Now Hiring

We are taking applications through May 15th for a Projectionist/Supervisor and a Concessions Worker (frontline staff). We hope to have someone hired and ready to work by June 1st.

Our Projectionists must be over 18, and able to work evenings and weekends.  For our new projectionist, we are looking for someone who is seeking long-term, part-time night & weekend employment. We are having a baby in September and this person will be taking my shift hours while I attempt to spend the evenings at home with my family.

Concessions workers just need to be over 16 (so you are legally able to work after 7 PM in the evenings) and be able to work nights and weekends. Though this is a great job for a student, applicants of all ages are always considered.

Click Here for a Projectionist / Supervisor application and job description

Click Here for a Frontline Staff application and job description

Please bring your completed application and resume to the theater to drop off when we are open (evenings and weekends-- you can check our showtimes).

--Teresa

Our Mysterious Myrtle

Last week I learned a little bit more about Myrtle, our mysterious namesake. Previously, the only information I had on her was what was contained in her obituary, and some tidbits from US Censuses.

Among other things, I learned that Myrtle moved to Seattle in 1916 with her second husband, Donald Geddes.  They opened Ye College Playhouse, located in the University District on 14th Ave, which would later be renamed University Way.

In 1921, Donald & Myrtle incorporated  G & G Theatre Co., which owned five theaters and had plans for an additional four theaters. Their intent was to specialize in smaller neighborhood theaters. The registered address for G&G Theatre Co. was 4322 University Way. Curiously, the current Varsity Theater is located next to this address at 4329 University Way. I wonder if there is a connection here, or if the addresses are coincidental.

In the mid twenties, Myrtle and Donald divorced, and Myrtle soon married Frank Buckmiller. Frank was not in the theater business, he was a salesman for Wallin & Nordstrom. They moved to Baker City in 1928 to start a theater company of their own. Once here, they incorporated the Baker Theatres Co. and  purchased The Clarick, The Empire and The Orpheum.

In November, 1937 the Clarick burned down and the Buckmillers immediately began working on plans for a new theater, which would be the Eltrym.  In the meantime, Myrtle opened The Polka Dot Confectionery (The Polka Dot Cafe) in the building right next to the Orpheum, where the Chamealeon is today.  She opened this business in the year before her death, as they were working out the plans for the new theater on 1st Street.

Myrtle was a busy woman. She was a wife, a mother, a musician and an owner of multiple businesses. In the early 1900's and through the 30's, when Myrtle was conducting business, businesswomen weren't as common as we are today. I admire Myrtle, and I wish I could know more about her. So if you, or anyone you know (like your elderly family members) know anything about Myrtle Buckmiller or her family (her kids Ardys Ferguson, Freeman Geddes and stepson Charles (Chris) Buckmiller) please contact me.

_________________________________________________________________

As a side note: After Myrtle & Donald divorced, Donald continued to work in the theater business. He managed the Winter Garden Theatre for a time, and appears to have spent his later years managing the gigantic, grandiose and magnificent Orpheum Theatre, which was demolished in 1967 to make way for a Westin Hotel.

Local Politics *sigh*

Living in a small town is hard sometimes. It is sometimes really tough to balance being a human being with being a business. As a human being, I have opinions  and I have feelings. As a business, my livelihood is subject to the opinions and judgments of my customers and community. Therefore, I must remain neutral. I must not alienate my community.

In a small town, where everyone knows of everyone else, this is difficult to rectify. Especially when you belong to a family where everyone’s first name ends in –erry. 

A member of my family is leading the efforts to recall two 5J school board members. That’s fine. What’s not fine is the general public assuming that I’m the one leading the efforts. I am not, because doing so would alienate a good portion of my customers therefore violating my personal business ethics. My opinions on this matter are private; I will not burden you with them. 

I know all but one school board member (Mr. Longwell) and their families and many of the people involved in the recall efforts, and I like them all. I have a good relationship with all of these people, and I hope to keep it that way.

I hope this will clear up some confusion.

Thank you,

Teresa (Terry) McQuisten

We Like 'Em Short!

The We Like 'Em Short film festival is fast approaching. This year the festival will take place August 17th & 18th.  The final call for entries is in one month, on July 20th. If you have created a short film, please enter it in our festival. We'd really like to showcase local filmmakers, but to do that we need you to enter. For details, please see our website or email me.

Each year we learn something new about running a film festival and each year we make improvements. After last year's festival, we were advised by some of our entrants that we should start using an online entry system so that it is easier for filmmakers to enter the festival.  That sounded like a great idea, so we signed up and now we are receiving entries from all over the world. That now makes us an international film festival. That's ritzy!

We're working on planning some events and activities around town that will coincide with our festival. We'll have the after-party for filmmakers, much like we did last year. We'll also be working with a local restaurant for dinner specials, and we are hoping to have a guest filmmaker come in and lead a workshop on a film-making related topic. It's going to be a really great weekend!

So, please mark your calendars for the festival, August 17th & 18th, and if you know of a filmmaker who has made a short film, please tell them about our festival.

FAC Film Fest this Thursday!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to screen the films that the BHS Film Arts Club will be presenting at their 3^rd annual film festival this week. I was very impressed with what I saw.

The Film Arts Club is a group of kids with a great desire to learn the art of film-making, who have provided themselves the opportunity to do so by creating the FAC. They are primarily self-taught, but they have had enough foresight to take the initiative to involve community members with a film background to come in and offer instruction and advice. They make films on their own time, with money they have earned through fundraisers and film festivals.  They started out as a small group of freshman with a hobby and lofty ideas of movie-making, and over the last three years they have matured as people and artists.

It is apparent to me that in the past school year, the Film Arts Club has experienced tremendous creative growth. Instead of focusing on feature-length films, they have focused on short films, which has allowed them to explore a variety of concepts and styles instead of getting bogged down on a couple of huge projects. I am truly impressed at the variety of films they have produced this year. 

I won’t go into any more depth on my thoughts about the FAC and their films, because I want you to come in and see for yourself. You can do so by attending their film festival on Thursday at 7PM. 

A Much Needed Update

Hi friends, how are you? Good?  We are doing well, also. I know I've been quiet, but it has not been the least bit quiet around here.  It's been hectic and it is only going to get more and more hectic until probably tax time. Ugh.

You know how they say when it rains it pours? Well, you could use that phrase to describe our life right now.

Well......we are installing our new digital projectors this week.  That big, scary digital conversion that I have been fearing for a couple of years now is happening this week.  It has been a roller coaster putting this deal together and filling out paperwork and signing my life away (again) and forking over money, and phone calls, and filling out more paperwork, and biting my nails and anxiety.  But with any luck, it will have been worth it.

New equipment has been arriving daily

Just like Christmas!

But it's not just that.  A month ago, Dan and I stumbled upon a great house that was for sale. We decided not to look at it because we decided to stay in our tiny house another year or two. But it just so happens that Dan was driving by when the realtor was there, so he went inside. Then he called me. So I went over. And we both fell in love (lime green and fire red shag carpets and all), so we put in an offer and it was accepted. So we are MOVING. Ah! Renovations and moving during our digital conversion and the holidays. What fun!

It's been a little complicated because Dan has been so busy working. While it is somewhat annoying to not have Dan's help right now, I am happy he has work. The economy took a big bite out of construction business here, so we are super grateful for the work. (If you need some concrete work done next Spring, you know who to call....)

Oh, and Ellie turned one earlier this month. That went by fast!

One Year Old! 

Quiet

I've had some people come in and ask me to blog again. I thought about it. I have a ton of things to talk about, but I struggle with not wanting to say too much. I don't do movie reviews. One, because as a businessperson I can't really tell you bad things about my product-- the movies; and two, I really do enjoy most films I watch. I am not very critical. I am always utterly amazed at the creation of film and how so many people can work together to get something coherent on screen.  Even the worst of films are fascinating to me. I am amazed by film, all the time. Maybe I will start writing reviews just to tell you what I liked best. : )

But more importantly, I've been biting my nails all summer long, nervously anticipating our digital transition. I've written previously about the off seasons, and how I've come to expect booking films to be more difficult in the fall. This fall was different. We had to wait practically forever to get "The Help," and it was clear that the reason for the wait was because we aren't digital yet. There were so few 35mm prints; all the little guys were fighting over scraps. So we waited, and waited, and it felt like a miracle when we finally got it. I think I actually said "woohoo" on the phone to my booker.  And by the way, thanks a million to all of you who came to the Eltrym to see it. I know several big groups who waited for us, and I appreciate it more than you know.

Our digital transition is finally moving. Between our lenders being extremely busy (awesome for our community), our construction business being super-duper busy, and me trying to be an awesome mother to my precious babe (trying to be a SAHM during the day and a theater manager by night), it has been tough to be diligent and keep things moving along. I don't want to say too much about it. But, I did breathe a sigh of relief this week. And then I breathed in some nice, cool fall air and drank a pumpkin pie latte.

If all goes as planned your cinematic experience at the Eltrym will be greatly improved before Thanksgiving.

Hooray!!!!

(More updates to follow)