The Kachina Theater was built in 1960, designed by local architect Ray Parrish, who is also credited as co-designer, with God, of the Capstone Cathedral, and it stood at 4305 North Scottsdale Road in downtown Scottsdale.

The Kachina Theater was torn down in 1989 to make room for the failed Galleria Mall, which still stands mostly empty.

These photos are reproduced with the kind permission of Roland Lataille from his Cinerama website, which describes all the Cinerama movie houses and releases from 1953 through 1969.

It was the second-largest screen in the valley, after the Cine Capri, and not particularly distinguished from an architectural standpoint. It's a lot less splashy and curvy than it might have been, and you can't really say it had street-sympathetic massing or added to the western character of Scottsdale, apparently wearing thin even in 1960.

Check out that custom-woven Kachina pattern carpet, though, and the Kachina dolls on display at the snack bar. Too bad that's not a color photo. It's sort of interesting that the valley has generally turned away from Native American imagery and references and themes. This is superficial, sure, but it's something.

The opening film here was Elizabeth Taylor's Butterfield 8, and the premiere was blessed by the appearance of the Scottsdale Junior Chamber of Commerce "Howdodettes" all decked out in western clothes.

R.I.P.