Garland Theater, Spokane, WA

When the Garland Theatre opened on November of 1945, it was the premier movie house in the west.

According to the Spokane Sentinel newspaper, “there is nothing like it on the Pacific coast, even in Los Angeles, it is 20 years ahead of Spokane” and the “Theater of Tomorrow.” One of the main attractions for youngsters at the opening was the snack bar, said to be “an innovation in the field and an import directly from Hollywood.”

Showing on opening night was a double feature: “It’s a Pleasure” (starring Sonja Henie) and “Double Exposure”. The luxurious lobby was filled with baskets of flowers from studio well-wishers along with congratulatory telegrams from Bing Crosby, Cary Grant, Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope, Ginger Rogers and Eddie Cantor. The lobby floors were covered in rose colored carpet, brown oak walls and a purple and lavender ceiling set above center columns of dark purple tile.

The large auditorium featured stadium-style seating and an original capacity near 1,000 — currently 630, as the seats have gotten larger — and the rows were extra-wide, designed so that people could leave their seats without disturbing others. The walls were powder blue and Italian red and said to feature “germicidal lamps” to keep the air purified.

When you visit the Garland Theater, you’re proving that the magic of cinema is better when we scream, laugh, and cry shoulder to shoulder. Let’s work together to reignite the passion for the Garland Theater and inspire the next generation of movie lovers.