Anaconda in Deer Lodge County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Washoe Theater

Anaconda Commercial Historic District

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 11, 2021

1. Washoe Theater Marker

Inscription. Seattle-based theater architect B. Marcus Pinteca (1890-1971) drew the plans for this remarkable structure in 1930. However, the Depression delayed interior finishing and the $200,000 movie theater did not open until 1936. The Washoe Theater and Radio City Music Hall in New York were the last two American theaters built in the Nuevo Deco style, a lavish form popular for vaudeville theaters. From the street, the Washoe’s restrained brick exterior gives little indication of the breath-taking splendor that lies beyond the etched glass doors. Designer Nat Smythe of Hollywood created the sumptuous interior, adorning the walls and ceilings with murals. Colors of cerulean blue, salmon, rose beige, and yellow are enhanced by abundant copper plating, silver and gold leaf, and ornamental ironwork. Two magnificent stags are hand-painted on the blue silk plush curtain that graces the stage. Early advertisements extolled the fine “Mirrophonic Sound” system and the large capacity auditorium that seated 1,000 movie-goers. Admission for first-run films was thirty-five cents. Today, the Washoe is one of the best preserved theaters in the

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United States, with original fixtures and equipment still in place and in use. It is all the more remarkable for its Depression-era birth, when movie theaters were built on a grand scale but no longer so opulently furnished.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.

Location. 46° 7.666′ N, 112° 57.2′ W. Marker is in Anaconda, Montana, in Deer Lodge County. It is on Main Street near East 3rd Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 305 Main Street, Anaconda MT 59711, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically outhwest Montana, in Gold West Country, in Mining Country. It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically,

Washoe Theater and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 11, 2021

2. Washoe Theater and Marker

it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hearst Free Library (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Morse/Palace Block (about 400 feet away); Methodist Episcopal Church of Anaconda (about 400 feet away); Furst Block (about 600 feet away); 119-125 East Park Avenue (about 600 feet away); Marcus Daly & Company Bank Building (about 600 feet away); Weiss Block (about 600 feet away); 504 Main Street (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Anaconda.

Washoe Theater image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 11, 2021

3. Washoe Theater

Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 4, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 382 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 4, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.