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"We'll Meet You At The Kiggins!"
Vancouver's Kiggins Theatre
-By Andrew J. Gregg
Vancouver, Washington's rich history, with its Lewis and Clark Expedition campsites, Columbia River port location, railway crossroads, and eponymous fort, is overshadowed by nearby Portland, Oregon, a major metropolitan area. Even at America's Bicentennial, when civic leaders dubbed the town 'Vancouver U.S.A.' to avoid confusion with British Columbia, Canada's principal west coast city, Vancouver, Washington remained a relatively obscure suburb. America's 2000 census revealed the Vancouver area to be home to more than 325,000 residents; migration brought the great majority since 1980. Against this backdrop of rapid growth, chronicles of the area's past faded as native keepers of Vancouver's history passed away.
Since before the War Between the States, when Ulysses S. Grant had been its commandant, Fort Vancouver was a portal of entry to the town for many outsiders. From across America, thousands of soldiers became private citizens after mustering out in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. J.P. Kiggins, a Nashville, Tennessee native born in 1868, left military service at Fort Vancouver in 1899 to pursue a career in the building business. Kiggins was successful in a number of enterprises, and became skillful in promoting Vancouver as a commercial hub. J.P. Kiggins was also active in bringing entertainment to the town, an interest that foreshadowed his place in Vancouver's history. Like many civic leaders of his time, Kiggins decided to try his hand at politics following World War I.
J.P. Kiggins won Vancouver, Washington's mayoral race in 1920. Over the next quarter-century, Kiggins made indelible marks upon Clark County not only politically, but also structurally. Of the several remaining historic buildings he sponsored in downtown Vancouver, none serves to preserve Mayor Kiggins's place in time so well as the theatre that bears his name.
Mayor Kiggins retained the services of the noted local architect, Day Hilborn, to design a motion picture theatre to grace Vancouver's upper Main Street. Always a proponent of self-promotion, the Mayor named the new movie house for himself, eschewing the usual, stereotypical names borne by many theatres in small cities. J.P. Kiggins was one of Vancouver's preeminent citizens, so the theatre's name did not seem untoward. Day Hilborn's architectural contributions to Vancouver include the Clark County Court House, Washington Mutual Savings Bank's downtown branch, the Clark Public Utilities Building, United Methodist Church, and many of the most gracious private homes. In the shadow of the recently completed Medical Arts Building, next door to the stylish Vancouver Federal Savings and Loan Association, and across the street from the stately Elks Lodge Building, Hilborn planned a movie house that was distinctively different from the lavish motion picture palaces which became increasingly ordinary in the 1930's. Not a stranger when it came to designing medium sized theatres, Day Hilborn also created simple, elegant Cameo in Newberg, OR. He also designed Portland's Sellwood Theatre that combined the movie venue with office and shop space. Hilborn's vision for his Vancouver theatre was one that combined the graceful curvature of art deco, the simplicity of smooth surfaces, and the strength and safety of the emerging concrete construction techniques. Local trade and craftspeople were contracted to undertake construction that was completed in the Spring of 1936.
Hailed in the local press as a "design masterpiece," local artisans and tradesmen crafted the Kiggins. Civic pride in the workers' efforts was clearly displayed. The actual construction was a major undertaking. A nearby lumber company supplied both planks for the forms, but structural boards for the building's interior. Five hundred truckloads of cement were used to complete the exterior walls of the building. That feature provided both strength and a measure of fire protection. Plaster molds were employed to affect the streamlined interior of the auditorium. The heating and cooling plant was installed throughout the building utilizing prodigious lengths of sheet metal. Aside from the building itself, the most noteworthy feature of the Kiggins Theatre is its signature marquee. Bill Cole of Vancouver Sign Company designed and created the signage that featured a combination of neon tubing, small Incandescent lamps that appeared to move in a chaser sequence, and larger spotlights used to illuminate the box office and entrance area. Vancouver's own Central Wood Company produced the distinctive mahogany woodwork found throughout the building. In addition to doors and moldings, there was the gracefully curving banister adorning the stairway, and a beautifully appointed stage. Even today, the millwork is, remarkably enduring and impressive. Eight art deco lamps, attached directly to the auditorium's ceiling, provided both low level house lighting for patrons prior to a show, but also running lights during the picture. Along both side walls were attached stylized running lights to dimly illuminate the theatre's interior. Decorative lighting was featured behind plaster grillwork in each of the auditorium's corners. Small bulbs affixed to seats lighted the aisles. The Kiggins's design was erected strictly as a motion picture venue. The stage was not equipped for live entertainment. Its lighting was limited to footlights. The stage's apron would accommodate a few individuals to make announcements. Clearly, the Kiggins was intended to serve patrons in the post-vaudeville, all-talkie era. A decorative mural graced the center ceiling in the auditorium. The creation of a British artist, who had previously provided artwork for the Castle Theatre's interior in 1927, Kiggins regarded the painting as another of the building's stylish touches. The mural's fate remains mysterious. However, as early as 1960, no mural was visible. Although the shell of the building was cement, the roof was standard tar over wooden lath. Prone to leaking during wet weather, there is ample evidence of water damage inside the theatre. The Kiggins would close, ostensibly for a summer hiatus In July, 1955. The theatre remained dormant until Christmas, 1958. The mural was probably irreparably spoiled during the auditorium's years of vacancy. If its interior was repainted prior to the reopening, It is likely that the mural was simply painted over. J.P. Kiggins looked to the nearby Castle Theatre, which he also owned, for key staff members for his new operation. James Carey, the Castle's manager, also took on supervision of the Kiggins. Carl Miller, formerly the doorman at the Castle, would move to serve as the on-site assistant manager at the Kiggins. Miller would eventually manage both the Kiggins and the Castle until the latter's closure in 1958.
