Fifth (5th) Avenue Theatre (Seattle)

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The 5th Avenue Theatre, built by Pacific Theatres, Inc., was easily one of the most elegant and lavishly appointed theaters on the West Coast when it opened in September 1926. The venue was located in downtown Seattle on 5th Avenue, and formed a part of the new Skinner Building. Designed by architect Robert C. Reamer (1873-1938), with interior design supervised by Gustav Liljestrom of San Francisco, the theater embraced Seattle’s growing connection to the Far East by employing a Chinese theme, debuting a full eight months before the now-famous Grauman’s (now Mann’s) Chinese Theatre in Hollywood first opened.

A New Epoch in Northwest Theaters

Construction of the 5th Avenue Theatre was largely the vision of Harry C. Arthur, then President of Pacific Theatres, Inc. Arthur, a rising star in theatrical management, had recently acquired the local theater chain of John von Herberg and Claude Jensen, and began adding to his Northwest holdings by constructing a pair of brand new theaters, one each in Seattle and Portland. All told, Arthur managed more than 40 theaters in the Northwest alone, just a portion of a Pacific Theatres organization that stood as the largest West Coast theater chain under the leadership of one individual.

Costing more than of $1 million to construct, the 5th Avenue formed the centerpiece of the new Skinner Building, located on 5th Avenue between Union and University streets. Although today primarily a venue for stage shows, the 5th Avenue was originally designed to showcase “unit programs,” or shows that featured motion picture attractions and stage productions equally on the same bill. Shows ran continuously from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day, with a complete change of program each Friday.

Conservative Outside, Splendor Inside

Despite the rather conservative exterior of the Skinner Building, the interior of the 5th Avenue marked it as one of the most lavish theaters on all the West Coast. Architect Robert C. Reamer and interior designer Gustav Liljestrom embraced Seattle’s growing connection to the Far East by employing a Chinese theme, unusual in an era when traditional styles such as Spanish or Italian tended to dominate. Inspiration for the theater was taken from three of China’s notable architectural achievements: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heavenly Peace, and the Summer Palace.

Then, as now, the main feature of the house was a mind-boggling attention to form and detail. One of the most impressive features was the theater’s ceiling, a replica (except twice as big) of the ceiling in the Throne Room of Beijing’s Imperial Palace. The ceiling’s massive centerpiece, the “Pearl of Perfection” chandelier, hung from the mouth of a giant, five-toed dragon that symbolized China’s Emperor. With each toe representing an evil spirit, this beast was based on a legend that said that he who defeated all five spirits would receive a pearl directly from the mouth of the dragon.

The venue’s proscenium arch was another distinguishing feature:

"The proscenium arch at the new Fifth Avenue Theatre is massive and elaborately decorated, forming a gorgeous frame for the grand curtain. On each side of the proscenium are two wall lamps, the imperial dragon predominating in the decorative motif. Another feature of the front end of the theater are two exquisite panels of blue velvet, twenty feet long and eight feet wide, upon which are embroidered scenes from a Chinese legend. Above these panels are the organ grilles in which have been wrought in bold relief three giant 'ho-ho birds,' famed in Chinese lore" (“Comfort is First”).

Even more impressive than the actual construction of the theater was the 5th Avenue’s intricate design scheme. Gustav Liljestrom employed traditional colors such as red, orange, jade, black, and silver, but revealed such a flair in his exotic décor -- incorporating carvings, sculptures, and tapestries from the Far East -- that one local journalist declared the entire house a “masterpiece of Oriental art.” It appeared that no detail, no matter how small, had been overlooked -- even the 5th Avenue’s decorative exit signs were designed to incorporate both English and Chinese characters. Commented a writer from the Seattle Daily Times:

“Chinese legends and symbols, inspired by ancient Chinese temples, have been reproduced with astonishing perfection in the wall, hangings, carvings, sculpture, furnishings and fixtures. One becomes dizzy at the mere thought of the difficulty and the magnitude of the exacting task that confronted the theatre’s builders. Doubtless nothing like it ever has been attempted in the history of building in this country and its fame is certain to spread far beyond the limits of Seattle and vicinity” (“New Theatre Wins Praise”).

