{{short description|Historic theater in Chehalis, Washington}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox venue | name = Chehalis Theater | native_name = | native_name_lang = | nickname = | logo_image = File:Chehalis Theater, November 2021.jpg | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = Chehalis Theater, November 2021 | image = | image_size = | image_upright = | image_alt = | caption = | image_map = | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_relief = | fullname = | former_names = Beau Arts Building, Pix Theater, McFiler's Chehalis Theater | address = 558 N Market Blvd{{efn|The original address was 798 Market Street before a city-wide renumbering of addresses.<ref name="MHDC"/>}} | city = Chehalis, Washington | country = United States of America | location = | coordinates = {{coord|46|39|57|N|122|58|14|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}} | elevation = | public_transit = | parking = Street | owner = McFiler's Chehalis Theater LLC | operator = | designation = | type = | event = | seating_type = | suites = | capacity = 450 | record_attendance = | dimensions = | field_shape = | acreage = | surface = | scoreboard = | screens = 1 | current_use = Film, live entertainment, restaurant | production = | broke_ground = | built = 1923 | opened = December 7, 1938 | renovated = 1938, 1954, 1996, 2016, 2018, 2021 | expanded = | closed = | demolished = | rebuilt = | years_active = | cost = | architect = | builder = | project_manager = | structural_engineer = | services_engineer = | general_contractor = | main_contractors = | tenants = | website = {{URL|http://chehalistheater.com}} | embedded = }}
The '''Chehalis Theater''', also as the Chehalis Theatre, is a single-screen, Art Deco movie theater located in Chehalis, Washington. The theater is situated at the north end of the National Register of Historic Places-listed Chehalis Downtown Historic District near the Hotel Washington. Known locally for hand-painted illustrations of popular children's fantasy characters that once populated the ceiling, it is the only surviving movie house in the city.
The building was first constructed in 1923 and was used as an automobile dealership and garage. The location was remodeled for use as a movie theater in 1938 and opened under the name, Pix Theater. The movie house was designed in Art Deco-style and displayed a large fluorescent-lighted marquee. The theater was closed for renovations beginning in 1953, which removed most of the original elements of the Pix. The location was reopened under the name, Chehalis Theater, the following year.
After financial difficulties of both the cinema and the city of Chehalis during the 1980s, the theater changed owners multiple times and was converted for different uses, such as a video rental store and flea market during the end of the 20th century. Brief renovations were undertaken in the 1990s and 2000s, restoring some the original Art Deco elements, and films were shown on occasion during the period. Several attempts into the early 21st century were made to reopen the location as a full-time theater, but to little success. Major renovations, which included additional attempts to restore the early design style of the theater, began in the 2010s. Several business owners over the decade reintroduced consistent film screenings and also used the location as a multi-use entertainment venue and restaurant.
A local restaurateur purchased the building in 2018, undertaking an extensive restoration effort. Reopened in 2022, the theater continued to serve as a mixed-use venue for film showings and entertainment events, with a primary focus as a restaurant.
The Chehalis Theater, recognized by city for its historical importance in 2003, is host to the Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest.
==Theater history in Chehalis== {{main|History of theaters in Chehalis, Washington}} The Pix Theater was the last single-screen movie house built in the city, coming at the end of a 50-year run of opera houses, auditoriums for vaudeville, and other movie theaters. Chehalis's first theater was the short-lived, mixed-use Dobson & Donahoe Opera House built in 1886,<ref>{{cite news |title=Many Lewis County People Of Advanced Age |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1932/07-15/page-26 |access-date=August 21, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=July 15, 1932 |page=11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Early Days In Chehalis - 42 Years Ago |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1928/06-22/page-9 |access-date=August 21, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=June 22, 1928 |page=9}}</ref> followed by a formal entertainment house known as the Tynan Opera House, built by the matriarch of the city, Eliza Tynan Saunders Barrett, in 1889.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=Exhibit showcases women's roles in history |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/exhibit-showcaseswomens-roles-in-history,253920? |access-date=August 21, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 6, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=42 Years Ago |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WL49AAAAIBAJ |access-date=August 21, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |publisher=The Chehalis Bee |date=November 6, 1931 |page=8}}</ref>
Opera-style theaters such as the Brunswig Grand Opera House and the Geissler New Grand Opera House followed. The first theater built for use to show films was the Orpheum, opening in 1907.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Orpheum Theater Closes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pkZUAAAAIBAJ |access-date=August 21, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=March 7, 1912 |page=7}}</ref> Additional movie houses were constructed quickly in the decade to follow, including the Dream, Bell, and Liberty theaters. The last movie theater built before the Pix was the St. Helens Theater in 1924.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Flom |first1=Eric L. |title=St. Helens Theatre in Chehalis opens on May 12, 1924 |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/5126/ |website=HistoryLink |access-date=August 21, 2024 |date=January 26, 2003}}</ref>
The first moving picture recorded as being shown in Chehalis was at the New Grand in November 1904. The Edison Studios silent film was titled, "In the Hills of Old Carolina". A newspaper account remarked that the movie would be popular once "the public gets a little better acquainted with what is going on".<ref>{{cite news |title=The 10-Cent Edison Show |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_kRUAAAAIBAJ |access-date=December 13, 2023 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=November 18, 1904 |page=8}}</ref> The George Jessel comedy-drama, ''Lucky Boy'', was shown at the St. Helens Theater in 1929, becoming the first talkie exhibited in the city.<ref>{{cite news |title="Talking Movie" Is Here Sunday |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1929/03-15 |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=March 15, 1929 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Movie Critic Praises George Jessel's Art |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1929/03-15/page-5 |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=March 15, 1929 |page=5}}</ref> A spread advertisement was published in the ''Chehalis Bee-Nugget'' newspaper, with local businesses congratulating the theater on its installation of a vitaphone system.<ref>{{cite news |title=Advertisement |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1929/03-15/page-20 |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=March 15, 1929 |pages=20–21}}</ref>
==History of the Chehalis Theater== thumb|Chehalis Garage, far right, ca. 1910-1912 A wood structure that housed a horse livery and stable occupied the site as far back as 1907.<ref name="HPCHPO"/> The terra-cotta building was constructed in 1923 and was originally named the Beau Arts Building, and it is also known as the Gabel Building.<ref name="CTDAC">{{cite news |last1=Nailon |first1=Jordan |title=Chehalis Theater Draws a Crowd Once More |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-theater-draws-a-crowd-once-more,42457 |access-date=August 13, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 6, 2016}}</ref><ref name="DAHP">{{cite web |title=Historic Theatres - Statewide Survey and Physical Needs Assessment |url=https://dahp.wa.gov/sites/default/files/theater%20survey.pdf |publisher=Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation}}</ref> First home to a Ford car dealership, the location became known as St. John's Garage<ref name="CTDAC"/> and the Chehalis Garage.<ref name="TSWGO"/> The Gabel Building was purchased in 1937 by Harold St. John, an owner of automobile dealerships, garages, and other theaters in the Twin City area.<ref name="CRHTR">{{cite news |last1=Blomdahl |first1=George H. |title=Chehalis resident hopes to revive downtown theater |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/1994/09-12/page-5 |access-date=April 15, 2024 |work=The Centralia Chronicle |date=September 12, 1994}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Gets Lease On Grand Theater |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1938/07-13/page-8 |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=The Centralia Daily Chronicle |date=July 13, 1938 |page=8}}</ref>
