Embassy Theatre
1409 3rd Avenue,
Seattle,
WA
98101
1409 3rd Avenue,
Seattle,
WA
98101
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Architects: Henry W. Bittman
Functions: Live Performances, Nightclub
Nearby Theaters
This theatre fascinated me as a child because it had two seperate entrances; one on 3rd Avenue and one on Union Street. Little did I know it was a down and out palace showing way past their prime movies to whoever would gather up the 50 cents and stagger in.
My first trip inside consisted of two horrible oaters and “And God Created Woman”. I sat through the Westerns twice just to get another look at Ms. Bardot.
It later went even further downhill as a porn palace. It had a small fire inside and they just stuck some tape around the burnt seats and kept the movies rolling.
It is now used as a nightclub.
Contributed by
Richard O'Neill
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
The Embassy has not been demolished. Instead, the theater has been restored as The Triple Door, a nightclub mostly featuring jazz acts. The interior has been restored, leaving the original details on the walls and ceiling. All of the seating has been replaced with tiered seating featuring tables.
Above the theatre is the Wild Ginger restaurant, located in space formerly occupied by a drug store. This space was never a theater. Both the Triple Door and Wild Ginger are owned by the same person and are wildly popular.
The Embassy Theatre was built in 1926, and was designed by Seattle architect Henry Bittman, who also designed the Music Box Theatre (1924) and the Roosevelt Theatre (1933.) Bittman was credited as the engineer for the 1914 Liberty Theatre, designed by architect Henderson Ryan. Bittman was licensed to practice architecture in 1923.
The Triple Door website includes a short history (which includes photos) of the Embassy Theatre. Here’s the link: http://www.thetripledoor.net/Our-Story/Read-Our-Story.aspx
I was never in the Embassy in it’s movie heyday but also was interested in it often as I toured downtown or waited for the bus close to it. In the 60’s they seemed to feature lots of triple play horror B films. Then porno for years in the 70’s. 3RD ave in Seattle is quite sleazy but this place and the symphony hall next door gives it a better and upscale dimension. Surprising this simpler smaller theatre should survive while the elegant theatres in town like the Music Hall, Orpheum and Palomar and old Orpheum are all dust.
There might have been a fire, but it was bomb that went off in 1984 that resulted in seats being roped off. The bomb was put there by a group called The Order. They were a white supremacist group. Their idea was that all the cops would go the Embassy for bomb, while they were robbing a Brinks Truck north of there.
Hi Dennis: I was on my way to work at the Embassy to relieve Doug Stewart in the booth at the time the bomb went off. I had a matinee shift at the King and was scheduled for the evening at the Embassy. I never made it to work that day. Police wouldn’t let me close. Doug said that the Brenkert BX 80 never missed a beat and continued to project XXX product after the explosion. Broke the port glass, however.
Do you have a current address for Doug Stewart? I’d like to write him a letter.
Sorry, Dennis. I don’t have any contact info for Doug.