The big, beautiful, midcentury modern Lee Theater opened in Ephrata in 1951, envisioned and built by local couple John and Mary Lee. For years, it was considered one of eastern Washington’s finest theaters.
Updated
The Lee Theater in 1951. From the collection of Mike Scellick.
BY SHARON HASTINGS — Contributing Writer
Part One: More Than Just Movies
Ben-Hur, The Sound of Music, James Bond, True Grit, Jaws, The Godfather, Star Wars, Toy Story, Harry Potter, Spider-Man. The list goes on. These are just a few of the movies that have entertained Ephrata since 1951.
But when GCJ.news talked with local folks about The Lee, it wasn't the movies they remembered most. It was the memories.
More Than a Movie
Tom Flint smiles as he recalls the popcorn, the neon clock in the lobby, and The Lee as the place where he got his first kiss. Father Jerome Bonneville has different memories. Five decades ago, he was one of The Lee’s “infamous ushers,” flashlight in hand. He hauled films between Ephrata and a sister theater in Moses Lake, and considers himself lucky to be alive after falling while putting letters on the outdoor marquee. Grant County Historical Museum curator Ken Fortner chuckles as he remembers his brother Chuck winning a cocker spaniel puppy at a Saturday matinee. Their mother “wasn't real happy,” he recalls.
For Mike Scellick, longtime owner of the Ephrata Athletic Club, The Lee was a weekly highlight growing up in the 1960s. “For people my age, who grew up here as kids, it was the thing we looked forward to all week,” he said. “Sometimes you had to wait in line for 15, 20 minutes, a half hour on some Disney shows, but it was all fun because your friends were there.” He remembers the familiar seats, too. “You always sat in the same seats, kinda like your parents always sat in at church. It's something that was weird, but you'd always go to that exact same spot.”
A Place to Be Together
Sue Franck, a longtime Ephratan and Master Gardener, remembers The Lee as a break from household chores and a chance to enjoy friends. “I think going to The Lee Theater was a bit of a getaway and a chance to go do something that was fun,” she said. “The only entertainment here in town, this was back in the late '60s, was the swimming pool and The Lee Theater.”
Today's Ephrata High School students have their own Lee stories.
“There's something about going to see a movie,” one student said. “I mean, we all stream, we all do those things. But I think just getting able to, like, be with friends or family and going to see a big movie is something special.” Another remembers going to Disney movies with friends as a child. They would wait for the end credits and music, then dance on the stage. For another student, The Lee remains a place to gather. “It's our one get-together place in Ephrata. Everyone knows what it is, and everyone knows your name.”
EHS teacher Mikki Johns has a memory that bridges school days and adult life. “The Lee was where my husband and I had our first date,” she said. “It was sophomore year, and we went to a movie after the Orange E Carnival. We walked because neither of us had our licenses yet.”
For University of Washington student Erika Morford, a movie at The Lee became more than a night out. She remembers watching an inspiring scene with high school friends. “When I looked over, half of them were crying. And the others were sitting there completely enthralled. That's how I was feeling about the scene. It was really, really nice to watch something so deeply inspiring. And so pro-women, with my good friends.”
A Place of Memories
A first kiss, a puppy, familiar seats, dancing on a stage, a movie shared with friends. The details differ, but the stories return to fun, friendship, escape, and being together. Franck's recollection of The Lee as one of the few places to go in town echoes a student's description of the need for somewhere to spend time with friends. The world outside the theater has changed, but the desire to gather remains.
But, as in the movies and life, complications occur...
The Lee Theater in 2026. Photo by Sharon Hastings
An Uncertain Future
The Lee's owners want to retire, and the theater is for sale. Like other familiar places in small towns, its future is uncertain. Most of us know the surprise of seeing a farm sold, a retail outlet shuttered, or a small business disappear. GCJ.news takes no position on what should happen to The Lee. Instead, we're looking at Ephrata over time through the lens of its hometown movie theater. What does the theater mean to those who have known it, and what might their memories tell us about its place in the life of the town?
There is more to explore: the building itself, the changing technologies that have shaped moviegoing, and the ways The Lee has served the community beyond showing films. For now, perhaps the place to begin is with a simple question for all of us who live in Ephrata: What do I value about The Lee Theater? Part Two of this series runs Thursday, Nov.12.
