When John and Mary Lee opened their theater in Ephrata in 1951, the town stood at the threshold of extraordinary change.
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The Lee Theater stage in its early years. Courtesy of Mike Scellick
More Than Just Movies
When John and Mary Lee opened their theater in Ephrata in 1951, the town stood at the threshold of extraordinary change. The Bureau of Reclamation had established its regional headquarters there, and water from the Columbia Basin Project was poised to transform desert into farmland. The Grant County PUD, also based in Ephrata, was shaping the county’s future with plans for two dams and the promise of locally owned public power.
The Lee matched those ambitions. Rows of plush seats, a luxurious balcony and a screen framed by opulent curtains brought Hollywood glamour to town. Even the smallest patrons were considered: a glass-walled, soundproof crying room offered parents a place to take restless babies and toddlers. The Lee was more than a movie house. It was a showplace for a town looking toward the future.
A Stage for the Community
For more than 30 years, The Lee provided a gracious setting for entertainment and community gatherings. Movies were its purpose, but much more happened within its walls.
“It was a cultural center for the whole community,” says Linda Bonneville, former owner of Brix and Stone. “Anything big that was going to happen in Ephrata happened there.”
The 1971 Miss Ephrata court, from left: Jo Ann Taylor, Christine Norman and Laura Schempp. Grant County Journal photo, courtesy of the Grant County Historical Museum
Miss Ephrata pageants, recalls Loretta Mayer, were regal affairs. "The stage itself was huge and you looked out onto 500 people in the audience. It was a very powerful way to quickly learn stage presence." Each contestant was accompanied by a young man, she remembers. “You walked up a side aisle and then made a grand entrance up onto the stage. There were maybe ten girls, and the theater was packed full. Not something a person forgets.”
The stage welcomed ballet dancers, choral groups, talent-show contestants, marionettes and rock musicians. Nationally known performers appeared, too. Bonneville remembers Norma Zimmer, “The Champagne Lady” from "The Lawrence Welk Show," giving concerts at The Lee. In the late 1960s, Welsh singer Tom Jones, known for “What’s New Pussycat,” and B.J. Thomas, whose recording of “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” became famous through "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," also performed in Ephrata.
For a small rural town, The Lee offered a remarkable stage. It brought the wider world to Ephrata while giving local people a place to step into the spotlight themselves.
When the Screens Changed
By the late 1970s, Ephrata had changed, and The Lee faced new challenges. Videocassette recorders, introduced in the mid-1970s, would soon allow Americans to watch movies at home.
During the 1980s, The Lee stopped showing movies. In an ironic twist, a video rental shop opened in its lobby. People who wanted the big-screen experience sometimes drove to Moses Lake, including to see "Always," Steven Spielberg’s film shot in and around Ephrata.
The Lee was hardly alone. Theaters across the country struggled as home video changed viewing habits. The building's future grew uncertain. Sports promoter Jerry Dobbins purchased it with an ambitious plan to transform it into an indoor swimming complex. The plan never came to fruition.
Eventually, The Lee found another way back to movies. Ownership changed hands among Jeff Fairchild, Randy Fairchild and Lanith Whetstone before Randy and Shelley Fairchild took over again. The theater was converted into a triplex, a pizza restaurant was added, and local artist Michael Bosnar painted the now-famous exterior mural.
A New Generation Finds The Lee
A new generation found its own reasons to visit.
Lindsay Mayer remembers piling into a booth with high school friends to eat pizza and watch movies. “I don’t know how we managed to sit so many people in one place,” she laughs.
Today's Ephrata High School students have their own memories of family outings. One appreciates “the whole experience of eating pizza and sitting in comfy chairs.” Another describes the theater as “a close place to go to hang out with friends or to go on dates with my boyfriend. They make the best snacks and pizza."
A mural by artist Michael Bosnar on the exterior of the Lee Theater in Ephrata. Photo by Randy Bracht
Outside, Bosnar's mural has become part of everyday life in Ephrata. Ardell Filip and Bill Thornton helped fund one of its many characters. “It’s fun to drive by and try to figure out the one we helped with,” Filip laughs.
Erika Morford remembers watching Bosnar paint the mural when she was a little girl. Years later, taking art in high school, she found pleasure in knowing the artist had once sat in the same classroom. Today's students continue to discover new details. One recalls driving past the mural on the way to school: “I swear, every time I see it, I find a new character that I didn't know is there and I get all excited.”
Across generations, The Lee has offered more than movies: a stage for local talent, a gathering place for friends and families, and a familiar landmark woven into the routines of daily life.