After the structure was renovated to become a movie house, it opened on December 7, 1938, as the Pix Theater, seating 653;<ref name="CTDAC"/><ref name="DAHP"/> the first film shown was Bob Hope's ''Thanks for the Memory''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Layton |first1=Ken |title=Chehalis Theater |url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1226 |website=Cinema Treasures |access-date=August 13, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NCTTO">{{cite news |title=New Chehalis Theater To Open Tomorrow Night |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1938/12-06/page-2/ |access-date=November 30, 2023 |work=The Centralia Daily Chronicle |page=2 |date=December 6, 1938}}</ref>{{efn|Additional reports state that the first movie was the musical comedy, The Big Broadcast of 1938, which also starred Bob Hope.<ref name="CLAGT">{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title='Chehalis lost a giant today': Longtime City Councilor Daryl Lund dies at 63 |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-lost-a-giant-today-longtime-city-councilor-daryl-lund-dies-at-63,369875 |access-date=December 10, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 7, 2024}}</ref>}} A large newspaper spread in The Centralia Daily Chronicle was printed welcoming the theater. The Twin City Theatre Company, under the direction of Arthur St, John, were the owners of the new movie house and promised to provide first and second-run movies at "popular prices".<ref name="NCTTO"/>
The Pix originally had a triangular marquee with fluorescent lighting.<ref name="NCTTO"/> The theater's initial decor included a lobby with red and blue carpeting, and the theater viewing area, equipped with a balcony,<ref name="NCTTO"/> had red silk lined, blue-and-gold fleur-de-lis accented walls, red velour seats, and women had access to a cosmetic room.<ref name="HPCHPO"/><ref name="NCTTO"/> The building had air conditioning, was fireproofed, and great measures were taken to provide clear sound and viewing angles.<ref name="NCTTO"/> A pipe organ was initially installed but was relocated and rebuilt after an unknown time to a church in Fremont, Seattle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chehalis Theatre 2/8 Wicks Robert Morton |url=https://www.pstos.org/instruments/wa/chehalis/chehalis.htm |website=Puget Sound Pipeline |access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref> Typically shown at the theater during its early beginnings were a sequence of newsreels, cartoons, and westerns.<ref name=LT/>
===Conversion to the Chehalis Theater=== The Pix was sold by St. John to Ted Gabel in approximately 1948, only for St. John to reacquire the movie house five years later.<ref name="CRHTR"/> The building sustained damage during the 1949 Olympia earthquake but continued to operate.<ref name="TSWGO"/> Closed for a major renovation beginning in 1953,<ref name="HPCHPO"/> the film venue was renamed ''Chehalis Theater''{{efn|A nickname was also given during the 1954 change, shortening the name to "The Chehalis".<ref name="NCTWB"/>}} in 1954 during the closure.<ref name="HPCHPO"/><ref name="CTDAC"/>{{efn|There are conflicting reports in years after the name change incorrectly mentioning the change occurring in 1958. See sources within the article, post-1954, for the discrepancy.}} The movie house during the renovation was under ownership of Ron Gamble as part of a theater chain company in the Twin Cities. Gamble stated that delays in reopening the theater were due to a historical record of film venues in the city continually losing money.<ref>{{cite news |title=Newly-Organized Chehalis Chamber Group Meeting |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1954/07-09/page-3 |access-date=March 26, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=July 9, 1954 |page=3}}</ref>
Reopened on September 1, 1954, the remodel included a new, no-seam screen that could show a variety of film productions, including CinemaScope and 3-D, as well as new projection equipment. The large screen required the removal of the original stage. Additional efforts included a new balcony, ceiling, heating and cooling systems, lobby and lounge area, roof, and sidewalks.<ref name="MHDC">{{cite news |title=Movie House Due Chehalis |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1954/08-06/ |access-date=November 30, 2023 |work=The Daily Chronicle |page=1 |date=August 6, 1954}}</ref><ref name="NCTWB">{{cite news |title=New Chehalis Theatre Will Be Beautiful |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1954/08-24/page-11 |access-date=March 26, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=August 14, 1954 |page=11}}</ref> A marquee from the St. Helen's Theater in Chehalis was added to the building facade during the project.<ref name="MHDC"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Felthous |first1=Dave |title=Chehalis Theatre |url=https://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/6308.html |website=cinematour.com |access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref> The interior was redecorated, including new curtains and light fixtures, which were specifically designed for the theater. The overhaul was noted to be so extensive that the Daily Chronicle newspaper reported, "there isn't much left of the old show house except for the flooring".<ref name="NCTWB"/>
