Golden Gem Theater - Originally known as the Gem , and then the Golden Gem, and finally the Golden Theatre when is closed forever in 1975. <br /><br />Golden, Colorado’s historic movie house was first built in 1911-12 as a dual-use facility featuring the Gem Theatre on the first floor and Golden Athletic Club on the second. The theater opened on June 1, 1912 and had 300 seats. The first of three major remodels were completed in 1926, and included a Photoplayer theater organ. Golden's first "talkie" premiered in June 1929. <br /><br />The Gem, later renamed the Golden Gem, soon took over the whole building and joined the Atlas Theatre Company, a Denver-based chain, in 1935.<br /><br />Sister theaters in Atlas included the Oriental, Gothic, Federal, Holiday and Ritz. In 1948-49 the theater was doubled in size and completely remodeled into a beautiful Art Moderne palace designed by Charles Dunwoody Strong and executed by Art Moore, featuring towering twin parapets of tile made by the Denver Terra Cotta Company, a "Golden" script marquee advertising its new identity as the Golden Theatre, and an interior of feather motif decor with a purple and aqua color scheme. Its new capacity was 900 seats, including the balcony.<br /><br />The Golden Theater was remodeled again in 1966 and welcomed a new manager, Neil Ross.<br /><br />After a brief conversion to showing pornographic films it closed in 1970, was reopened as a family film theater in 1972, and then closed permanently in 1975. Afterward the interior was greatly remodeled to accommodate retail business, eventually completely taken over by Steve’s Corner western wear store.<br /><br />Around 2001 it was completely gutted but the exterior largely restored (except for the long-gone marquee) and is now home to several restaurants and offices.