The Star Theater, formerly known as Princess Theatre and several other names, is a historic former

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

theater in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, 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 A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

theater and an adult movie theater.

History

It opened in May 1911 as the Princess Theatre at Sixth and Burnside Street, with 300 seats. It was one of many "semi-fireproof picture shows" that opened that year in Portland and the first in downtown Portland to comply with the new fire codes. It was 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. In the 1940s, it became a live

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

theater.

Tempest Storm Tempest Storm (born Annie Blanche Banks; February 29, 1928 – April 20, 2021), also dubbed "The Queen Of Exotic Dancers," was an American American burlesque, burlesque star and motion picture actress. Along with Lili St. Cyr, Sally Rand and Bla ...

was one of the dancers. It closed briefly during

Dorothy McCullough Lee Dorothy McCullough Lee (April 1, 1901 – February 19, 1981) was an American politician and attorney in the U.S. state of Oregon. She was the first female mayor of Portland, Oregon; she also served on the Oregon Legislative Assembly, on the Mul ...

's mayorship but reopened in 1953. Jim Purcell, Portland's Chief of Police, was a regular at the Star Theater. In the late 1960s, the Star Theater became an

adult theater An adult movie theater is a euphemistic term for a movie theater dedicated to the exhibition of pornographic films. Adult movie theaters show pornographic films primarily for either a respectively heterosexual or homosexual audience. For the patr ...

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 somewhat less controversial adult movies and live strippers. The Star Theater was closed around 1975. The property was owned for several years by Portland film director

Gus Van Sant Gus Green Van Sant Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American filmmaker, photographer, painter, and musician. He has earned acclaim as an independent film, independent auteur. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultures. His ...

. Van Sant sold it to "embattled restaurateur" Andrew Sugar in 2001. The theater briefly reopened as another nightclub called Five Star Theater, which held some shows in October 2008 but then was shut down again on September 27, 2009, by the

Portland Police Bureau The Portland Police Bureau (PPB), officially the Portland Bureau of Police, is the law enforcement agency of the city of Portland, Oregon, Portland, the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of September 2024, the Bureau has around 800 ...

and the

Oregon Liquor Control Commission The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), formerly known as the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, is a government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon. The OLCC was created by an act of the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1933, days after ...

for selling alcohol without a liquor license and violating building codes. Local news outlet

KATU KATU (channel 2) is a television station in Portland, Oregon, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside La Grande–licensed independent station KUNP, channel 16 (which KATU simulcasts on its sec ...

described Five Star as a modern

speakeasy A speakeasy, also called a beer flat or blind pig or blind tiger, was an illicit establishment that sold alcoholic beverages. The term may also refer to a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. In the United State ...

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

References

External links

Star Theatre pictures
at historicphotoarchive.net
Photo of Star Theater in 1979
on

Flickr Flickr ( ) is an image hosting service, image and Online video platform, video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was previously a co ...

Photo of Star Theater in the 1970s
on

{{Theatres in Portland, Oregon 1911 establishments in Oregon Burlesque theatres History of Portland, Oregon Music venues in Portland, Oregon Buildings and structures in Northwest Portland, Oregon Buildings and structures in Old Town Chinatown Theatres in Portland, Oregon

History

Further reading

References

External links