KiMo Theater

Last updated
Kimo Theatre
KiMo Albuquerque.jpg
Location423 Central Avenue NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Coordinates 35°5′5.99″N106°39′7.11″W / 35.0849972°N 106.6519750°W / 35.0849972; -106.6519750 Coordinates: 35°5′5.99″N106°39′7.11″W / 35.0849972°N 106.6519750°W / 35.0849972; -106.6519750
Built1927
ArchitectBoller Brothers; Carl Boller
Architectural style Pueblo Deco
NRHP reference No. 77000920 [1]
NMSRCP No.453
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 2, 1977
Designated NMSRCPJuly 30, 1976 [2]

The KiMo Theatre is a theatre and historic landmark located in Albuquerque, New Mexico on the northeast corner of Central Avenue and Fifth Street. It was built in 1927 in the extravagant Pueblo Deco architecture, which is a blend of adobe-style Pueblo Revival architecture building styles (rounded corners and edges), decorative motifs from indigenous cultures, and the soaring lines and linear repetition found in American Art Deco architecture. [3]

Contents

History

The KiMo was conceived by Italian-American entrepreneur Oreste Bachechi (c. 1860–1928) [4] and his wife, Maria Franceschi Bachechi (c. 1865–1959). [5] It was Mrs. Bachechi's desire to give a tribute to the Native Americans who had embraced the Bachechi family as part of their own. After much travel and meetings with various architects in both NM and California, the design was accepted from Carl Boller of the Boller Brothers architecture firm, who conducted an extensive investigation into the cultures and building styles of the Southwest before submitting his design. The theater is a three-story stucco building with the stepped massing characteristic of native pueblo architecture, as well as the recessed spandrels and strong vertical thrust of Art Deco skyscrapers. Both the exterior and interior of the building incorporate a variety of indigenous motifs, like the row of terra cotta shields above the third-floor windows.

In June 1927, the Albuquerque Journal sponsored a competition to choose a name for the new theater, with a $50 prize for the winner. The rules stipulated that the name "must be in keeping with this truly American Theatre, whose architecture is a combination of Aztec, Navajo and Pueblo. It must be an Indian name. The name must not have more than six letters." [6] Over 500 entries were received from around the state. Pablo Abeita, the former governor of Isleta Pueblo, was chosen as the winner for his suggestion of "Kimo", meaning "mountain lion" (sometimes loosely translated as "king of the beasts"). The second-place entry was "Eloma". [7]

The theater opened on September 19, 1927, with a program including Native American dancers and singers, a performance on the newly installed $18,000 Wurlitzer theater organ, and the comedy film Painting the Town . [8] Dignitaries at the event included Senator Sam G. Bratton, former governor Arthur T. Hannett, and Chairman of the City Commission Clyde Tingley, while Hollywood stars including Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks sent congratulatory telegrams. Cecil B. DeMille wrote, "The erection of such a theater is definite proof of the great progress being made by this industry of ours." [9]

In 1935, the Bachechi family merged their theater interests with those of Joseph Barnett, including the Sunshine Theater, which put most of Albuquerque's theaters under the same ownership. [10] By 1952, the chain, Albuquerque Exhibitors, controlled 10 local theaters and had 170 employees. [11] The company leased its theaters in 1956 to the Texas-based Frontier Theaters chain, [12] which was taken over by Commonwealth Theaters in 1967. [13] Commonwealth closed the theater in 1970, [14] after which it was leased for a few years by Albuquerque Music Theater [15] and then started showing adult films.

By 1977, the theater had fallen into disrepair due to a fire. The City of Albuquerque offered to purchase the building at a fraction of its value or condemn it and then demolish it. The family decided that it was best to preserve the theater for future generations and sold the theater to the City of Albuquerque. It has undergone several phases of continuing restoration to return it to its former glory and is once again open to the public for performances. The most recent preservation was completed in 2000 with the installation of new seating and carpet, main stage curtain, new tech booth, lighting positions hid between and behind "vigas" on the ceiling, and a re-creation of the KiMo's original proscenium arch. The auditorium seating capacity was 650 at completion of the restoration. [16]

In 2011, the city commissioned a replica of the theater's original neon sign, which was installed around 1929 and removed sometime in the 1950s. The completed sign, which is 24 feet (7.3 m) tall by 5 feet (1.5 m) wide and cost $16,000, was installed in June 2011. [17] [18]

Alleged haunting

According to local legend, the KiMo Theatre is haunted by the ghost of Bobby Darnall, a six-year-old boy killed in 1951 when a water heater in the theater's lobby exploded. [19] The tale alleges that a theatrical performance of A Christmas Carol in 1974 was disrupted by the ghost, who was supposedly angry that the staff was ordered to remove donuts they had hung on backstage pipes to appease him. [20] [21]

While investigating the legend, writer Benjamin Radford determined that the performance of A Christmas Carol in question actually occurred in 1986, not 1974, and two people he spoke with who were involved in the production did not remember anything unusual. According to Radford, "All the evidence points to one inescapable conclusion: The ruined play—the very genesis of the KiMo ghost story—simply did not occur; it is but folklore and fiction". Radford also contacted Bobby Darnall's siblings, who told him they felt "exploited by the story" and did not appreciate "claims that their beloved brother is eating doughnuts or ruining performances at the KiMo Theater". [22] [23]

Related Research Articles

Art Deco Early-20th-century architectural and art style

Art Deco, sometimes referred to as Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture and design that first appeared in France just before World War I. It influenced the design of buildings, furniture, jewellery, fashion, cars, cinemas, trains, ocean liners, and everyday objects such as radios and vacuum cleaners. It took its name, short for Arts Décoratifs, from the Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes held in Paris in 1925.

