the Motor Inn Garage and Service Station into. Since the theaters opening on March 6, 1940, residents have heralded the buildings Streamline Moderne design, especially the four-story column above the marquee, where Tower is spelled out in large neon letters. Following the Depression, many people saw the building as a symbol of their resilience, collective strength, and optimism. Marcus Priteca, with assistance from Harry Herzog of Portland, for California film distributors Frank Blount and Kenneth Hodkinson. Hodkinsonthe son of W.W. Hodkinson, the founder of Paramount Picturesmoved to Bend and chose a former bakery for the site of his first movie theater. He selected Bend, he said, because of the citys growing population, recreational activities, and inexpensive property. Huge timbers, sleek wooden walls, and rounded corners highlighted the interior, while most of the exterior was wrapped in smooth brick and stucco, topped off with a marquee in dazzling neon tubes of green, pink, and gold. The theater featured the first dual projection system in the Northwest, with voices and music transmitted directly from the film to amplified two-story speakers backstage. During the three-day celebration that followed, the owners led tours of the stage and auditorium and showed off the heated seats, trimmed in glow-in-the-dark paint; a womens lounge furnished with plants, chairs, and writing tables; and unobstructed views from the balcony. Hodkinson crowed about the projection booth, whose lights are stronger than the sun. Performers ranged from Russian Cossack dancers and jazz groups to military experts and the local talent show Go West. With the advent of drive-ins and television, however, attendance dropped, ownership changed several times, and the building fell into neglect. In 1988, Act III Theatres added the Tower to its chain of over a hundred cinemas and split the auditorium into two sections. Nevertheless, customers stayed away, and the building closed after the boiler went out in 1993. Rallying cries included Save the Tower and Renovate Me and They Will Come, but years of neglect, vandalism, antiquated heating and lighting systems, and costly renovations seemed to be insurmountable obstacles. Some residents of the city called for converting the theater into retail or commercial space; others proposed razing it. A community-based, nonprofit organization called the Tower Theatre Foundation stepped in and negotiated an option to purchase the building for 445,000. Over the next decade, under leadership from the foundation, supporters of a performing arts center raised 4.2 million from individuals and businesses and received a 350,000 grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to transform the building into a premier entertainment venue. Because the building had little historical significance and would be extensively renovated, the foundation decided not to seek its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The city abandoned plans to hold city council meetings in the auditorium and handed the deed over to the foundation, requiring it to make annual payments of 6,000 until the balance was paid off. The Tower now holds sway over a historic business district of boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops. Located on State Street, the theater was originally owned by Frank D. His father, T.G. Bligh, had been the proprietor of numerous theaters and hotels. Many years later, on November 21, 1993, the sixty-seven-year-old actress was on the same stage to urge residents and business leaders to save the.
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