Rivoli Theater

Built in the 1920s


STewards of yesterday

Rivoli Theater

In the 1920s, the Bradley family built the Rivoli Theater, a place where Rockaway residents gathered not only to watch the latest films but also to cheer on local schoolchildren performing plays on its stage. Later, the Harvey family took ownership, eventually renaming it the Sea Vu Theater. Just south of the theater, the Sohler family ran a rooming house and confectionery, which the Harveys later folded into the growing theater complex. Beside it all, Kay Harvey kept a real estate and insurance office, adding to the small cluster of community life centered around the building.

  • An aerial view of a multi-story building and surrounding structures next to a lake.

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  • A vintage, low-slung building with large windows and cars parked in front, likely a business on a corner.

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  • Rockaway, Oregon, street scene with vintage buildings, utility poles, and a white car.

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  • Mid-century modern building with large windows, wood siding, and a sloped roof.

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  • Vintage car in a parade with

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  • Advertisement for the Clothes Hanger store in Rockaway, featuring

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  • A blue building with large windows and wooden panels on a sunny day.

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From 1950 to 1954, the theater was operated by Claude “Dude” Smith, a familiar face to many locals. But by 1956, the old building came down. In its place, Ken and Jo Christensen built the Clothes Hanger in 1965, with the back portion serving as office space for Mayor Ken Christensen.

Today, the site continues to evolve. The building now houses SAI Design & Build LLC, with its front rooms welcoming visitors into Simply Charming, a vintage shop that carries forward the spirit of a place that has long served as a hub of Rockaway’s community life.


"Every once in a while, they would show 3D movies. The scariest movies were It Came From Outer Space, a huge mossy covered eyeball, and The Creature of the Black Lagoon. After watching this movie, I was aqua diving in Lake Lytle, and was underneath on the east side of the lake. All of a sudden, I started thinking about The Creature, and I got out of the lake as fast as I could swim." - Rockaway Beach Historian Don Best

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