Sunshine Building

The Sunshine Building is a historic six-story building in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was built in 1924 by local theater owner Joseph Barnett and houses the Sunshine Theater as well as commercial space and offices. The Sunshine operated primarily as a movie theater until the 1980s, though it was also equipped for Vaudeville shows and other live performances. Since 1990 it has operated as a live music venue, hosting many notable acts. The building was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1985 and is also an Albuquerque City Landmark.

U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico Historic highway in the United States

The historic U.S. Route 66 ran east–west across the central part of the state of New Mexico, along the path now taken by Interstate 40 (I-40). However, until 1937, it took a longer route via Los Lunas, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, now roughly New Mexico State Road 6 (NM 6), I-25, and US 84. Large portions of the old road parallel to I-40 have been designated NM 117, NM 118, NM 122, NM 124, NM 333, three separate loops of I-40 Business, and state-maintained frontage roads.

Boller Brothers

Boller Brothers, often written Boller Bros., was an architectural firm based in Kansas City, Missouri which specialized in theater design in the Midwestern United States during the first half of the 20th century. Carl Heinrich Boller (1868–1946) and Robert Otto Boller (1887–1962) are credited with the design of almost 100 classic theaters ranging from small vaudeville venues to grand movie palaces.

John Gaw Meem American architect

John Gaw Meem IV was an American architect based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is best known for his instrumental role in the development and popularization of the Pueblo Revival Style and as a proponent of architectural Regionalism in the face of international modernism. Meem is regarded as one of the most important and influential architects to have worked in New Mexico.

Pueblo Revival architecture Architectural movement

The Pueblo Revival style or Santa Fe style is a regional architectural style of the Southwestern United States, which draws its inspiration from Santa Fe de Nuevo México's traditional Pueblo architecture, the Spanish missions, and Territorial Style. The style developed at the beginning of the 20th century and reached its greatest popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, though it is still commonly used for new buildings. Pueblo style architecture is most prevalent in the state of New Mexico, it is often blended with the Territorial Revival architecture.

Estufa United States historic place

The Estufa is a historic structure on the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was built in 1907–08 by a local social fraternity and has served since 1915 as the primary meeting location of the university's Pi Kappa Alpha chapter. The building's history is steeped in fraternity lore and supposedly no woman has ever seen its interior. It is listed in both the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places.

Central Avenue is a major east–west street in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which historically served as the city's main thoroughfare and principal axis of development. It runs through many of Albuquerque's oldest neighborhoods, including Downtown, Old Town, Nob Hill, and the University of New Mexico area. Central Avenue was part of U.S. Route 66 from 1937 until the highway's decommissioning in 1985 and also forms one axis of Albuquerque's house numbering system. It was also signed as Business Loop 40 until the early 1990s when ownership of Central Avenue was transferred from the New Mexico State Highway Department to the City of Albuquerque.

Albuquerque Little Theatre

The Albuquerque Little Theatre was founded in 1930 by a group of civic-minded citizens led by Irene Fisher, a reporter and the society editor for the New Mexico Tribune. The idea of a local theatre group was born when Fisher attended a lecture by a professional actress named Kathryn Kennedy O'Connor who moved to New Mexico for health reasons in 1927. Fisher led the campaign to raise an operating budget of $1,000 and O'Connor was hired as the theatre's director. ALT spent its first six years at the KiMo Theatre in downtown Albuquerque.

Pablo Abeita

Pablo Abeita (1871–1940) was the governor of Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico, United States, during the decades that Father Anton Docher, known as "The Padre of Isleta," served there.

Amelio "Mel" Dinelli was an American writer for theatre, radio, film and magazines, usually in the suspense genre. He grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and graduated from Albuquerque High School. He joined the Albuquerque Little Theatre company for its inaugural season in 1931, acting in two plays alongside future I Love Lucy star Vivian Vance. He later studied at the Pasadena Playhouse school of theater arts and the University of Washington.

George M. Williamson (architect) American architect

George Morrison Williamson was an American architect.

Pueblo Deco is an architectural style in the Southwestern United States popular in the early 20th century. Pueblo Deco fused elements of Art Deco with the region's Pueblo and Territorial architectures, themselves inspired by Pueblo and Territorial Styles. Early Pueblo Deco design was influenced by architect Mary Colter's work, which incorporated Native American elements. The term was popularized by author Carla Breeze, whose 1984 Pueblo Deco: The Art Deco Architecture of the Southwest and 1990 Pueblo Deco books described the fusion of southwestern motifs with the popular Deco style. Notable examples of buildings incorporating Pueblo Deco elements include the KiMo Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, US.

