The Broadway Theater re-opened in 2014 after a 50-plus year hiatus. I located a newspaper
Malin Theater: Broadway screen reopens after more than 50 years
‘Back to the Future’ shown for city’s anniversary
MALIN — For some, Malin’s Broadway Theater evokes memories of Saturday matinees and boxes of popcorn and bonbons.
After more than a 50-year hiatus, new generations of moviegoers will be able to create their own memories when the long dormant theater opens Saturday night as part of Malin’s 105th birthday celebration. The choice for the 7 p.m. screening is, appropriately, “Back to the Future.”
For Patrick Hagerty, director of Basin Youth For Christ, the organization that bought the theater and adjacent Broadway dance hall (now the Way Station Youth Center) in 2000, it’s an opportunity to provide a facility that can be used for school programs, community events and, of course, movies.
“Rather than own it and let it fall apart, I wanted to see it restored,” said Hagerty, 39, who was raised in Malin but was born long after the theater closed. “I’ve had a burden on my heart to see it restored.”
Saturday’s screening won’t be the first time the newly restored theater has been used. In May, Hagerty and his wife, Danielle, were married on the theater stage.
When fully restored — there are still various projects that need to be completed and pass inspection — he envisions the theater will serve as a venue from a variety of events, including weddings and movies.
“Our goal is to show recently released movies to local youth, senior citizens and the community at large,” Hagerty said. “We will serve local youth by making it available for schools to use for their concerts and other programs. It can be used for church and funeral services as well. The full restoration of this historic building will breathe new life into our local communities.”
Flood damage repair
Built by one of Malin’s founding fathers, Vaclav Kalina, the Broadway opened Dec. 12, 1930. Ryan Bartholomew, the Malin Historical Society’s president, said the first film was “Along Came Youth” starring Buddy Rogers. He said it was used for Malin High School graduation ceremonies, plays, boxing matches and Christmas programs. Although regularly scheduled movies haven’t been shown since 1958, he said it opened for occasional shows until it locked its doors in the early 1960s.
Getting the theater, which had experienced serious flood damage, back to the future hasn’t been easy.
Hagerty said the building, which includes a basement and a balcony with seating and the projector room, had to be totally gutted because, “There was so much damage.” After years of demolition, construction started in 2010 with mostly volunteer labor.
Work accelerated when Youth for Christ was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Ford Foundation Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation last August.
“That enabled us to significantly speed the process up,” Hagerty said.
Volunteer effort
Since February, when the funding was received, paid crews have rebuilt the staircase, installed a balcony railing, finished the plumbing, hooked back up to city water and sewer lines, done masonry work, finished columns, installed windows, nearly completed concrete work, hung new doors and installed a new screen.
This week’s tasks have included installing carpet part-way up the walls to help with acoustics and placing a re-manufactured replica Broadway marquee sign along Malin’s exterior.
“There’s a tremendous amount of people who’ve given their time and effort,” Hagerty said of what he terms a Klamath Basin-wide collaborative effort.
When the theater opens Saturday night, a lobby concession stand will offer soft drinks, popcorn and other snacks. Eventually, the lobby area will be open weekdays and offer specialty coffees. It’s still not certain how often the theater will screen movies because, as Hagerty explained, “We haven’t gotten that far.”
For now, however, the focus in on Saturday night. There’s no admission, but donations will be appreciated. The theater seats 300 people, and a full house is expected.
“Basically,” Hagerty said of this Saturday night’s special, “we’re going to use this as an opportunity for the community to see what is going on with the theater.”
I've also uploaded some old pictures of the theater in its heyday that I've found on websites and while visiting the nearby Malin Historical Society Museum.