What and Where Was Las Vegas' First Movie Theater?

With mention of the first movie theater, might I inquire as to exactly where it was and what it was called?

This question came in from our QoD on Las Vegas' first traffic light, in which we mentioned the town's first movie theater. As is often the case, one QoD about Vegas history led to another.

And we knew exactly where to go for this information, complete with photos. If any site had both, it was VintageLasVegas.com, administered by our friend Jeff.

And sure enough, Jeff has a lot of info, including timelines, and archival photographs of Las Vegas' first movie theaters.

The number-one theater to open was called the Isis Theatre and it was located near the corner of Fremont and First streets (the Pioneer Casino later opened in that location). The Isis was an outdoor venue and in the photo, you can see the entrance that leads to an open-air space between Thomas Department Store and an under-construction hotel. Though the Las Vegas Age, Las Vegas' earliest newspaper, reported that the "house was crowded" on opening night, the Isis lasted a mere two years.

Next up was the Majestic, located at 127 Fremont (where the Golden Nugget is today) and owned by none other than C.P. "Pop" Squires, a Las Vegas pioneer and the original town booster. That theater remained in business until 1935.

The most famous, most photographed, and longest-lived of the early theaters was the El Portal , which opened in 1928 at 310 Fremont and didn't close until 1978. It was a huge auditorium at the time with 700 seats and is widely remembered as having the first air-conditioning in Las Vegas.

Here's a view of the interior.

We're sure you can see what an absolute treasure VintageLasVegas is to Vegasphiles and anyone interested in local history. But be careful! Once you start digging into this website, you might not come up for air till tomorrow.

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Comments

Donzack Nov-13-2023

And

What was the first movie?

Cyclone99 Nov-13-2023

first movie

The first movie would not have been a feature film, as those didn't exist. The Isis opened in 1909 when movies were one reel of film (around 12 minutes or less), so they would have probably showed a number of them in rotation. Which was first is probably lost to history.

As to the El Portal, the sign and building still exist on Fremont Street.

Donzack Nov-13-2023

Probably

Probably a western

O2bnVegas Nov-13-2023

way back

My mom (born 1912 or so) told of movies in her kid days.  Silent movies where background music was played on one of those old kind of organs by a theater employee.  Her dad, my grandpa, would be there also.  Sometimes the 'organist' would accidently missmatch his tune to what was happening on the screen, such as sobby funeral music during a buffalo stampeed or something, or other movie reel mishaps, like the action going backwards, etc., and everyone would bust outlaughing.  Part of the fun of the thing, I guess.  But there were movies.  Maybe Sunset Boulevard?  LOL. (my favorite movie, BTW).

Candy

Kenneth Mytinger Nov-13-2023

VintageLasVegas

Excellent write-up Deke, as always.  And you're oh so right about the site ... maybe at times need to have an "intervention" by friends ...

Candace Corbani Nov-14-2023

El Portal Architect?

Our historic Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara looks so similar to the El Portal interior it got me wondering who the architect might have been.  That was a  great design concept for that time and location. Couldn't seem to find information on the site.  Anyone know?

Question of the Day - 13 November 2023

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