¡Colores!; 1604; KiMO: King of Its Kind; Interviews with Victor Bachechi (Part 2) and Deborah C. Slaney

I thought I was answering a different question, I guess. So what do you remember thinking about this place, as far as the fact that it was in danger, was it in danger or being torn down, why did it matter? As far as you remember, what was sort of feeling in the city about how it's going to be done? I think there was a great deal of attachment to the chemo by many people in the city, because

of the many good times that people had at the chemo. The time that the chemo was built, there was no uptown, there was no downtown, there was no Pope Joy Hall, for the most part there was very little television, very little radio, and theaters were the center of the cultural happenings within a community, and certainly it was more so even in Albuquerque being further removed from the major metropolitan areas of the country. And as far as theaters at that time, this was the theater, when there were other movie policies, as far as theaters, there was this, there was what the sunshine, but this was by far the most spectacular. The chemo was intended to be something more than just brick-and-mortar, another theater, there was intended to be really a cultural center and just an event to come here with

the art, the architecture, the design was intended to really be the center of the downtown cultural Albuquerque at the time. Fantastic. One last question, and this is obviously pure speculation on your part, but do you think that grandfather would be happy seeing it as it is now? It would be experiencing the culmination of a dream that certainly started prior to the construction to think that it was still held in so many people's heart that it would be up and active and running this many years after it was constructed because I know like any business person, there were the financial elements and the operation elements, but none of the, in total, encompasses what he had to have felt to put the kind of effort into

the chemo that he did. There was a dream, and to see this dream still be alive for so many people would have to make him happy. Fantastic. That was great. Is there anything you'd like to add? No. It's hippie, but that in and of itself I'm not sure makes a big difference. Okay. Thank you very much. If they have anything else, Chris? Oh, I'm sorry. That's right. Well, Pueblo Decco is a regional architectural style that really is a fusion of two separate styles. One being Art Decco and the other being Spanish Pueblo Colonial Revival architecture that was produced by architect Carl Boller for one of his picture palaces here in Albuquerque. The chemo theater is probably the prime example of Pueblo Decco, and what it does is it combines the resty and Maria Bakeki's vision of what their picture palace should look like with

Carl Boller's architectural renderings, and then it adds the architectural elements from Art Decco, that being the futuristic vertical lines and the exterior embellishments, with the elements of Spanish Pueblo Colonial Revival, which includes the Stucco services, the parapet ceilings, or parapet walls, and also the, I messed up. That's okay. Sorry. The third thing. The third thing. The vegans and corbels. You know what we can do? We can break it up in pieces if you want to. Okay. We'll do the last. But I want to try the first part again, because you notice he stumbled across a couple of them. Okay. Why not I just do the whole thing over here? Okay. Well, Pueblo Decco is really a fusion of two separate styles, Art Decco and Spanish Pueblo Colonial Revival. And those two architectural styles, when put together include elements that consist of the vertical lines and the futuristic elements and the exterior embellishments of the Art Decco style, with the Stucco services and the parapets and the vegans and corbels

that you see in Spanish Pueblo Revival architecture. Fantastic. Now, I just want to ask you a little, a little question, a sort of a slide note. Was that somewhat unique at that point? Was this it? Was this the first time? No. It wasn't the first time the world had seen anything quite like this, was it? There were other places that existed, and there were other examples of that style. I think what really made it unique is Pueblo Decco architecture is that Oresti's vision consisted of adorning every possible square foot with Native American art elements. And so, as a result, what you have is the first theater that is a Pueblo Decco style that is specifically dedicated to Native American art and culture. Fantastic. That's dynamite. Okay. Let's go ahead and move on, unless you want to, I think you did a great job. I'm good.

I left out the part about Carole Boller, but I'm sure other people will get to that. Let's talk a little bit about Carole Boller, and all what was the name of the artist, the crazy artist that Mrs. Buddy. Carole Van Haasler? Yeah, by Haasler. Yeah. I think that. About their travels? Yeah. Okay. Kind of about their conceiving the design. Well, yeah, and then some of these elements that we've 40 photographs, it's spectacular. Yeah. I need to know which ones you photographed, and that'll help. Everything. Okay. Good. Did you photograph the curtain? The right side of the curtain? Well, the curtain is certainly. Yeah. Photograph the bowl design on the right side of the curtain, and that will give you a good story. Okay. I can give you a great story for that. Tell me about that. About that? Well, no. Talk about Boller. Carole Boller. Okay. Well, Arresta Amaria Bakeki envisioned a theater that would be, that would be totally covered with designs from Native American culture. And in conceiving the design, they had Carole Boller and some others, probably Robert Powers,

