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Photographer: Devry Becker Jones (CC0)
Taken: March 9, 2018
Caption: Poster on the grounds sharing the history of the Ontario Theater (English)
Additional Description: 1950s
This building was the site of Washington's Ontario Theatre, a local cinema that played a notable part in the area's history. Accomplished theater architect John J. Zink, best known for designing the art deco Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park, built it for the K-B Theater chain in 1951. Over the next four decades, The Ontario would evolve dramatically from its original movie theater glamour.

1960s
The theater saw much success in the early 1960s as the first neighborhood theater to show first-run movies: Ontario hosted premieres of blockbusters such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Sound of Music. These were elegant gala-like events. The theater's popularity declined after the neighborhood riots following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

1970s
Responding to the growth in the neighborhood's Latino population in the 1970s, the theater switched to a Spanish-language format. Weekends at the Ontario teemed with activity as residents welcomed this new change in programming. Notwithstanding the success of the new format, Spanish-language films were discontinued later in the decade under new ownership. When the theatre was sold to Carlos Rosario, a prominent leader in local Latino affairs, he spearheaded the continuation of weekend Spanish-language film screenings. Ontario quickly became a social center for Latino communities.

1980s
In 1980, The Ontario Theatre served a new purpose for the District, taking on a life as a music venue. Ontario was the birthplace of I.M.P. Presents, started by local concert promoters Seth Hurwitz and Rich Heinecke, who brought music to The Ontario before purchasing the famed 9:30 Club and establishing it on V St. N.W. Under Hurwitz and Heinecke's helm, the Ontario hosted some of the world's leading rock performers of the era, including U2, Duran Duran, Johnny Winter, The Cure, Steel Pulse, and Thin Lizzy.

After Hurwitz and Heinecke's departure and a failed attempt at bringing first-run films back to the theater under new ownership, The Ontario finally closed in 1987. It was eventually divided into various businesses including a CVS/Pharmacy and other small neighborhood retailers and service providers. The building was razed in 2013 to make way for the new Ontario 17 building, a combination of residential and commercial uses that opened in 2015.

The cultural legacy of The Ontario Theatre is celebrated through the preservation of its original corner canopy, poster cases, signs, and other original architecture elements thanks to Historic Washington Architecture, Inc. and Peterson Companies (developer of the Ontario 17). Govinda Gallery compiled this timeline with stories and imagery to illustrate key events in the history of the Ontario theatre.
Submitted: March 9, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Database Locator Identification Number: p760779
File Size: 2.205 Megabytes

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