16 Nov 21st-Nov 27th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | scheme.” The grand organ grill was surrounded by a network of Egyptian plastic art, and the front curtain showcased a reproduction of a scene from ancient Egypt. The Mesa Tribune noted, “Mesa leads the Southwest with its palatial new theater — The Nile — supplied with every comfort that money and brains can devise — equipped with the best of machines — the finest and most comfortable of chairs — decorated like a king’s palace in pure Egyptian. It is something in the South to point to with pride.” But the Nile was more than a stunning piece of architectural design. It also was the most state-of-the-art venue in the state. It was the first building to feature air- chilling technology. An innovative system blew air over ice stored in an iron bin in the alley behind the theater and vented the cold breezes into the audience chamber through a series of ducts that ran under- neath the 700 seats. “It wasn’t true air conditioning as we know it today,” Linhoff notes. “It was a form of evaporative cooling, but it did a good job of cooling down the theater.” The building also featured an advanced lighting system. According to the Republic, “On either side midway between the floor and ceiling there runs a continuous trough of transfused colored lights, which are changed at will to serve the several effects necessary in atmosphere presentation of the pictures. These troughs of lights which ornament the walls of the theater are broken at the interactions with Cleopatra Egyptian heads and the heads are diffused with colored lights, softening them to neutral tints.” Five years after they opened The Nile, the team of Rickards, Nace and Gilbert designed and built the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix. A temple of entertainment From its inaugural viewing of “The Sea Hawk,” the silent film adaptation of Rafael Sabatini’s 1915 novel of the same name, to vaudeville shows, wrestling matches and live performances, the Nile was the place to go for entertainment. Folks would travel from downtown Phoenix to see Charlie Chaplin imitators and bicycle shows. “You have to remember that this was a transition time,” Linhoff says. “In some cases, people were still using horses and wagons. It was a day trip to ride in a car on mostly dirt roads all the way between Phoenix and Mesa.” It also was a time of segregation. When the Nile first opened, it was a whites-only establishment. At the time, minstrel shows were a popular attraction. “Arizona was one of the main lines for minstrel shows coming from the north down or from the south on the way to San Francisco. And this was one of the main venues. Some of the biggest minstrel superstars came through here,” Nelson says. The Nile desegregated in 1938, but even then, Black audience members had their own seating section in the back of the theater. Following World War II, interest in the great movie palaces waned. The develop- ment of more theaters, including the Orpheum, and the expansion of television, played a role in their demise. The Nile was no different. By 1951, the theater closed its doors. The building was stripped of its Egyptian ornamentation and redesigned into a retail space. Over the next 30 years, it served as a clothing store. The main floor was divided, and tenants included a sewing machine business and a jewelry store. “When it was redesigned for a retail space, a lot of the original detail that could have been saved was pulled out. It probably went to a landfill,” Linhoff notes. “It’s sad that nothing was saved.” Second — and third — act From 1994 to 2002, the Nile operated as a live music venue for goth, punk and hip-hop. Some of the top acts of the time performed at the Nile, including Marilyn Manson, Sublime, Blink-182, Rancid and Mesa’s own Jimmy Eat World. But what was once a sparkling symbol of culture in the East Valley had since become a focal point of criminal activity. According to a 2003 report by the Mesa Police Department, during a three-year period, the Nile was the site of a homicide, several stabbings, firearms violations and numerous drug- and alcohol-related arrests. Nearby businesses complained about vandalism, loitering, fighting and litter. A performance by the band Eroticide resulted in several violations for sex acts and public sexual indecency. And in May 2000, NBC’s “Dateline” aired an expose of the illegal drug use by teens at raves at the Nile, with its hidden A crowd waits outside the Nile before a concert. (Photo by Dave Pisani) Egyptian decor added flair to the interior of The Nile. (Courtesy of Mesa Historical Museum) The Nile Theater in 1943. (Courtesy of Mesa Historical Museum) Rock Like an Egyptian from p 15 >> p 18
