A lot of work is going in to preserve this old theatre. We hope those from the past will stop by and see it when it is done, especially any of Art Proctors family.

My wife Kathleen and I lived in Salt Lake City for two years while working at the Salt Palace during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
During my spare time I was stretched between volunteering at the MURRAY THEATRE as a production assistant for the religious events held there. I helped restore the marquee, cleaned the screen, revamped the DVD projection and fixed up all sorts of stage lights for their events.
But most of all, my fun Saturdays was to help Mr. Proctor at the AVALON THEATRE as his candy counter helper. He taught me how to make GOOD popcorn and at 65, I must have been the oldest popper in the world!
Art is a true gentleman and a pleasure to work for. I only wish he could have presented more movies -even his admission price was a treat to patrons. And people wonder why a theater closed especially when they don't buy a ticket. I hate multiplexes!!!

When I was in elementary school, my best friend and I would walk over to the Avalon for the children's summer movies. Once we brought with us a brown paper grocery bag full of buttered popcorn, but they wouldn't let us in the theater with it. I remember the Avalon had employees who walked around with flashlights with orange cones on the end. They must have been like ushers trying to keep order with so many kids in the theater.

It seems like the movies featured things like the invisible man, giant spiders, and a green alien blob that was destroyed with a lightning rod - but I'm probably confusing things with the Saturday afternoon "Science Fiction Theater" movie series on television. (We liked to call it "Monster Fiction Theater" because that's what it really was.)

Many years later I came to the Avalon to watch classic movies like "High Noon." I came back to the Avalon recently for one of its now-rare movie showings. It was fun sit in a movie theater and have a curtain open across a screen. I'm glad the Avalon is still around and I hope it can survive somehow.

I am Art Proctor's nephew and grew up seeing movies at the Avalon. I remember very well watching the Sound of Music from the "cry room" in the back of the theater. I doubt many people remember cry room' any more. I also have fond memories watching films from my Uncle's apartment on the top of the building when he lived there. My first job was at one of my Uncle's other theaters, the Vista at 4861 south state st. I was a member of the University of Utah marching band and the conductor of the band at that time, Mr Greg Hansen love the musical "Scrooge" starring Albert Finney which was an annual event at the Avalon. My Uncle was kind enough to open the theater at 12 mindnight after an end of season Marching Band dinner and showed the movie to Mr Hansen and the entire marching band. The best story of all however was the annual tradition of "It's a wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart where my Uncle would open the doors of the Avalon to the public to see the film at no charge at least one night during the holiday season. Living in San Francisco I always choose to see movies in the old grand theaters like the Avalon. Thanks for creating this great memorial.

- Mike Proctor