24 Comments
May 27, 2020Liked by Michael R Dougherty

I remember going there as a young girl in the 60's and seeing Élvis Presley's movies. The smell of the buttered popcorn was like no other. The relief artwork in the lobby was extraordinaryily breathtaking. On the ceiling was the big Dipper in star lights with the North star blinking. As a teenager I recall going to the balcony to Steven McQueen's "Bullit"to make out. I saw so many movies there; the last one being the x-rated "Last Tango In Paris". And outside if you had to wait in line, the bank had a huge two-sided fish tank with rainbow trout to watch. Truly some strong memories made there.

Expand full comment
May 3, 2020Liked by Michael R Dougherty

When young, avid watcher at the Empress and 4th Ave. When empress closed and got a bit older, I added the Denali theater. 4th had saturday matinees with old black and white westerrn Cliff Hangers*** Denali always had a double feature. Loved those theaters***

Expand full comment
May 3, 2020Liked by Michael R Dougherty

I remember going to the movies as a kid, late '50's. It was the old 4th Avenue. You could watch a movie for a cereal box top and 10-25 cents on a Saturday.

Expand full comment
Aug 3, 2023Liked by Michael R Dougherty

My best friend and I would hitchhike from Chugiak to Anchorage to go to the 4th Avenue theater on saturdays in the winter!!! His mother would always tell us to dress warm but we wanted to look good for the girls in the balcony so we wore light clothing. (So dumb ) Well way back then Anchorage to Chugiak found very few cars to catch a ride from. We almost always caught a ride to the Ft. Richardson gate just past muldoon road and would be stuck there for quite sometime. It was bitter cold and at times i could barely feel my feet. How we never got frostbite i'll never know. While freezing there on the highway you would have thought we would repent and take my best friend's mother's advice, but noooooo the next week-end there we were again wearing light clothing hitchhiking to the 4th Avenue theater. It's amazing what young teenage boys will do to meet girls and makeout.

Expand full comment
Apr 15, 2023Liked by Michael R Dougherty

I remember watching a Planet of the Apes 5 movie marathon at Fireweed Theater. Also, being one of the first in line to see Return of the Jedi at the Polar Twin Theater and waiting in line for 6 hours on opening day. Good memories.

Expand full comment
Oct 23, 2022Liked by Michael R Dougherty

Hi, I grew up in Anchorage, born on Kodiak. Wasn’t the Denali theatre the one that had a bowling alley in the basement?

Expand full comment
Jan 30, 2021Liked by Michael R Dougherty

Anther fun memory was of the Denali Theater in March /April of 1965. My friends and I had already seen the Signs of Music by ourselves. If course I loved that movie and hoped to see it again. One evening my family was out to dinner and afterwords decided to go see the movie at my insistancd. We rolled up to the theater about 5 minutes late and my parents decided that we should come back another time. I was so disappointed that I told them that I could sing the opening number for them so they wouldn't miss anything. Needless to say, we came back another night. But I often get the urge to sing The Hills Are Alive and can't help remembering that night in front of the Denali Theater.

Expand full comment
Jan 30, 2021Liked by Michael R Dougherty

In late July of 1973 the Fireweed Theater hosted the Planet of the Apes film festival. Playing all five movies one right after the other. It is hard to believe that all the movies had been released and viewed by me pryor to this date. I remember having to be picked up and taken to a doctor's appointment in the middle of the 8ish hour extravaganza but the management was very kind to let me back in when I returned. Amazing that kids managed to sit still for that long, especially in the summer.

Expand full comment
May 3, 2020Liked by Michael R Dougherty

Charleston Heston and co. at Fireweed Denali for premere movie, Earthquake. I just came from work, alot of people were dressed up. Tried not to feel weird.

Expand full comment
author

Leslie: Thank you for the update. I think I was there once, but my memory of this is very foggy.

Expand full comment

I used to work at the 4th Ave Theater in the concession stand when I was 14 or 15. Was either 1968 or 1969. I made some great popcorn! Have had a love affair with popcorn ever since.

Expand full comment