Hooray for the Theater!

Friday Harbor’s movie theater is 100 years old this year – Tim Dustrude photo

In light of the theme of this year’s July 4th parade being “Hooray For Hollywood”, it is a treat to share this story with you…

by Scott Rasmussen, Special to the Update

The movie house built by Peter Kirk 100 years ago in the heart of town remains a top draw for entertainment largely because the man who’s owned it for the last three-decades-plus knows his limitations.

Aaron King and Jerry Alhadeff – Scott Rasmussen photo

More to the point, Jerry Alhadeff has made a winning formula out of partnering with others whose artistic sensibilities are (how should we say?) more “well-rounded”and relying on them to pick the films, run the show and keep him in the loop.

Though not a silent partner by any means (he’s a stickler about maintenance), he knows where his strengths lie. He’s also gotta’ thing for Hershey Bars, but that’s another story.

“My kind of film would be James Bond,” Alhadeff said. “If it were up to me I’d probably run one everyday. But I don’t think that would go over very well.”

No, probably not. But he gets that. And, thank you, Aaron King.

The 4th of July spotlight will shine brightly this year on the Palace Theater, the name that Kirk’s 100-year-old movie house goes by today, as Friday Harbor honors the 100th anniversary of the Spring Street theater in its annual Independence Day parade. In tribute to the venerable cinematic showcase, which years ago doubled as a performing arts center as well, the theme of the 2015 parade is dubbed, “Hooray for Hollywood.”

As the parade’s grand marshal, Alhadeff will be in the lead of that always lively, colorful, quirky procession. But he’s quick to credit the contributions of others in helping the theater weather the ups and downs of the entertainment industry and roll with the changes (the Palace jettisoned film reels and went digital about four years ago).

Ray Kinnaman – Contributed photo

Featuring “first-run” films 365 days a year on either of two screens, the movie house, which boasts a 9-seat private viewing box as well, is what it is today in large part because of the magnetism, tenacity and “vision” one person in particular, Alhadeff said, the late Ray Kinnaman.

“Without his vision it wouldn’t be what it is today and it never would have,” he said.

Milestones:

• 1915: Peter Kirk builds a combination movie house and performance stage in Friday Harbor. It’s given the name of “Fribor.”
• 1961: Milton and Emelia Bave purchase the movie house from Florence Benson, rename it The MADD Playhouse, promoting music, art, dance and drama, in addition to showing films.
• 1975: Ray and Carol Kinnaman buy the movie house from Lee Bave, rename it the Royal Theater.
• 1982: Movie house undergoes extensive remodeling (second screen added) following purchase of building by Jerry Alhadeff. Kinnaman continues to manage the movie end of the business.
• 1992: Future theater manager Aaron King joins the Royal Theater team.
• 2001: Alhadeff renames the movie house the Palace Theater following Kinnaman’s death.

A fixture in the center of town for a century, the movie house has gone by several names over the years. It was christened “Fribor,” a mash-up of Friday and Harbor, when Kirk, a British-born steel mill owner and founder of the city of Kirkland, Wash., built it as a gift to his granddaughter, Vivian Middleton.

Milt and Lee Bave renamed it The MADD Playhouse after they purchased it in 1961. An acronym for music, art, dance and drama, at MADD, in addition to showing movies, the Baves promoted live drama productions and concerts, and added an orchestra pit. Islanders of a certain age might well recall that Lee Bave, the theater’s projectionist and an eccentric soul, would put a hand in front of the projector to block out people kissing on screen or other scenes she deemed inappropriate for viewers.

In 1974, and after several years in which the movie house went “dark” for lack of business, Kinnaman, a former Tacoma-area marina owner and community college instructor, and wife Carol began managing the theater. They assigned tasks to their four children as part of the family business. A year later they bought it from Lee Bave.

Under the Kinnamans, the movie house got a new name, the Royal Theater.

Six years later, at the urging of local banker Brian Brown, Alhadeff, a part-time island resident at the time, bought the building from Kinnaman. Profits have always proved hard to come by for the Friday Harbor movie house, and Alhadeff recalls Brown wanted to ensure the island’s sole movie house would have sturdy financial backing and stay afloat.

Kinnaman and Alhadeff struck a deal in which Kinnaman would operate the movie business as a tenant of the building. The two oversaw the sweeping remodel embodied by the movie house as it is today.

Following Kinnaman’s death in 2001, Alhadeff took over the enterprise renamed the movie house the Palace Theater and handed over management of the movie end of the business to long-time employee Aaron King, who joined Kinnaman and the Royal crew after moving to the island in 1992.

Owning and operating the Palace Theater has proven to be more labor of love rather than a strategic investment for Alhadeff, who’s made a comfortable living as a savvy businessman. But rewards don’t always pencil out on paper and there’s more to investments than turning a profit.

Alhadeff takes pride in being the caretaker of a beloved institution, and even more so in the town of which he’s become so fond.

“There’s a pride to being part of the town,” Alhadeff said. “I think Aaron feels that way too. In my opinion the theater is an asset to the town, a good asset.”

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