Our Mission & History
The Hollywood Theatre opened its doors on Saturday, July 17, 1926, with a sCREENing of the silent film more pay – less work.
A 1,500-seat silent movie palace complete with an 8-piece orchestra and organist, the Hollywood was the last venue in Portland built as both a vaudeville house and a movie theatre. Designed by Bennes & Herzog Architects of Portland, an advertisement at the time called it a “palace of luxury, comfort, and entertainment unsurpassed by any theatre on the Coast.” It proved such a popular destination that Portland’s Hollywood District ultimately took its name from the theatre.
today, the hollywood is home to over 450 unique events every year.
The Hollywood Theatre has a national reputation for its award-winning film programming, innovative educational programs, and providing fiscal support for local filmmakers. We show classic and contemporary films, host live performances and special guests, and produce innovative film series like Queer Horror, B-Movie Bingo, and Kung Fu Theater. Thanks to ongoing restoration efforts and the support of the community, the Hollywood has been transformed into a modern-historic movie house where visitors can experience the art of film. (And have a beer and a slice of pizza while they’re at it.)
ABOUT OUR NONPROFIT
Film Forever Northwest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 93-1074861) that owns and operates two of Portland’s most renowned landmarks for film arts: the historic Hollywood Theatre, a movie palace in continuous operation since 1926 and the cultural heart of the Hollywood district; and Movie Madness, an iconic independent video store with one of the largest collections of physical media in the United States.
OUR MISSION
Film Forever Northwest entertains, inspires, educates and connects our community through the art of film, while preserving the historic Hollywood Theatre and the world-class Movie Madness video collection. We offer a diverse array of film programming and initiatives that empower audiences to fully explore and participate in the rich cultural heritage of cinema.
The Hollywood Theatre opens its doors!
In 1959, 70mm projection was installed at the Hollywood, and in 1961, the Hollywood became the only Cinerama theater in the state of Oregon.
In 1975, walls and projection booths were built to divide the Hollywood’s balcony and create the layout that still exists today: Three separate auditorium spaces, the 384-seat main auditorium and two smaller 111-seat auditoriums upstairs.
The theatre was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, but by the late ’80s, the Hollywood had fallen into disrepair, and many of the classic film formats had been lost.
In 1997, the non-profit then known as the Oregon Film and Video Foundation (now Film Forever Northwest) purchased the Hollywood Theatre and began to restore the neglected theatre into the local treasure it once was.
In 2015, we brought 70mm projection back to the Hollywood, and we continue to work to restore the character of our historic theatre. In 2017, we opened a first-of-its-kind free microcinema at Portland International Airport, which shows short films by regional filmmakers. The same year, we launched a successful crowdfunding campaign to acquire and preserve the legendary Portland video store Movie Madness and its irreplaceable collection of over 90,000 titles.
Today, thanks to the support of the community and our members, the Hollywood has been transformed into a nonprofit modern-historic movie house where visitors can experience the art of film (and have a beer and a slice of pizza while they’re at it.)
The Hollywood Theatre is located on Multnomah, Clackamas, Oregon City Tumwater, Chinookan, and Kalapuya land.