On April 24, 1936, the Kiggins Theatre celebrated its gala opening with the forgettable Claudette Colbert feature She Married Her Boss. From that time to the present, the Kiggins Theatre has provided movie patrons with some of their fondest memories. Customers from the 1930's recall with pride that the Kiggins was regarded as a gem. Although not as opulent as Vancouver's Castle Theatre or Portland's Paramount (now the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall), the Kiggins had class. It was modern. The Kiggins represented a glimpse of the future instead of a reflection of the past. The same architectural lines which were later seen at the 1939 New York World's Fair, and in streamlined locomotives and aircraft were in evidence between Evergreen and Eleventh Streets on Vancouver's Main Street. The theatre seated all viewers on one floor in two sections. Easy access to the leather seats was afforded by one center and two side aisles. The film was projected by a pair of matched Simplex machines, and the sound system utilized the latest vacuum tube technology. The original stage featured a mahogany apron which echoed the signature art deco curves of the building's interior. Footlights were installed to either illuminate the red curtain typical of theatres associated with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, or to highlight onstage presenters on prize night.
During World War II, the Kiggins hosted thousands of new patrons who lived temporarily in Vancouver while they worked in military-related industries. Clark County's population tripled during the 1940's. While many first-run features graced the screen, the matinee tradition began for Vancouver's youth. Public schools bulged with increased enrollment. With recreational opportunities scarce, theatres like the Kiggins offered safe outlets for young people to spend increased, unsupervised leisure time.
After the War, the Kiggins would, at length, be forced to compete with television to provide entertainment. However, Vancouver's limited amusement and recreational options allowed the downtown movie theaters to remain busy through the early 1950's. KPTV, Channel 27 opened as Portland's first television station in 1953. Progressively, national television networks began broadcasting locally, and householders acquired those magical boxes that flickered with black and white images. By 1956, NBC, CBS, and ABC all had Portland television affiliates. With that TV triumvirate in place, Vancouver's entertainment community of theaters, card rooms, bowling alleys, and the few nightspots that featured live attractions was a dealt a nearly terminal blow. A brief period of commercial remission would ensue, but television would ultimately prove to be the glass teat from which Vancouver families would receive social recreation. As is true with most declining business situations, collapse or insolvency among Vancouver's theaters did not immediately occur.
Vancouver's Castle Theater had been the jewel in the town's cinematic crown since J.P. Kiggins erected and ran the showplace in 1927. A traditional motion picture theater of its time, the Castle boasted an elegant, ornate interior with murals, tapestries, legitimate stage, orchestra pit, and a four-manual Wurlitzer pipe organ. Major studios screened their first-run 'A' pictures at the Castle until the advent of television dictated that the Castle cater to a more diverse audience. Mayor Kiggins retained ownership of the building until his death in 1941. Throughout the 1950's the local Mayflower Dairy sponsored the Saturday Matinee. Boys and girls traded one Mayflower Milk bottlecap for their admission to the show. The Castle Theatre increasingly competed with the Kiggins for the under-18 market, and attracted Mayflower Dairy's sponsorship of the matinee series. That programming shift reflected the changing economic realities in the Castle's business.