===Late 20th century operations=== The Roewe family purchased the Chehalis Theater from the estate of St. John in the early 1970s, owning and operating the movie house through the decade.<ref name="CRHTR"/> The venue, in the 1980s, was run by a theater chain for a time, projecting films until 1988.<ref name="HPCHPO"/><ref name="CTDAC"/>
thumb|Interior, Chehalis Theater, 2019 Due to economic hardships and maintenance backlogs, the theater shut down and became a video rental store named Video Time.<ref name="CTDAC"/> During this period, several murals of children's cartoon characters were painted on the ceiling.<ref name="TR"/> After the theater was sold in 1994 to Daryl Lund, also the owner of the Yard Birds Cinema 3 at the time,<ref name="1.5EPAT">{{cite news |last1=Emerson |first1=Amy |title=$1.5 million expansion planned at theater |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/15-million-expansion-planned-at-theater,252867? |access-date=November 29, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 15, 2003}}</ref> it hosted a flea market and Lund referred to both the Cinema 3 complex and the Chehalis Theater as the Chehalis Cinemas.<ref name="HPCHPO">{{cite news |last1=Emerson |first1=Amy |title=Hometown Proud - Chehalis honors property owners |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2003/05-10/page-21/ |access-date=November 30, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |pages=21–22 |date=May 10, 2003}}</ref><ref name="CTDAC"/> Lund leased the theater to Jerry Rese who, along with Lund, began a large restoration in 1996, finding and reusing decor and machinery stored at the theater. The movie house at the time listed the screen to be {{convert|16|x|32|ft|abbr=on}} and the venue had a footprint of {{convert|5,000|sqft|m2}}.<ref name="TR">{{cite news |last1=Pfeifer |first1=Larissa |title=Theater Rebirth |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/1996/06-20/page-49/ |access-date=November 30, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |pages=49–50 |date=June 20, 1996}}</ref> Art Deco chandeliers, original to the theater, were found in the attic and restored.<ref name="CLAGT"/> The interior had a green decor and Rese removed the original patterned theater carpeting. As the venue lacked seating,<ref name="CRHTR"/> he installed 298 seats that were original to another closed theater and had the concession stand in the lobby rebuilt. There were plans to reopen the playhouse as a second-run theater.<ref name="TR"/> The neon marquee was restored in 2000.<ref name="HPCHPO"/>
The independent movie, ''The Immigrant Garden'', premiered at the theater in 2001.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Paulu |first1=Tom |title=A Touch of Hollywood in Chehalis |url=https://tdn.com/a-touch-of-hollywood-in-chehalis/article_bc887e10-149c-55ec-880b-44391656c1f4.html |access-date=June 5, 2023 |work=The Daily News (Longview, Washington) |date=May 21, 2001}}</ref> In 2003, the Chehalis Historic Preservation Commission awarded the Chehalis Theater with a listing and plaque recognizing the historical importance, and restoration efforts, of the movie house.<ref name="HPCHPO"/> During the 2008 Washington gubernatorial election, candidate Dino Rossi held a campaign rally at the theater; the venue was recorded to have a near capacity crowd of almost 300 people.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Boone |first1=Rolf |title=Republican candidate Dino Rossi has campaign rally in Chehalis |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/1243BC96DB3FA5A0 |access-date=February 5, 2026 |work=The Olympian |date=November 3, 2008 |id={{NewsBank text|1243BC96DB3FA5A0}} |via=NewsBank |url-access=registration}}</ref>
There were brief periods of screening films into 2008, including some new releases, when the location ceased operations until 2016 due to competition with the larger, upgraded Midway Cinemas at the Lewis County Mall.<ref name="CTDAC"/><ref name=LT/><ref name="FS">{{cite news |last1=Brewer |first1=Christopher |title=For Sale: One Theater, Asking Price $299,000 |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/for-sale-one-theater-asking-price-299000,77423? |access-date=August 13, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Marqise |title=Chehalis Cinema Closes |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-cinema-closes,194013? |access-date=August 14, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 6, 2009}}</ref> There were two brief attempts to reopen the Chehalis Theater in 2009 and into the next year, but the potential revivals never came to fruition.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Marqise |title=Bright Lights Set to Return to Market Street |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/bright-lights-set-to-return-to-market-street,182961? |access-date=December 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 26, 2009}}</ref>