and perhaps Pablo Abeta, who traveled around to the Navajo Nation, and the various Pueblos putting together ideas for designs. And during this time, of course, they had designs that were laid out all over the house, all over the Bakeki house, of ideas for the exterior as well as the interior of the Kima Theater. And Carole Van Hossler was contracted to paint tromploid designs on the inside of the theater. It's believed that Pablo Abeta was actually commissioned to oversee the execution of the Native designs inside the theater, and particularly probably overseeing the work of two individuals, Ainez, Westlake, and Robert Powers, who were both interior designers. Wow. I can say, I'm really impressed. Oh, good. Am I perky enough? You sure are. You look great. Yeah, everything's good. Okay. Let's talk about, we talk about Pablo Abeta and so far as the fact that, or, or let's try

that one. Okay. Tell me the story. It's just about here. Sure. Are you submitted the winning name, $1.50, and tell me what that name means? Sure. Well, the Bakeki's organized a contest, and the contest was to name the Kima Theater, and so one of the entries that was submitted was submitted by a very well-known Isleta person. Okay. Let me start over again. Sorry about that. Yeah, okay. The Bakeki's decided that they would have a contest to name the Kima Theater, and so one of the entries that was submitted was submitted by Pablo Abeta, very well-respected Isleta man, who was very active politically in New Mexico, and held several very important appointments. What he's most well-known with respect to the Kima Theater is the naming of a theater, and he submitted the name Kimo, which consists of two words that in one of the Pueblo

languages means most literally mountain lion, but more figuratively probably means something like King of its Kind, or the concept of that which cannot be perfected. And that is a thought that certainly comes to mind when you look at the Kima Theater, because it is one beautiful building, and it can't be perfected. Fantastic. Okay. Let's try and shorten that. Sorry. Okay. Okay. Let's do it again. Sure. Let me, without me, editing you. Okay. Let's go again. Yeah. Ready? Well, the Bakeki's held, and sorry about that. What did they hold? A contest. Okay. The Bakeki's held a contest to name the Kimo Theater. And one of the contestants, and one of the entries, was by Pablo Abeta, very well-respected, is Letterman, who submitted the name Kimo. And the Kimo consists of two words when put together mean very literally mountain lion,

but more figuratively also means King of its Kind, or that which cannot be perfected. A perfect concept for the Kimo Theater. Fantastic. Do you want to try it one again? If you want me to. I'd try it again. Okay. Try it again. Okay, please tell me about Pablo Abeta and the Kimo Theater. Well the Kimo Theater was named through a naming contest, and a very well-respected man by the name of Pablo Abeta from his letter Pueblo submitted the name Kimo, which is two words when combined together is a Pueblo word meaning more literally mountain lion, but more figuratively meaning King of its Kind, or that which cannot be perfected, which is a concept that fits perfectly with the Kimo Theater. Fantastic. Do you have a problem? It's very bang. It's pretty bang. Okay. Very good. It's a camera. I'll look at your collar. Well, it might be, it might be, it might be, it might be a fine looking one, make it laugh. Oh, no.

No, if I look at your eyes I'll forget my, okay. I'll do, okay. No, no, no. I'll look at your cheek. If you can look over this way too. Okay. But if you look this way, if you look at the camera and. Good. Maybe. And. So, let's just tell me about, Pablo Abeda, tell me about the contest and what, what he picked, what he came up with. Oh, okay. Well, the Kimo was named through a naming contest that was, the entered and won by a respected Isleta man named Pablo Abeda. Now, Pablo Abeda won $50 for naming the Kimo. He also did quite a bit more in New Mexico and national history with the Isleta Pueblo. So, in this, I'm sorry, I went off on a tangent. Okay. Let me try again. Okay. The Kimo theater was named by Pablo Abeda, who submitted a winning entry in a contest. And he suggested the name Kimo, which are two words that are Pueblo words when put together mean most literally mountain lion and more figuratively king of its kind or that which cannot be perfected.

A concept that works perfectly when you think and see the Kimo theater. I blew it at the end. Can I say it again? It's usable. Okay. A concept. Okay. A concept that fits perfectly with the Kimo theater. That classic. And it does. It does. Okay. Let's move on. Okay. That was good. Good. Let's move on to the construction. Okay. And you were talking about an interesting story about the construction. At the time it was built, it was off-central, now, you know, low. Right. We have, most seems to think that it's not the case, but what you think doesn't matter what. But that is sort of the people are disagreeing, more disagrees with that. Mo disagrees because she doesn't understand what I'm trying to say. Okay. Very good. Okay. So here. Let me explain it to you. And then we'll figure out whether it's worth putting on camera. Okay. Okay. One of the favorite the Keki family stories is the fact that it was very difficult to get

money, loan money for the construction of a chemo theater because supposed, I shouldn't say supposedly, but the chemo theater was built kind of off the beaten path by a couple of blocks. Because, you know, we remember that originally when Newtown developed that the main drag was front street and front street ran north and south. And then in the city kind of developed in that direction. And through time that orientation changed so that the orientation became railroad avenue and then later what we now know is central avenue. And when you think of the chemo being built on 5th and central, technically it's a couple of blocks away from where the main drag could have been. And the family's understanding was that this created a problem for the bankers. And of course, as we all know, Albuquerque developed right along central avenue. And now here we are in the 1920s and then later in the 1930s and 40s when the chemo is in its heyday, sitting right on central in 5th. That's the story.