Routinely in the mid-1950's, the Kiggins went on hiatus during the summer months when Vancouver's youths were engaged in both agricultural work and outdoor recreation. The theatre's doors usually closed around the end of June, and reopened just after a new school year began. For an extended period of time from Independence Day, 1955 until Christmas Day, 1958, the Kiggins closed as management was in transition. New operators changed significant elements of the theatre's interior and exterior appearance. The original square portion of the marquee which advertised the current attraction was removed in favor of the present triangular model, so that passing motorists and pedestrians would be afforded a better view of a picture's title. The 1936 vertical red neon 'Kiggins' sign remained intact. The concession stand was updated to include a warmer for the popcorn, and in-case refrigeration for the perishable candy. Along with Vancouver's 1947 Broadway Theatre, and the Hazel Dell and Renfro drive-ins, the Kiggins reopened under consolidated management the Adamson Theaters. Adamson was based in Portland, and operated town and neighborhood theaters throughout the Willamette Valley. The Kiggins subsequently showed onscreen previews of coming attractions at its neighboring theaters. From the late 1950's until the early 1980's, Adamson Theaters monopolized Vancouver's theaters. The Kiggins catered increasingly to the family trade; even in the days before movie ratings, the marquee featured Disney, Western, Adventure, Comedy, and Horror titles. Around the time of school holidays, a regular Kiggins presentation was titled Giant Movie Marathon. At Halloween, monsters were on parade. In the Spring, cowboys rode across the screen. In the Summer, an all-cartoon line-up was offered. First-run features were also booked, but most of the major pictures of the day were reserved for the Broadway Theatre, an architecturally austere neighbor.
John F. Kennedy's New Frontier faded into the Great Society. The Vietnam War waned, and the Watergate era passed. Throughout that time, the Kiggins Theatre remained a landmark of family entertainment in downtown Vancouver. Many of today's adults who grew up around Clark County nostalgically associate the Kiggins with first dates, allowance money, and an era when downtown Vancouver was filled with traditional merchants and service providers of all descriptions.
As department stores fled the urban center for malls, and the commercial streets began losing specialty shops forever, Vancouver became dominated by financial, legal, and governmental employers. A few existing eateries and office supply stores remained to support the new industries, but a general air of decline hovered over Main Street. A string of energetic City Managers launched several ambitious revitalization plans for downtown Vancouver, but they ultimately failed to do much more than enhance the resumes of the designing officials.
In 1980, the Kiggins ceased showing commercial movies, and was operated by Maranatha, an Evangelical church that attracted young worshippers with live music and religious films. In 1981, an electrical fire inflicted moderate damage to the area around the stage. The Kiggins was again closed, and its fate was in doubt.
In the mid-1980's the theatre re-opened as a second-run house playing double features at a bargain price. When the Broadway Theater was demolished in 1982 to make way for the Seafirst Bank (now Bank of America) Center, the Kiggins remained as Vancouver's last classic theatre. By 1996, the leaseholders who operated the Kiggins, career theatre people with long experience, decided to retire. On New Year's Day, 1997, the Kiggins was closed; little hope was held out for another resurrection.
In the Spring of 1997, a small item appeared in the 'Ink' column of the Vancouver Columbian. Dave Jewett reported that Portland's Chuck Nakvasil, a retired school principal who operates a number of neighborhood theatres in the Metro area, was interested in giving the Kiggins Theatre another chance to entertain movie patrons. Nakvasil's experience as a theater owner dates back to the early 1960's when he and a teacher colleague operated the Crest in Northwest Portland. Plans for the Kiggins were ambitious. A cadre of restorers led by present Kiggins owner Gary Hubbard, Chuck Nakvasil, Jr., and Joe Beeler worked tirelessly through April and May of 1997 to re-create the theatre's 1936 ambiance. Surfaces were returned to their original colors. Furnishings were cleaned and renewed. Delicate glass fixtures were carefully washed and replaced. Some features were updated. The original Simplex projector was retrofitted to accommodate Dolby digital sound and a powerful Xenon lamp. An Alpha platter film delivery system was installed to allow the smooth presentation of an entire movie without the necessity of changing reels. The existing single speaker behind the screen was replaced by a surround sound system with seventeen speakers located around the auditorium. Hundreds of vintage seats were removed in favor of modern theatre upholstery. The concession stand was restored to resemble the art deco 20th Century Fox masterpiece that accompanied the 1959 renovation. Neon in both the 1936 and 1959 portions of the marquee were restored. Formerly drab green in color, the marquee was repainted in bright red and yellow, a color scheme that is repeated throughout the theatre's interior. The mahogany woodwork was restored where possible, and manager Hubbard was able to find a classic refrigerator drinking fountain which resembles the original.
In May, 1997, the Kiggins Theatre made its comeback in downtown Vancouver. A new generation is being introduced to a tradition that began in this identical location more than sixty years ago. Kiggins management is seeking a wide clientele. Evening shows featuring recent releases cater to older youth and adults. Matinee offerings attract young families with children. Devotees of art films will attend serious cinematic works. And, as a link to the past, plans are in the works to screen restored prints of classic movies that have played at the Kiggins across the past sixty years.