<gallery class="center"> File:Chehalis Theater, Chehalis, Washington LCCN2017708134.tif|Chehalis Theater, 1980s File:Chehalis Theater, Chehalis, Washington LCCN2017708135.tif|Chehalis Theater, marquee, 1980s File:Chehalis Theater, Chehalis, Washington LCCN2017708136.tif|Marquee, detail, 1980s File:Chehalis Theater, Chehalis, Washington LCCN2017708133.tif|Marquee, detail, 1980s File:Chehalis Theater 08.jpg|Marquee, 2025 </gallery>
===2016 and 2018 renovations=== thumb|Chehalis Theater, 2011 The first renovation began in 2016 after a new owner, Ralph Hubbert, leased the building to a local proprietor. The theater contained original and antique film machinery, including a toilet in the projection room, and the balcony was intact.<ref name="TSWGO"/> The restorations focused on reviving and saving much of the Art Deco style,<ref name="DAHP"/> while adding an upstairs bar, dining area, and kitchen. The theater began film showings in October, the first since late 2008, and charged $5 for admission. The first films shown were Hotel Transylvania and The Addams Family.<ref>{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Chehalis Theatre Screens First Movies in Eight Years |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-theatre-screens-first-movies-in-eight-years,41024? |access-date=December 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=November 1, 2016}}</ref> The new proprietor added musical acts as well as live screenings of Seattle Seahawks games.<ref name="LT">{{cite news |last1=Carlson |first1=Greg |title=The Chehalis Theatre: A Historical Building Lives On |url=http://www.lewistalk.com/2016/12/21/chehalis-theatre-historical-building-lives/ |access-date=August 13, 2021 |work=Lewis Talk |date=December 21, 2016}}</ref> The cartoon murals on the ceiling, added at an unknown time but not original to the theater, were preserved owing to the community support for the work. The occupancy was listed as 285.<ref name="TSWGO">{{cite news |last1=Nailon |first1=Jordan |title=The Show Will Go On at the Chehalis Theater After Sale |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/the-show-will-go-on-at-the-chehalis-theater-after-sale,51661? |access-date=October 6, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 26, 2016}}</ref>
In late 2018, a new lease agreement with a local Chehalis family led to additional renovations. The owners continued to screen movies and provide live musical entertainment while concentrating on pizza as the main cuisine option.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hayes |first1=Katie |title=New Managers Take Over Chehalis Theatre, Plan to Host Live Entertainment, Serve Pizza |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/new-managers-take-over-chehalis-theatre-plan-to-host-live-entertainment-serve-pizza,12203 |access-date=August 13, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 20, 2018}}</ref>
===2021 renovations and reopening=== thumb|Chehalis Theater, entrance, 2024 In 2020, a local restaurateur bought the theater and started the third restoration in five years in 2021. Renaming the location as ''McFiler's Chehalis Theater'', early plans included a reopening later that year or early 2022, with the expectation to continue to screen movies while providing restaurant dining and live entertainment. Adhering to ADA requirements and new building codes, extensive remodeling was done to large portions of the theater, including a modified marquee. The ceiling illustrations were to be painted over but photographed and displayed along with antique equipment from the building.<ref name="RRU">{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Emily |title=Renovations Ramp Up at McFiler's Chehalis Theater |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/renovations-ramp-up-at-mcfilers-chehalis-theater,267749 |access-date=August 13, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 16, 2021}}</ref>
thumb|Interior, Chehalis Theater, 2023 The theater had a soft opening in late 2022,<ref name="RRU"/> and an official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place in March 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wenzelburger |first1=Jared |title=A Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Held for McFiler's Chehalis Theater |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/in-focus-a-ribbon-cutting-ceremony-held-for-mcfilers-chehalis-theater,315069? |access-date=June 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 6, 2023}}</ref> The theater, since its reopening, has hosted events tied to the 75th anniversary of the Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Chehalis Celebrates 75th Anniversary of 1947 Historic UFO Sighting With Flying Saucer Party |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-celebrates-75th-anniversary-of-1947-historic-ufo-sighting-with-flying-saucer-party,300096? |access-date=June 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 19, 2022}}</ref> and a symposium on Bigfoot that included speaker Cliff Barackman.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Hundreds Attend 'Bigfoot: Real or Hoax?' Event in Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/hundreds-attend-bigfoot-real-or-hoax-event-in-chehalis,317537? |access-date=June 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 17, 2023}}</ref>