Emphasis on Comfort

Although the Oriental flavor of the new 5th Avenue tended to dominate the visitor's first impression of the house, the comfort of patrons was a prime concern for designers. Once audience members came through the doors of the theater and into the mezzanine area, they were treated to "the most elaborate room of its kind in the United States.”

Lighted by several candelabra-style fixtures, the surrounding walls of the mezzanine were draped with wall hangings of jade and red. It was also filled with several pieces of custom-built furniture, each overstuffed, with intricate sidepieces of Far East origin, including characteristic lamps, statuary, and urns. The thick, velvety carpets (woven with an intricate lotus flower pattern) seemed to explode from this area into all parts of the theater, upstairs and down.

Just to the left of the mezzanine was a small kitchen and tearoom staffed by a pair of maids. Adjoining was the women’s lounge, in which the walls were lavishly decorated in silk damask and accented with gold-plated electrical fixtures. Interestingly, the furniture in the women’s lounge dispensed with the predominant theme of the house, being of French rather than Chinese influence. Like the furniture in the mezzanine, these pieces were also custom-built for the 5th Avenue.

The seats in the auditorium -- nearly 3,000 of them -- were of lacquered red and gold, with dark green upholstering. Management bragged that another 500 seats could have been added to the venue, but they opted instead to provide an additional four inches of legroom to each row. Aisle seats were equipped with a built-in lamp that flooded the aisle-way with light, allowing theatergoers to come and go as they pleased while a show was in progress without detracting from the stage or screen presentation. This was reportedly the first time that lamps of the sort had been constructed in the seats themselves -- most theaters simply attached them afterwards.

Even the theater’s ventilation system was tied into the seating, with special ducts placed at every third seat throughout the venue, each with a decorative mushroom covering. Air was pulled through each of these ducts, “washed,” then heated and recirculated throughout the auditorium. Special thermostats installed throughout the house helped ensure that the interior temperature of the 5th Avenue remained at comfortable levels, regardless of the seasonable weather outside.

Behind the Scenes

The patron amenities were not the only first-class features of the house -- behind the scenes, the 5th Avenue was a state-of-the-art theater. There were 20 individual dressing rooms underneath the ascending stage (the largest north of Los Angeles), as well as separate “star” dressing rooms and large, community dressing rooms for chorus girls. From the projection room, located in the back balcony, a bank of controls allowed the projectionist to single-handedly adjust the lighting for the entire stage. (Yet another lighting innovation was a hollow beam on the ceiling above the orchestra pit, concealing from the audience a bank of windows and colored lights that could also illuminate the stage.) In addition, the projection room was equipped with a special radio amplification system that allowed the operator to hear exactly what was occurring onstage, no matter how quiet the music or dialogue may have been.

The 5th Avenue’s technical gadgetry extended outside the theater as well, all the way to the box-office. With each ticket purchased, a record of that sale was transmitted directly to the manager’s office, who could determine exactly how many people were in the house at any given moment (“Months of Drill”).

5th Avenue Staff

The design elements of the 5th Avenue went beyond the décor of the house to include members of the staff. Usherettes were specially fitted in Mandarin costumes of blue, red, green, and yellow, outfits that were reportedly designed for the 5th Avenue by silent film star Vilma Banky. Although Chinese clogs would have been a natural choice for the costumes, the young women were apparently allowed to vote on their favored footwear, and overwhelmingly supported a more modern (and much more comfortable) pair of pumps. (“Occidental feet are not made for such [Oriental] footwear,” explained one publicity notice.) A pair of the black satin shoes were ordered for each usherette through Wallin and Nordstrom’s on 2nd Avenue, then hand-painted with Chinese characters to create a more exotic look.

Costuming wasn’t the only consideration, when it came to the staff. Management claimed to have hired only select women to helm the box office, their work schedules dictated by the color of their hair. Blondes (natural only) were chosen to work the early shifts, when the morning sunshine would radiate off their golden tresses. Brunettes were scheduled to work the late afternoon shifts, when shadows from the surrounding buildings would begin to become more prevalent. And, predictably, girls with black hair were assigned to work the evening shifts.

