Welcome to CinemaTour!  Sign In

CinemaTour
 
Cinema History Around the World  
 HOME ·· CINEMAS ·· LINKS ·· BOOKS
 Contact Cinematour ·· Help & Hints ·· About Cinematour
 

Northgate Theatre


2001 Photo from the Dave Felthous collection.
10 Northgate Plaza
Seattle WA 98125

Demolished 2005 Live Theatre
Record #2585  
 Opened: September 28, 1951
 Closed: February 21, 2002
 Demolished: 2005
Capacity: 1290 seats
Architect(s): John Graham & Co
Architectural Style(s):
National Register:
Current Organ: none
 Also Known As: Northgate Music Theatre
 Previously operated by: Sterling Theatres, SRO Theatres, Cineplex Odeon Theatres, Loews Cineplex Entertainment

Information for this tour was contributed by Dave Felthous.

Opened by Sterling Theaters in 1951 next to the year-old Northgate Shopping Center, the Northgate Theater has 1,300 seats, the back portion in a stadium-style level that extends over the sloped-ceiling lobby. Because the area was largely undeveloped at the time, locals wondered at the wisdom of building such a large theater in an unpopulated place. ("Who's going to drive all the way out there to go to a movie?") But time proved Sterling right; the Northgate became very popular and was a mainstay of the chain for many years. Initially a second-run theater, the Northgate converted to first-run films in 1966 with Cary Grant's final film, Walk Don't Run.

When multiplexes became the wave of the future, Sterling drew up plans to convert the Northgate to several smaller theaters. But the shopping center, which owns the building, kept changing hands and each new owner had different ideas for the theater property. Frustrated at Northgate, Sterling found property in a new shopping complex a mile away and opened its sixplex Oak Tree Cinemas in 1986.

After that, the Northgate languished, known more for its sticky floors and broken seats than its once comfortable, inviting surroundings. It closed Feb. 21, 2002. It's final movie: Black Hawk Down, a move-over from its spiffy sister, the Oak Tree.

Truly the end of an era for Seattle moviegoers.

The Northgate Theater reopened as a live venue called the Northgate Music Theater. The promoters had a year's lease on the property, which probably eventually will be redeveloped along with the abandoned medical complex next door.

 Photos
 Photos remain the property of the Member and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Member.

May 2005 photos from the Adam Martin collection.


37 KB · 625x469

32 KB · 625x469

38 KB · 625x469

46 KB · 625x469

44 KB · 625x469

47 KB · 625x469

47 KB · 625x469

46 KB · 625x469

35 KB · 625x469

47 KB · 469x625

44 KB · 469x625

42 KB · 625x469

52 KB · 625x469

40 KB · 625x469

37 KB · 625x469

57 KB · 469x625

43 KB · 469x625
---

2002 photos from the Matt Lutthans collection.


14 KB · 450x218

18 KB · 450x185

16 KB · 450x163

15 KB · 450x285

21 KB · 450x286

16 KB · 450x290

22 KB · 450x286

24 KB · 450x284


 External Links

---
---

Return to the top of this page   or   Return to the main page


Last featured 7/2/2005. Last edited 12/30/2023.


The content of this website is a research work in progress and is being provided to the public for informational purposes only. As such, articles may contain errors, bias, duplication, or need to be cleaned up. Some documents, images and logos contained in these documents belong to various organizations and corporations. Their inclusion here is for the benefit of the reader and for the benefit of the particular organization, but they are, in fact, the copyrighted property of those organizations. Their presence here does not imply any endorsement of CinemaTour by those organizations. CinemaTour is not affiliated with any cinema or circuit.

© 1995-2024 Vision Entertainment Services. All rights reserved.
Use of this site signifies agreement to terms of service.

www.cinematour.com :: 0.63 MB :: 6.52 MB