The south wall of the cinema was renovated in early 2024; the north wall, or façade, was noted in 2025 to require up to $30,000 in repair and renovation work. A revamped restaurant, known as Limelight, was planned to open at the Chehalis Theater in December 2025.{{r|TCTOM}}
After the theater's last renovation that began in 2021, the building was renamed ''McFiler's Chehalis Theater''. The name was reverted back to its original moniker, the Chehalis Theater, in November 2025, due to ongoing customer confusion over the McFiler name. The ownership group also operated a separate restaurant known as "McFiler's", located one block south of the historic movie house.<ref name="TCTOM">{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=The Chehalis Theater once more: Owners drop McFiler's moniker to avoid confusion with nearby restaurant |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/the-chehalis-theater-once-more-owners-drop-mcfilers-moniker-to-avoid-confusion-with-nearby,391651 |access-date=December 4, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=November 24, 2025}}</ref>
{{As of|2023}}, the Chehalis Theater listed an occupancy of 450<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Emily |title=HUB Comedy and McFiler's Chehalis Theater Partner to Bring Big Name Acts |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/hub-comedy-and-mcfilers-chehalis-theater-partner-to-bring-big-name-acts,313770? |access-date=June 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 8, 2023}}</ref> and was opened to fine dining, comedy shows, musical performances, charity events, live televised sports, and film presentations. Under McFiler's ownership, the Chehalis Theater has courted a few local controversies over the types of events held at the movie house. Opposition has been noted for drag show performances and a traveling comedy tour known as "The Dope Show" in which comedians perform a set under the influence of marijuana. The historic site has also been rented for local school productions and a variety of other, less controversial shows and events. {{As of|2025}}, the city has not allowed permits for events featuring live music, such as concerts or dance parties, as the theater lacked a fire suppression system.{{r|TCTOM}}
==Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest== thumb|Posters, Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest, 2025 The theater hosted the first Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest in 2023, coinciding with the city's Flying Saucer Party.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Inaugural Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest in Chehalis showcases 19 short films |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/inaugural-northwest-flying-saucer-film-fest-in-chehalis-showcases-19-short-films,326368 |access-date=October 6, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 28, 2023}}</ref> Winning films under various genres, as well as "best alien" and "best UFO", are selected by audience members and the film committee and are awarded a small statue known as the "Orbie".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=A 'Were-Alien,' 'One Giant Waddle' and an 'Unidentified Funky Occurrence': 20 short films at Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-were-alien-one-giant-waddle-and-an-unidentified-funky-occurrence-20-short,387205 |access-date=September 18, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 15, 2025}}</ref>
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category-inline|Chehalis Theater}} * [https://www.flyingsaucerparty.org/the-northwest-flying-saucer-film-fest Chehalis Flying Saucer Party - Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/1b0ccd00-a805-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Chehalis Theater, 1954 remodel, via the Lewis County Historical Museum - Balcony, photo] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/1af80c80-a805-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Chehalis Theater, 1954 remodel, via the Lewis County Historical Museum - Exterior, photo] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/1b02bae0-a805-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Chehalis Theater, 1954 remodel, via the Lewis County Historical Museum - Lobby, photo] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/1b1aafb0-a805-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Chehalis Theater, 1954 remodel, via the Lewis County Historical Museum - Screen, photo] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/1a32e7c0-a805-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Chehalis Theater, 1997, via the Lewis County Historical Museum - Ceiling murals, photo]
{{Chehalis, Washington|state=collapsed}}
Category:1938 establishments in Washington (state) Category:Art Deco architecture in Washington (state) Category:Art Deco cinemas and movie theaters Category:Beaux-Arts architecture in Washington (state) Category:Buildings and structures in Lewis County, Washington Category:Chehalis, Washington Category:Cinemas and movie theaters in Washington (state) Category:Former cinemas and movie theaters in the United States