Significance
The 800-seat showhouse used a solid, poured concrete construction. This measure was meant to increase the safety of the occupants, and resist fire, which has been a historically efficient killer of theaters and their patrons. In a test of the building's strength, over 70,000 lbs. of gravel were put onto the top of the auditorium. Such a load barely flexed the strong roof, and is a testament to the construction quality. So proud of the safety of the theater were the owners that they informed the public that the Egyptian was "Ogden's Only Fireproof Theater ... A Safe Place for the Kiddies," in large letters on the rear of the building.
The Egyptian is one of a few theaters to incorporate an "atmospheric" ceiling, where a daytime or dusk ambiance can be smoothly changed into one of a star-filled nighttime sky. This effect remains in operation at the present. The terra cotta facade, with its intricate colors and details intact, remains in excellent condition after over 80 years.
The seating area comprises one level, steeply raked for a nearly ideal viewing angle without resorting to steps. The seats are split into three parts, with a wide center and two smaller side seating areas to either side. Foot and knee room are comfortable, and the seats are comfortably reclined. The seating area also clings to its roots by using wood-backed seats and no modern-era cupholders.
The theater is one of fewer than fifty Egyptian-style theaters that were constructed in the country; only a dozen or so still stand. The "atmospheric" ceiling is likely one of two that currently exist in use throughout the United States. The Egyptian remains Utah's only bona fide "movie palace."
Read more about this topic: Peery's Egyptian Theater
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