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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

100 years ago in Spokane: Popular actor Tyrone Power plans to build movie studio

The Spokane Daily Chronicle reported on Aug. 16, 1917 that Tyrone Power, one of the country’s leading movie actors, was proceeding with plans to establish a movie studio in Spokane. (Spokesman-Review archives)

The Spokane Daily Chronicle reported that Tyrone Power, one of the country’s leading movie actors, was proceeding with plans to establish a movie studio in Spokane.

The Washington Motion Picture Co. would soon be incorporated and a site for a studio would be announced within two weeks, said C.J Ward, Power’s manager.

Ward told the Chronicle that conditions in Spokane were “more favorable for the production of moving pictures than in California.” He said Spokane had the right climate, scenery and “pure water supply” to “meet all the needs of the picture producing industry.”

He said Tyrone Power himself would star in the studio’s first production, which would be entitled “A Man and His Brother.”

From the retail beat: Spokane department store clerks were dreaming of an “alluring” possibility: Saturday night off.

Seattle and Tacoma department store clerks recently came to an agreement on a 6 p.m. Saturday closing, and the Spokane clerks union was confident that it could win the same agreement in Spokane. Even management liked the idea.

“I am sure the majority of stores will favor it, as we have already inquired into the question,” said the clerks union president. “It will mean a saving in expenses of operation and will give clerks the working hours to which they are entitled.”

Spokane had about 1,800 clerks in the union.