Another Turning Point
Now, time has brought another turning point. The 1990s are decades behind us, and The Lee's current owners are looking toward retirement. Once again, the theater is for sale. Part Three will run Tuesday, Nov. 17.
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The Lee Theater: Part Two
When John and Mary Lee opened their theater in Ephrata in 1951, the town stood at the threshold of extraordinary change.
More Than Just Movies
When John and Mary Lee opened their theater in Ephrata in 1951, the town stood at the threshold of extraordinary change. The Bureau of Reclamation had established its regional headquarters there, and water from the Columbia Basin Project was poised to transform desert into farmland. The Grant County PUD, also based in Ephrata, was shaping the county’s future with plans for two dams and the promise of locally owned public power.
The Lee matched those ambitions. Rows of plush seats, a luxurious balcony and a screen framed by opulent curtains brought Hollywood glamour to town. Even the smallest patrons were considered: a glass-walled, soundproof crying room offered parents a place to take restless babies and toddlers. The Lee was more than a movie house. It was a showplace for a town looking toward the future.
A Stage for the Community
For more than 30 years, The Lee provided a gracious setting for entertainment and community gatherings. Movies were its purpose, but much more happened within its walls.
“It was a cultural center for the whole community,” says Linda Bonneville, former owner of Brix and Stone. “Anything big that was going to happen in Ephrata happened there.”
Miss Ephrata pageants, recalls Loretta Mayer, were regal affairs. "The stage itself was huge and you looked out onto 500 people in the audience. It was a very powerful way to quickly learn stage presence." Each contestant was accompanied by a young man, she remembers. “You walked up a side aisle and then made a grand entrance up onto the stage. There were maybe ten girls, and the theater was packed full. Not something a person forgets.”
The stage welcomed ballet dancers, choral groups, talent-show contestants, marionettes and rock musicians. Nationally known performers appeared, too. Bonneville remembers Norma Zimmer, “The Champagne Lady” from "The Lawrence Welk Show," giving concerts at The Lee. In the late 1960s, Welsh singer Tom Jones, known for “What’s New Pussycat,” and B.J. Thomas, whose recording of “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” became famous through "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," also performed in Ephrata.
For a small rural town, The Lee offered a remarkable stage. It brought the wider world to Ephrata while giving local people a place to step into the spotlight themselves.
When the Screens Changed
By the late 1970s, Ephrata had changed, and The Lee faced new challenges. Videocassette recorders, introduced in the mid-1970s, would soon allow Americans to watch movies at home.
During the 1980s, The Lee stopped showing movies. In an ironic twist, a video rental shop opened in its lobby. People who wanted the big-screen experience sometimes drove to Moses Lake, including to see "Always," Steven Spielberg’s film shot in and around Ephrata.
The Lee was hardly alone. Theaters across the country struggled as home video changed viewing habits. The building's future grew uncertain. Sports promoter Jerry Dobbins purchased it with an ambitious plan to transform it into an indoor swimming complex. The plan never came to fruition.
Eventually, The Lee found another way back to movies. Ownership changed hands among Jeff Fairchild, Randy Fairchild and Lanith Whetstone before Randy and Shelley Fairchild took over again. The theater was converted into a triplex, a pizza restaurant was added, and local artist Michael Bosnar painted the now-famous exterior mural.
A New Generation Finds The Lee
A new generation found its own reasons to visit.
Lindsay Mayer remembers piling into a booth with high school friends to eat pizza and watch movies. “I don’t know how we managed to sit so many people in one place,” she laughs.
Today's Ephrata High School students have their own memories of family outings. One appreciates “the whole experience of eating pizza and sitting in comfy chairs.” Another describes the theater as “a close place to go to hang out with friends or to go on dates with my boyfriend. They make the best snacks and pizza."
Outside, Bosnar's mural has become part of everyday life in Ephrata. Ardell Filip and Bill Thornton helped fund one of its many characters. “It’s fun to drive by and try to figure out the one we helped with,” Filip laughs.
Erika Morford remembers watching Bosnar paint the mural when she was a little girl. Years later, taking art in high school, she found pleasure in knowing the artist had once sat in the same classroom. Today's students continue to discover new details. One recalls driving past the mural on the way to school: “I swear, every time I see it, I find a new character that I didn't know is there and I get all excited.”
Across generations, The Lee has offered more than movies: a stage for local talent, a gathering place for friends and families, and a familiar landmark woven into the routines of daily life.
Another Turning Point
Now, time has brought another turning point. The 1990s are decades behind us, and The Lee's current owners are looking toward retirement. Once again, the theater is for sale. Part Three will run Tuesday, Nov. 17.