<i>Mysterious New Mexico</i>

Mysterious New Mexico: Miracles, Magic, and Monsters in the Land of Enchantment is a 2014 collection of thirteen investigations conducted by author Ben Radford into cases involving claims of the paranormal occurring in or with significant connections to New Mexico.

Max Flatow was an American architect who worked for most of his career in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Flatow got his start designing buildings for the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos before opening his own firm in Albuquerque in 1947. Joined by Jason Moore in 1948, the firm became one of New Mexico's largest and was instrumental in popularizing modern architecture throughout the state. Some of their most influential commissions included the Simms Building and the University of New Mexico College of Education.

Scholes Hall United States historic place

Scholes Hall is the historic administration building of the University of New Mexico, located on the main campus in Albuquerque. It was the first of many buildings designed for the university by Santa Fe architect John Gaw Meem, who helped to cement the Pueblo Revival style as the "official" architecture of the campus. Built in 1934–36 with Public Works Administration funding, it is regarded as one of Meem's most notable designs.

Old Main Library (Albuquerque, New Mexico) United States historic place

The Old Main Library is a historic building in the Huning Highlands neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico, originally built in 1925 as the main facility of the Albuquerque Public Library. Since the opening of the current Main Library in 1975, it has served as the library system's Special Collections branch, housing historical and genealogical research materials. Designed by Arthur Rossiter with interior decorations by Gustave Baumann, the building is a notable example of Pueblo Revival architecture. It was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1975 and is also an Albuquerque Historic Landmark.

Albuquerque Indian School Native american boarding school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Albuquerque Indian School (AIS) was a Native American boarding school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which operated from 1881 to 1981. It was one of the oldest and largest off-reservation boarding schools in the United States. For most of its history it was run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Like other government boarding schools, AIS was modeled after the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, using strict military-style discipline to strip students of their native identity and assimilate them into white American culture. The curriculum focused on literacy and vocational skills, with field work components on farms or railroads for boys and as domestic help for girls. In the 1930s, as the philosophy around Indian education changed, the school shifted away from the military approach and offered more training in traditional crafts like pottery, weaving, and silversmithing.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ↑ "New Mexico State and National Registers". New Mexico Historic Preservation Commission. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
  3. ↑ For examples of this style of building, see Marcus Whiffen, Pueblo Deco: The Art Deco Architecture of the Southwest ( ISBN   0-8263-0676-4).
  4. ↑ "O. Bachechi, Old Resident, Dies in Los Angeles". Albuquerque Journal. March 13, 1928. Retrieved August 17, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Mrs. Bachechi Dies at Age 94". Albuquerque Journal. June 10, 1959. Retrieved August 17, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Name New Mexico's Finest Theatre". Albuquerque Journal. Advertisement. June 19, 1927. Retrieved August 19, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Kimo, meaning "mountain lion," is Indian name chosen for Bachechi theater; Pablo Abeita wins prize". Albuquerque Journal. June 26, 1927. Retrieved August 19, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "KiMo: The World's Foremost Indian Theater". Albuquerque Journal. Advertisement. September 18, 1927. Retrieved August 20, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "New KiMo Theater is filled for first performances; New Mexico Indians delight huge audiences". Albuquerque Journal. September 20, 1927. Retrieved August 20, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Theaters Here Join Big Chain". Albuquerque Journal. April 23, 1935. Retrieved 6 July 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Film Firm Here Acquires Sandia, El Rey Theaters". Albuquerque Journal. September 5, 1952. Retrieved July 6, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Theaters Leased To Chain in Texas". Albuquerque Journal. February 1, 1956. Retrieved July 6, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Missouri Firm Buys Frontier Theaters, Inc". Albuquerque Journal. December 31, 1967. Retrieved July 6, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Downtown Theater Is Closed". Albuquerque Journal. December 19, 1970. Retrieved August 18, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Buddecke, Martha (September 19, 1971). "Music Theatre Landmark—'Man of La Mancha'—Reopens Kimo Theatre". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Information about restoration efforts of the KiMo". City of Albuquerque . City of Albuquerque. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  17. ↑ Jojola, Lloyd (February 23, 2011). "Sign of Past Times: Old Neon Sign Will Be Re-Created for Theater". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Theater nostalgia". Albuquerque Journal. June 2, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Theater Blast Kills Boy; 7 Hurt". Albuquerque Journal. August 3, 1951. Retrieved August 17, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Alan Brown (19 September 2016). Haunted Southwest. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. pp. 36–. ISBN   978-1-4396-5871-0.
  21. ↑ Burnham, Acacia; Guerrero, Diego. "New Mexico: State of spooks". SantaFeNewMexican.com. The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  22. ↑ Ghosts, Doughnuts, and A Christmas Carol: Investigating New Mexico’s ‘Haunted’ KiMo Theater by Ben Radford on csicop.org
  23. ↑ Benjamin Radford (15 August 2014). Mysterious New Mexico: Miracles, Magic, and Monsters in the Land of Enchantment. University of New Mexico Press. ISBN   978-0-8263-5452-5.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to KiMo Theater at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.