Opening Night

On September 24, 1926, the 5th Avenue opened its doors to the public. In an era marked by the debut of several posh entertainment venues, the opening ceremony at the 5th Avenue was by far the most elaborate. In addition to feature attractions inside, such as the Fanchon and Marco stage revue, The Night Club, and the silent film Young April, an enormous and elaborate street fair occurred outside the new theater. The street celebration brought thousands into downtown Seattle on opening night.

Living up to the mantra coined for the theater's marquee, “the Magic Sign of a Wonderful Time,” searchlights waved through the sky, huge banks of Klieg lights illuminated the streets outside the theater, and several hired men fired flareguns from nearby rooftops. All of which formally announced that something extraordinary was happening on the evening of September 24th.

Crowds packed seven or more city blocks for the carnival event. Estimates put celebrants at anywhere between 50,000 to 100,000 people, with barely room to move on 5th Avenue between Pike and Seneca, and on Union and University streets between 4th and 6th avenues. The mass of people was such an extraordinary sight that newspapers speculated it to be the largest downtown gathering since Armistice Day. Dancing was the order of the evening, even though the bands (strategically placed throughout the Metropolitan Tract) tended to drown each other out. In addition, a massive sing-along was held directly in front of the 5th Avenue, with the lyrics to each tune projected onto adjacent buildings so that the crowd could follow along.

Whether one was outside or inside or the new venue, the opening of the 5th Avenue Theatre was a stunning success, an event that brought Seattle together as few others had to that point in the city’s history.

Decades of Entertainment

Business at the 5th Avenue Theatre flourished in the decades following its 1926 opening. However, in 1978, after many of the grand theaters of the teens and twenties had already been demolished, the venue closed and faced a possible date with the wrecking ball. Thankfully, a consortium of business leaders rallied support for the restoration and reopening of the 5th Avenue, which debuted to the public once again in June 1980, when stage legend Helen Hayes (the theatre’s invited guest for the reopening ceremonies) declared the venue “a national treasure.”

Despite ups and downs throughout its history, the words from a 1926 advertisement for the 5th Avenue seem to have held true, particularly now in 2002, as the venue gets ready to celebrate its Diamond Jubilee:

"Within those walls of stone and steel, countless thousands will find happiness reflecting not alone the glory of a magnificent theater, but the glory of its city as well. “May the Magic Sign of a Wonderful Time" blaze on forever, finding increasing prosperity with the passing years" (Seattle Star).

Sources:
Everhardt Armstrong, “Playhouse Promises New Epoch,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 19, 1926, p. 1-D; “Orchestra Leader at New Theater Arrives,” Seattle Daily Times, September 22, 1926, p. 12; “Comfort is First at New Theater,” Ibid.,, September 23, 1926, p. 16; “New Theater Wins Praise,” Ibid., September 24, 1926, pp. 1 and 15; Marian Badcon, “New Theater Casts Spell Over Guests,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 24, 1926, pp. 1 and 3; Everhardt Armstrong, “Glittering Street Carnival Tonight,” Ibid.,, September 24, 1926, p. 13; “Chain Centers in Seattle,” Seattle Star, September 24, 1926, p. 22; “Months of Drill Make First Night a Perfection,” Ibid., September 24, 1926, p. 22; “Ushers Dressed as Mandarins,” Ibid., September 24, 1926, p. 24; “An Orient-Occident Combination,” Ibid., September 24, 1926, p. 24; Full-page Advertisement, Fifth Avenue Theater, Ibid., September 24, 1926, p. 21; “Cashier’s Tresses Show Time of Day,” Ibid., September 24, 1926, p. 23; “Let’s Play!,” Ibid., September 25, 1926, p. 1; “Show Crowds Pack Streets as Sardines,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 25, 1926, p. 1; “5th Avenue Theater,” Puget Sound Theater Organ Society Website, (http://www.pstos.org/instruments/ wa/seattle5th-ave.html); “The 5th Avenue Theatre History,” 5th Avenue Theatre Website, (http://www.5thavenuetheater.org/ historyandphotos.shtml).