Joy Theater

50sSNIPES on July 16, 2026 at 10:14 am

The Joy Theatre, named after Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Bush’s daughter Joy, opened its doors on May 4, 1928 with William Boyd in “Skyscraper” and an unnamed vaudeville act with no extras.

Information about the Joy Theatre as of 1928 goes as follows: The entire building was built out of solid concrete with a stucco finish, complete in fireproof, and outside the theater features a mission-style box office with a Spanish type tiling around the bottom. The original facade of the building in exterior stucco features a creative look of five cast-staffed ornaments. The large center one is a satyr with a harp and lion’s head on either side, and the original marquee as of 1928 is wine-colored on the top and gray underneath with 40 lights in total. The roof is tile with a tile coping in the front, and the store windows are heavy-plated glass with small transoms and top lights enclosed with woodwork.

Going inside, the original foyer, main aisles, and stairways are all covered with a Wilton pile carpet, and the lighting fixtures feature hammered glass in lantern effects. A large overstuffed occasional chair, two floor lamps, two fireside benches, hanging baskets, and a wicker davenport enhance the entirety of the foyer, alongside a drinking fountain and a large mirror. There are both left and right stairways. The right stairways lead to the balcony for the colored, while the left stairways lead to the cry room complete with rocking chairs and occasional chairs alongside a davenport. The men’s restrooms are located to the right of the foyer. The archway to the right leads to the business offices on the first floor. The entire walls of the body are California stucco in a brocade finish. Eight fountain brackets near the ceiling with red and blue lights creates an effect. Four large and hammered mission-styled glass chandeliers with seven bug globes in each other are worked with dimmer effects.

Inside the auditorium as of 1928 featured the original capacity of 560 leather cushioned seats (530 in the orchestra pit and 30 in the balcony). A total of 20 seats in the orchestra pit are upholstered cushioned loges on a carpeted floor behind a railing and was roped off from the rest of the seats. The original organ is an Aeolian manufactured model with arches to the right and left of the proscenium. The grand drape and sides are fireproof velour, with the main arch finished with variegated gold trimming. And lastly, the exit doors are draped with green velour with gold braid and black trimmings.

JackCoursey on March 13, 2021 at 10:53 pm

The actual address is 711 Bridge Street. Judging from the exterior this is/was an opulent little venue for such a small, but quaint little town.

[Deleted] on May 14, 2008 at 8:03 pm

A 2/6 Aeolian organ was apparently used in the Joy at one time.

strawberry on July 23, 2007 at 9:50 pm

Old photo from August 4, 1962 here.

The page also mentions about the city: “Vernonia dates from the 1870’s and was named after the daughter of one of its first settlers, Ozias Cherrington of Ohio. Its population in the 1980’s was less than 200.”