Star Theater (Portland, Oregon)

The Star Theater, formerly known as Princess Theatre and several other names, is a historic former silent film theater in Portland, Oregon, United States. The theater currently operates as a live music and performance space; in the past, it has operated as a film theater as well as a burlesque theater and an adult movie theater.

For other uses, see Star Theatre (disambiguation).

Star Theater
The venue's front entrance, 2013
Former namesPrincess Theatre
4 Star Theatre
New Star Theatre
Address13 Northwest 6th Avenue
Portland, Oregon
United States
Coordinates45°31′25″N 122°40′35″W
Capacity500
Opened1911
Website
Venue Website

History

It opened in May 1911 as the Princess Theatre at Sixth and Burnside Street with 300 seats.[1] It was one of many "semi-fireproof picture show[s]" that opened that year in Portland and the first in Downtown Portland to comply with the new fire codes.[1] It was being run by the Sax Amusement Company circa 1923; it became the Star Theater in 1939, but was also known as the Star Burlesk, 4 Star Theater or New Star Theater at various times.[1]

In the 1940s it became a live burlesque theater. Tempest Storm was one of the dancers.[2][3] It closed briefly during Dorothy McCullough Lee's mayorship, but reopened in 1953.[3] Jim Purcell, Portland's Chief of Police, was a regular at the Star Theater.[2][4]

In the late 1960s, the Star Theater became an adult theater which showed erotic movies and also had strippers on stage. In the 1970s the Star Theater experimented with presenting everything from underground and classic comedy films to controversial "live sex shows". Eventually the Star Theater went back to the somewhat less controversial adult movies and live strippers. The Star Theater was closed around 1975.[1]

The property was owned for several years by Portland film director Gus Van Sant. Van Sant sold it to "embattled restaurateur" Andrew Sugar in 2001.[5][6]

The theater briefly re-opened as another nightclub called Five Star Theater, held some shows in October 2008,[7] but then was shut down again on September 27, 2009, by the Portland Police Bureau and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission for selling alcohol without a liquor license and violating building codes.[8] Local news outlet KATU described Five Star as a modern speakeasy.[8]

As of 2011, the theater seating and original interior have been removed.[1]

Further reading
  • Stanford, Phil (2004). Portland Confidential. Westwinds Press. ISBN 1-55868-793-9.

References
  1. Lacher, Gary; Stone, Steve (15 June 2009). Theatres of Portland. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4396-3831-6. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  2. "A short history of Portland". Portland Tribune. 10 August 2001. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  3. "John's Other Stripper". LIFE Magazine. Time Inc. 30 November 1953. p. 67.
  4. Stanford, Phil (24 October 2006). "On the Town". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  5. Bancud, Michaela (30 December 2003). "What's Your PDQ? (Portland Detail Quotient)". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  6. Stanford, Phil (6 July 2001). "The big fella was wearing camouflage". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  7. "Five Star Theatre – Past Events". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  8. "Police raid downtown speakeasy, confiscate kegs". KATU. Archived from the original on 17 November 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
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