The KiMo: Albuquerque’s Restored Movie Palace
by Pasadena Adjacent
Swastikas adorn the proscenium, entryway and the KiMo’s exterior
On a return to our blog series “tripping with Mary” we discover that when traveling the great southwest, we’re never alone. Lucille Ball is everywhere. We also discover, once in Albuquerque, if Lucy isn’t available, Ethel is. Introducing Albuquerque’s fairest flower: Ethel May Potter aka Ethal Mertz aka Vivian Vance. She got her start at the KiMo.
“The KiMo Theatre, a Pueblo Deco picture palace, opened on September 19, 1927. Pueblo Deco was a flamboyant, short-lived architectural style that fused the spirit of the Native American cultures of the Southwest with the exuberance of Art Deco. Pueblo Deco appeared at a time when movie-mad communities were constructing film palaces based on exotic models such as Moorish mosques and Chinese pavilions.
Native American motifs appeared in only a handful of theaters; of those few, the KiMo is the undisputed king.” (Quote)
Take a one minute tour in the above Wee Video production and witness for yourself the theater’s extraordinary entryway and ticket booth.
If your curious about the complexities involved in the restoration of a movie palace, may we suggest you open the link to this well done 30 minute documentary on the KiMo theater.
Albuquerque is also the location of where the series “Breaking Bad” is filmed. Times have changed some since Albuquerque’s fairest flower
once performed Short’nin’ Bread at the KiMo.
Our Editor Responds: Meanwhile our dear beloved Rialto Movie Palace in South Pasadena adjacent awaits it’s restorative encore. Read all about it here
.
Pasadena Adjacent’s meandering series on a road trip through the great south west with friend Mary. The KiMo is on Central ave otherwise known as Route 66.
What a way to live, I love all of the tile work. I’ve always wanted to visit that part of the Southwest so thanks for the tour.
I’ve been watching “In Plain Sight” on Netflix which is also filmed there and I think they’ve done a good job of using the local atmosphere in the series – as best I can tell.
I watched the first episode of “In Plain Sight” The train station is a 1/2 mile from the KiMo on Route 66. Off of the Route is the old pueblo area. Interesting city as is nearby Gallop, but people tend to bypass them in favor of Santa Fe and Taos.
Beautiful post. Your timing is interesting, not that it matters. I’ve always been told that swastikas and the Navajo Sun were completely different. But alas, in the article they are the same. Such extremes for a couple of lines, eh?
Our Editor Responds: re Navaho maybe going in the opposite direction? from the Swastika Link
“One of the oldest symbols made by humans, the swastika dates back some 6,000 years to rock and cave paintings. Scholars generally agree it originated in India. With the emergence of the Sanskrit language came the term “swastika”, a combination of “su”, or good and “asti”, to be; in other words, well-being.”
Swastikas are carved into the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
I didn’t know about this theater — and I have volumes of info on restored theaters. This is wonderful. I’m working on another in my Rialto series for my Patch column featuring mroe case histories of successful reopenings of movie palaces. I want to include this theater and link to this post.
Like minds, my dear. Like minds. (Love the timing of this!)
Our Editor Responds: The KiMo is a stunner. I suspect your familiar with it’s designers the Boller brothers. On a related note, the brothers also designed a Wild West-Rococo-style theater in San Antonio. I wish I could have found more interior shots in my research. Here is one from flikr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7614513@N02/2087769021/in/photostream/
Wow, that was a long, garbled sentence up there. Oh well, you know what I was trying to say. (Have I ever told you I’m a professional writer?) :-)
Lettuce pray the RiAlto finds an owner who wants the best for it & the community that loves it.
Our Editor Responds: Yes, the community (and many in the adjacents) do love the RiAlto.
So beautiful! Hopefully the KiMo and Rialto both find love and respectful restoration very soon…
Vetti: isn’t it beautiful? The KiMo was nearly bulldozed as one of the regal yesteryear structures on Route 66. Albuquerque has made the effort and their downtown and old town gleam
I’ve spent some time this evening reading posts on a favorite blog of mine called the Brimstone Butterfly.
http://thebrimstonebutterfly.blogspot.com/
I love this blog because the Butterfly and I are both intrigued by Britain’s treasured old buildings. She and I are not alone in this. We’re among the thousands (perhaps millions?) who realize that Britain’s entire tourist industry depends on these castles, monuments and stately homes.
London.
Paris.
Rome.
These people don’t tear down their stuff. They keep it. And we save all our lives to go spend our money there.
Duh.
Our Editor Responds: and if it never earns it’s keep, why can’t a municipality just accept that one of their own [the Rialto] is a money suck and work it into the budget? and why can’t a wealthy community pull a few lawyers off the LB extension to save the Rialto from the bind it finds itself in? Could it be because South Pasadena’s city council is dirty and is waiting for the moment they can legally call the Rialto unsafe?
those hard hats are wonderful
and I have a pair of kachina earrings that look just like those handles – purchased in Phoenix
the Kimo is so lovely.
By the way, you seem to have enough patio furniture (which is fantastic) for a party ????
Our Editor Responds: oh yes, the long awaited party. must!
I would love to gad about the Southwest some time. You find the coolest stuff. Pueblo-Deco…who knew!
Our Editor Responds: Nows a good time. If I could only get out of town before it gets cold east and north of me.
PA, you never fail to expand my horizons. The KiMo is stunning. I’ve never been to Albuquerque but must take a road trip. A friend in the movie biz gets a lot of work there. He calls it Albucracky. Maybe explains why “Breaking Bad” is filmed there?
Our Editor Responds: Albucracky and the nearby Galloping gutter. Taste a lot like Los Angeles, no wonder the film industry has been pulling up stakes
Ethel bears an uncanny resemblance to Sally Kellerman. Who would have thought?
Our Editor Responds: “Who would have thought?” Lucy, the woman’s devious
Cool structure. Thanks for the mini-tour.
Our Editor Responds: good to see you back on line Jean
The KiMo is pretty appealing–seems almost unique yet, as you say, within both the art deco and SW traditions.
I’m pretty sure I’ve heard about the swastika’s universality, but this is the clearest that’s been for me. Interesting indeed, tho’ still chilling. The Nazis have also undermined Nietzsche, Wagner, and that other philosopher whose name I’m blanking on. I wonder how much each of them deserved to be associated with Nazism. What other people and images did they drag into the little Hotel Hate toilet with them?
Our Editor Responds: architect Phillup Johnson? he was transfixed by Nazi spectacle and the charisma of Hitler. Something that would follow him.
beautiful!!!
Gprgeous–
I mean, of course, Gorgepus aka Gorgeous.
Our Editor Responds: aka right!
Her name was/is Irene.
Our Editor Responds: Maybe, but I don’t think thats Butch. I think it’s a cousin. Yes, Irene read auras – spoke in tongues (Hawaiian) too. Didn’t care for me. Butch died at the vets hospital in Long Beach while I was attending the college next door. Saw lots of Irene during that time. Butch was the sweetest, but man o man, did he ever know how to pick um.
love love love this, you synthesize information & insight so wonderfully-
we must trip more, the weather is getting right–
Our Editor Responds: We better act fast