S.J.R. 10

1

RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING PEERY'S
2 EGYPTIAN THEATER
3 2001 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Scott K. Jenkins
6 This joint resolution of the Legislature recognizes Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden City
7 for its distinctive place in Utah's film history and the efforts made to restore the theater.
8 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
9 WHEREAS, Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden City is one of only 30 Egyptian-themed
10 Movie Theaters to still exist in the United States;
11 WHEREAS, in 1923 Harmon W. and Louis H. Peery hired two of Utah's premier
12 architects, Leslie S. Hodgson and Myrl A. McClenahan, to design a movie palace that would be
13 the showplace of the West;
14 WHEREAS, Peery's Egyptian Theater, built on the same ground where the Peery family's
15 pioneer home once stood, opened in 1924;
16 WHEREAS, Peery's Egyptian Theater seated its audience in an Egyptian courtyard under
17 twinkling stars in a desert sky;
18 WHEREAS, Peery's Egyptian Theater featured seating on one level in a steeply raked
19 auditorium which provided excellent sight lines from anywhere in the house;
20 WHEREAS, built entirely of poured, reinforced concrete, the theater was proclaimed upon
21 opening as Ogden's only fireproof theater;
22 WHEREAS, in 1935 Peery's Egyptian Theater was leased to the fledgling 20th
23 Century-Fox studio;
24 WHEREAS, in 1951 Peery's Egyptian Theater reopened after being beautifully remodeled
25 and redecorated and updated with the finest sound and projection equipment;
26 WHEREAS, in 1961 the theater was refurbished, but many of the remaining historic
27 Egyptian designs and colors were gone;

28 WHEREAS, after three more owners, the theater was leased to a small independent chain
29 which eventually turned it into a second-run, dollar movie house before being closed in 1984;
30 WHEREAS, in 1985 the Friends of the Egyptian Theater, the forerunner of the Egyptian
31 Theatre Foundation, organized to save the Egyptian Movie Palace;
32 WHEREAS, the Egyptian Theater was eventually purchased by the Weber County Heritage
33 Foundation, turned over to the Egyptian Theater Foundation, and through a five-way partnership
34 consisting of Weber County, Ogden City, Weber State University, the Egyptian Theater
35 Foundation, and the Ogden/Weber Chamber of Commerce, Peery's Egyptian Theater was saved
36 and restored;
37 WHEREAS, the restoration was meticulous, complete, and features the original color
38 palette;
39 WHEREAS, Peery's Egyptian Theater is one of four restored Egyptian Theaters in the West
40 and the lone "atmospheric" theater believed to exist in the region;
41 WHEREAS, the restored theater became part of a spectacular new conference center
42 complex which opened in 1997; and
43 WHEREAS, Peery's Egyptian Theater remains one of Utah's most treasured houses of
44 entertainment:
45 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
46 recognize the restored Peery's Egyptian Theater and the great effort undertaken to return one of
47 cinema's most impressive venues to its original condition for future generations to enjoy.
48 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Egyptian
49 Theatre Foundation, Weber County, Ogden City, Weber State University, and the Ogden/Weber
50 Chamber of Commerce.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-29-01 12:39 PM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel