- The old box office window
- Where I'm guessing movie posters used to be displayed
The old Alameda Theatre
3000 N.E. Alberta Street
Portland, OR 97211
"The Alameda Theatre, located at 3000 NE Alberta Street, opened
its doors to the public in 1927. Renamed in 1937 and 1964, it became
the 30th Avenue Cinema then Cine 30. In 1969 the theater returned to
its original name. After 51 years of service, the theater closed in
1978. The Alameda is one of a handful of motion picture houses that
have been converted into churches. The building was home first to the
Macedonia Church of God and later to the Victory Outreach Church , its
current occupant. The exterior still looks much as it did 74 years
ago, with its distinctive Mediterranean clay tile roof and stucco
walls. The marquee was removed years ago, but painted-over movie
poster boards at the corner entrance summon up the once busy
theater."
—The Oregon Historical Societies' "Meet Me at the Movies"
exhibit
http://www.ohs.org/exhibitions/movies/neighborhood_theaters_list.htm
"Naming timeframes:
1927 - Alameda
1937 - 30th Avenue Cinema
1964 - Cine 30
1969 - Alameda
1978 - closed"
—http://www.pstos.org/instruments/or/portland/alameda.htm
"I saw IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE at the 30th Avenue Theater in
Portland, Oregon, in about 1961 or '62-- nearly a decade after its
initial release. In a semi-residential, semi-commercial area at the
corner of 30th Avenue and Alberta Street, it's now god-knows-what, but
it sure isn't a theater. In its heyday, even for a small house, it had some of the trappings of
a mini-palace: faux opera boxes too small for anything but Munchkins,
and a dark, star-filled ceiling. I'm sure they got their stuff at a bargain rate, but, oh, boy, WHAT a
bargain for 25 cents! 3, somtimes 4 movies for a quarter on Saturdays
or Sundays, plus cartoons and maybe a 3 Stooges short and a chapter
from one of the lamer latter-day Columbia serials."
—http://p075.ezboard.com/fmonsterkidclassichorrorforumfrm10.showPrevMes
sage?topicID=216.topic
"Portland Railway Co. initated the Alberta Line (1903-1949),
running from a downtown loop of 2nd-Morrison-3rd-Washington out to its
terminus at N.E. Alberta and 25th. By 1909, the line had been extended
in spurts to N.E. 30th at Ainsworth.
Converted to bus in 1949."
—The D. D. TINZEROES blog, http://tinzeroes.blogspot.com/search?q=Alberta+Line.
Comments and faves
skomra (65 months ago | reply)
Thanks for the info. Please consider adding this to the Northeast Portland Group. Thanks!
dsdportland (41 months ago | reply)
Would love to see some historic shots of this building. Any leads?
jackonflickr (41 months ago | reply)
You can see an old photo of the location here.
If you want to see more photos, you might take a trip down to the Oregon Historical Society (although I think you need to be a member to look through their materials—but they do have a $20 student membership I believe)