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Over the Back Fence By HANK HENRY Pelican Theater was work of fine art If the Pelican Theater still existed in Klamath Falls, it would long ago have been named a historical site. Unfortunately, when the theater, built in 1929, could no longer pay for itself � thanks in part to the advent of television � the owners threw up their hands and closed the theater in 1959. It was torn down in 1961-62. The Pelican Theater was a work of art. The owners invested more than $500,000 in its construction, the equivalent of millions of dollars today. They even brought in Italian artisans to work on friezes and gold scrolls. The most amazing thing about the theater was its location, tucked away in a small lumber town of about 10,000 people, about as far away from the nation�s performing arts centers as you could get. Although the Pelican had lost some of its luster when I first visited it in 1950, it was still an astonishing place. I particularly remember two events there. The first was in 1951 or �52 and was a performance by the national company of the long-running Broadway show, "Oklahoma," complete with the Agnes DeMille dancers and a full orchestra. The cast members raved about the theater, its acoustics, and its size. The second occasion was in 1953 when I arranged to have a free public matinee showing of a new Tyrone Power movie after a live performance of the radio show "Better Living," which Minnie Surles and I performed daily on the radio. Most of the 1,590 seats were filled. There is nothing like the word "free" to bring people out. Many people used to come just to tour the Pelican. When you entered the orchestra level lobby, you found that it formed a semi-circle with a 12-foot-wide promenade extending some 82 feet from one side of the theater to the other. All areas were thickly carpeted, and a brocade curtain partially draped the glass partition between the foyer and the auditorium. Inside, your eyes were drawn to the magnificent chandelier, 14 feet in diameter, which hung from the ceiling. Four other 6-foot chandeliers were located in the corners of the ceiling. The giant pipe organ�s loft was also in the ceiling rather than the traditional location near the orchestra pit. The organist said it would produce a better musical effect from there. Construction of the Pelican was completed in 1929, just in time for the Depression. It was built primarily of 300 tons of steel beams and 15,000 bags of cement. The balcony was supported by a single main beam that weighed 23 tons and was so long that three flatbed freight cars were needed to bring it to Klamath Falls. The Pelican was a real performing theater, with a full proscenium-arch-stage and a fly-loft above where sets and 14 different curtains and draperies could be lifted up and stored. A number of dressing rooms were located under the stage. On the main floor, there were 779 opera chairs and 185 orchestra loges, and the second floor had 469 opera chairs and 157 balcony loges. There was very little wood used in the structure. All that steel and concrete made for a very secure building designed to withstand even an earthquake. When the wrecking crew arrived in 1961, they found that it took about twice the anticipated time to level it. The site was finally paved over and is now the US Bank�s parking lot. Sic transit gloria : old dreams die hard. I want to thank Pearl Nason of the Klamath County Museum for checking the facts in this story. (Hank Henry is a retired Jackson County commissioner and a former radio and television announcer. Call him at 772-9055.) Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA