| The Washoe Theater in Anaconda is ranked as the fifth most beautiful theater in the nation by the Smithsonian Institute. While the exterior appears as many smalltown theaters of times gone by, the interior is stunning in its decor. Original Art Deco light fixtures and furnishings are set off by ornate silver, copper, and gold leaf accents. Ceiling and wall murals decorate the interior hallways. Elegant light fixtures look down on the deep carpet of the stairs and second floor. Sitting inside the 1,000 seat theater, the visitor is overwhelmed by the opulent decor. Hand painted curtains depict rearing deer in gold and red against a turquoise background. Mosaic murals line the walls and hand carved ram's heads line the ceiling. The dome of the theater is decorated with a mural done in soft pastel shades of powder blue, red, and yellow. The scene illustrates modern civilization’s dependence on copper. The pilasters and proscenium surrounding the stage are decorated in eight shades of gold and accented with copper leaf.
The Washoe was designed by Seattle architect B. Marcus Priteca and built during the glory days of the movie industry. During that time, huge, elaborate movie palaces were constructed in homage to the filmmakers. Few but the Washoe still stand today.
Historical Marker
Downtown Anaconda
Seattle-based theater architect B. Marcus Pinteca (890-1971) 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 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.
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