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The Lee Theater — A Four-Part Series
The big, beautiful, midcentury modern Lee Theater opened in Ephrata in 1951, envisioned and built by local couple John and Mary Lee. For years, it was considered one of eastern Washington’s finest theaters.
BY SHARON HASTINGS — Contributing Writer
Part One: More Than Just Movies
Ben-Hur, The Sound of Music, James Bond, True Grit, Jaws, The Godfather, Star Wars, Toy Story, Harry Potter, Spider-Man. The list goes on. These are just a few of the movies that have entertained Ephrata since 1951.
But when GCJ.news talked with local folks about The Lee, it wasn't the movies they remembered most. It was the memories.
More Than a Movie
Tom Flint smiles as he recalls the popcorn, the neon clock in the lobby, and The Lee as the place where he got his first kiss. Father Jerome Bonneville has different memories. Five decades ago, he was one of The Lee’s “infamous ushers,” flashlight in hand. He hauled films between Ephrata and a sister theater in Moses Lake, and considers himself lucky to be alive after falling while putting letters on the outdoor marquee. Grant County Historical Museum curator Ken Fortner chuckles as he remembers his brother Chuck winning a cocker spaniel puppy at a Saturday matinee. Their mother “wasn't real happy,” he recalls.
For Mike Scellick, longtime owner of the Ephrata Athletic Club, The Lee was a weekly highlight growing up in the 1960s. “For people my age, who grew up here as kids, it was the thing we looked forward to all week,” he said. “Sometimes you had to wait in line for 15, 20 minutes, a half hour on some Disney shows, but it was all fun because your friends were there.” He remembers the familiar seats, too. “You always sat in the same seats, kinda like your parents always sat in at church. It's something that was weird, but you'd always go to that exact same spot.”
A Place to Be Together
Sue Franck, a longtime Ephratan and Master Gardener, remembers The Lee as a break from household chores and a chance to enjoy friends. “I think going to The Lee Theater was a bit of a getaway and a chance to go do something that was fun,” she said. “The only entertainment here in town, this was back in the late '60s, was the swimming pool and The Lee Theater.”
Today's Ephrata High School students have their own Lee stories.
“There's something about going to see a movie,” one student said. “I mean, we all stream, we all do those things. But I think just getting able to, like, be with friends or family and going to see a big movie is something special.” Another remembers going to Disney movies with friends as a child. They would wait for the end credits and music, then dance on the stage. For another student, The Lee remains a place to gather. “It's our one get-together place in Ephrata. Everyone knows what it is, and everyone knows your name.”
EHS teacher Mikki Johns has a memory that bridges school days and adult life. “The Lee was where my husband and I had our first date,” she said. “It was sophomore year, and we went to a movie after the Orange E Carnival. We walked because neither of us had our licenses yet.”
For University of Washington student Erika Morford, a movie at The Lee became more than a night out. She remembers watching an inspiring scene with high school friends. “When I looked over, half of them were crying. And the others were sitting there completely enthralled. That's how I was feeling about the scene. It was really, really nice to watch something so deeply inspiring. And so pro-women, with my good friends.”
A Place of Memories
A first kiss, a puppy, familiar seats, dancing on a stage, a movie shared with friends. The details differ, but the stories return to fun, friendship, escape, and being together. Franck's recollection of The Lee as one of the few places to go in town echoes a student's description of the need for somewhere to spend time with friends. The world outside the theater has changed, but the desire to gather remains.
But, as in the movies and life, complications occur...
An Uncertain Future
The Lee's owners want to retire, and the theater is for sale. Like other familiar places in small towns, its future is uncertain. Most of us know the surprise of seeing a farm sold, a retail outlet shuttered, or a small business disappear. GCJ.news takes no position on what should happen to The Lee. Instead, we're looking at Ephrata over time through the lens of its hometown movie theater. What does the theater mean to those who have known it, and what might their memories tell us about its place in the life of the town?
There is more to explore: the building itself, the changing technologies that have shaped moviegoing, and the ways The Lee has served the community beyond showing films. For now, perhaps the place to begin is with a simple question for all of us who live in Ephrata: What do I value about The Lee Theater? Part Two of this series runs Thursday, Nov.12.