Danz, Carolyn

Starting with one movie theater as a side venture in 1913, pioneer motion picture exhibitor John Danz saw his company, Sterling Theatres (later Sterling Recreation Organization or SRO), grow into the largest independent theater circuit in the Pacific Northwest by the 1950s, with 25 theaters in the Seattle area. After his death in 1961, John Danz’s son, Fredric A. Danz, continued to build SRO until, at its height in the 1980s, it was showing first-run films on 116 movie screens, a distinction that made it the largest motion picture theater company in the state of Washington.

John Danz was born in Bronsk, Russia, on September 24, 1877, to Louis and Anna (Danofsky) Danz. John came to the United States with his family in about 1882, fleeing from religious persecution. He came to Portland, Oregon, by covered wagon with his father in 1889, transporting the household belongings and joining the rest of the family who had crossed the country by train. Danz worked as a stage driver in Elkland, Nevada, 1895-1896, and as a clerk in various haberdasheries in several western states. From 1903 to 1914 he was owner and manager of Sterling Men’s Wear on 2nd Avenue South in Seattle. When an adjacent storefront became vacant, Danz saw an opportunity to increase foot traffic to the clothing store by installing a nickelodeon; he started showing movies there in 1913-1914. The movie house soon became more profitable than the clothing store. People paid five cents admission and sat on hard benches. By 1914 Danz devoted all of his energy as president of his movie theater business, Sterling Theatre Company, named after his original haberdashery. His brothers Si (Simon) and Joseph worked with him in the business. When 2nd Avenue was widened and extended, the movie house lost its original location. In 1916 Danz bought the Star Theater and the following year the Colonial Theatre. He purchased land and built the Florence Theatre in 1920. Because movie producers had control of many theaters, Danz could only show “subsequent run” films at first. However, by maintaining clean theaters and low admission prices – 15 cents or less – his business steadily increased.

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