Since its most recent reopening in 1997, the Kiggins has operated under Gary Hubbard's supervision. Hubbard and Vancouver businessman, Tom Koon, purchased the business from Chuck Nakvasil in 1999. The following year, Gary Hubbard assumed Koon's Interest In the theatre, and has become the Kiggins's sole proprietor. Hubbard has offered an interesting program of films during his administration. In 2000, the theatre featured the seasonal matinees for students and their parents. A combination of first-run, second-run, and classic titles has evening showings. In addition, specialty movies have been billed. In association with Washington State University, The Center for Columbia River History presented a series of American Indian documentaries for film study. Home of the State School for the Deaf, Southwest Washington enjoys a large community of hearing-impaired citizens. In response to the demand for cinematic entertainment on the part of that population, Gary Hubbard introduced open captioned first-run motion pictures. At the close of 2001, the Kiggins was the only theatre between Sacramento and Seattle to host open captioned films on a continuous basis.
Between 2002 and 2004, the Kiggins continued an uninterrupted schedule of second-run double features for $3.00, and seasonal matinee programs. But against the backdrop of apparent stability, a leadership change was in the offing.
In 2005, Debbie West assumed ownership of the Kiggins Theatre. An employee of the operation since 1990, West, then recently widowed, served in various capacities to supplement her income. As the 1990's unfolded, Debbie West mastered nearly every job in the theatre. When management needed a projectionist who could build and tear down films, Debbie West asserted, accurately, that she could do the job. When accounting and scheduling tasks were in need of stewardship, West proved that she had the capacity to meet those challenges. During the theatre's brief closure in early 1997, Debbie West continued to work her 'day job,' but presented herself to the new management as the renovation proceeded. Given West's familiarity with the theatre's operations, idiosyncrasies, and clientele, she was quickly hired and resumed many of her former duties. West became the Kiggins's de facto manager once Gary Hubbard focused his attention on resurrecting the Forest Theatre in Forest Grove, OR in 2002. Over the next two years, Hubbard was less and less of an influence on Kiggins Theatre's operations. By the end of 2005, Debbie West had effectively established herself as the undisputed proprietor at the Kiggins. All of Debbie West's children have served at the Kiggins since the latest reopening. Now, Debbie's grandchildren accompany their parents to work. Another generation of children is growing up around the theatre's homey ambience with the aroma of popcorn heavy in the atmosphere. The Kiggins has enjoyed a long-standing reputation as a place where families are welcome, where entertainment is affordable, and where communities are held together. Debbie West is well suited to sustaining the Kiggins Theatre's legacy to Vancouver.
By 2005, most of America's major movie theatre chains were in financial trouble. Many cities, including Vancouver, Washington were homes to more screens than patrons would support. At the multiple screen theatres, ticket prices and concession costs spiraled upward. Independent theatres, with much more character and charm than the prefabricated megaplexes, are increasingly attractive to cinema patrons. With the downtown area in a state of what seems to be perpetual stillborn Renaissance, the Kiggins has a bona fide chance to remain a part of Vancouver's fabric both culturally and architecturally.
While much is known about the Kiggins, there are still some significant mysteries in its past. Of the unanswered questions, several are compelling. What became of the lavish ceiling murals that were lauded in the early newspaper descriptions of the building's interior? Why was the proposed balcony omitted during construction? What prompted the change in the exterior marquee? Years of history during the Adamson management years have yet to be found. Historical research in Washington State is carried out by a distressingly small number of scholars. Some of the best-recorded information reposes in private archives that may only be accessed for a fee. Publicly available information is either scanty or elusive to all but the most perseverant of historians. Many mysteries of the Kiggins will remain unsolved for the present.
And, in a sense, that may be fitting. Another episode of Vancouver's history revolves around buildings that are reported to be haunted. Among the haunted places are the stately houses of Officers' Row that adjoins Fort Vancouver, Providence Academy, and, of course, the Kiggins Theatre. Those who insist that the Kiggins Theatre is haunted say that they have seen apparitions seated in the audience. The Columbian, Vancouver's daily newspaper, ran a story about local haunts, and included a clever picture of a solitary, shadowy figure seated in a theater seat at the Kiggins.
So, how many ghosts are guests, and why have they remained in residence for so long? Perhaps it is because they are a metaphor for the Kiggins Theatre itself, a place that is inextricably bound to our imagination.
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A Note on Sources
Vancouver's daily newspaper, The Columbian, provided articles and information included in this essay. When the Kiggins was under construction during the winter of 1935-1936, the paper featured news items pertaining to the project. In April, 1936, a great deal of coverage was devoted to the theatre's opening. Interviews with Vancouver residents of long standing, including members of the J.P. Kiggins family, provided insight to my research. Since the 1997 restoration of the theatre, Gary Hubbard and Debbie West have provided me with unrestricted access to the best artifact of all, the Kiggins itself. Hours of inspection, investigation, and searching for forgotten materials that might meaningfully document the Kiggins Theatre's story have been a most pleasurable pursuit.
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