Okay. This is a good story. I just want to make sure that you are happy with it and comfortable with it. Let's start that one from the beginning. Tell me that story. Okay. One favorite family story is that the Biqueckis had difficulties at certain times pulling together the money that they needed in order to get the construction loan for the chemo theater because their concerns were that the theater location was located off the beaten path a little bit far from central avenue and first. When at the time it was thought that the city was going to move in a more northerly and southerly direction. Of course, as we now know, the chemo theater sits right at 5th and central. Right on the main drag and in its heyday it sat right on Route 66. Perfect. She can't argue with that. I have a intellectual number of seats and there was a wonderful story that you told me about a lady hiding a kid under her dress.

Mother hiding her child under her dress. But that wasn't on opening night. I don't think. I think the woman was just relating a story that sometimes they'd hide kids under their skirts to get them in. But not necessarily. Yeah, I know. Cover a lot of things with similar images. I see. You're not being incorrect. Okay. I got you. I can do that. Talk to me about opening night. Okay. Well, opening night must have been really fantastic because the information that was presented in that day's newspaper, the New Mexico State Tribune, for September 19th, 1927, it was a blowout. Every page talked about the chemo theater. It was full of exciting ads from the different companies who participated. Full descriptions of opening night. And of course the opening program was chock full of different events. It was such an exciting night that over 2,000 people showed up at the chemo. There were only tickets for about 1,500, 1,600 at the max, which was the seating

capacity. So there were a lot of people who didn't get in on opening night. Now the different events were really incredible too. It was built not only as the first theater dedicated to Native Americans, but it was also the first theater dedicated to the public by Native Americans. So there were over 60 performers that were up on stage that were doing a dramatic reenactment of the creation of the chemo theater. And it included a dedication by Pablo Abeda. It included the Cochite basket and arrow dances in the recreation. And then they moved on to some of the featured films. It included cartoons of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit by Walt Disney, Fox News Reel. And then the feature film, Painting the Town, which was a silent comedy by Pat C. Ruth Miller and Glenn Trion. When you take it from painting the town. Okay. It was followed by a feature film called Painting the Town by Pat C. Ruth Miller and Glenn Trion.

So it was a really incredible night. And there were lots of incredible nights like that at the chemo theater. The public would just throng. They would form huge crowds in the front when favorite movies were held. And when theater productions were cast. There was one woman who talked about friends of hers who would wear full skirt so that their children could get in for free. Okay. Let's say do that a little part of it. You need to be very clear as to why they're wearing full skirts. Okay. So the crowds would get really excited going to the chemo theater. And they would all come out to see their favorite movies. Some people even remember their mothers hiding them underneath their mother's full skirts. This is during the flapper area that you understand. And they're wearing full skirts so that their children can get in through the admission gates and get in for free. That's fantastic. I slept a little bit. That's still okay? That's a good story.

Let's do that one again. Okay. Okay. I'm trying to think from where. I think you could pick it up from. And I have heard a story. A story was related to me. Oh, okay. You know, women would try and sneak their kids in. Right. Okay. One woman even told me a story about how they would hide children. Under their mother's skirts, their mother's long full skirts in order to get them into the theater for free. Fantastic. Very good. Let's move on to the next. The next wrapping the whole thing up. Okay. Trying to talk about why this place is important. Okay. It's been said by one city official. The lowest form of preservation for a historic building is to be torn down and turned into a parking lot. And on the other hand, the highest order of preservation would be to take a building and not only restore it to its original beauty, but restore it to its original function.

And that's what the people of Albuquerque have done with the chemo theater. That's fantastic. Bravo. Good. Can I stop the tape, please? I just want to get some tape. Oh, okay. I wish I had rolled that. Oh, okay. Well, I think that another really important thing about the chemo is also that not only is it a monument to native art and culture, but it's the only theater that has been dedicated by native people. And that's really special. I think another thing to remember also is the honor that was given to us when Pablo Abeda provided and offered the name chemo theater. That it is really truly king of its kind. That was a very special name, and that was a very special honor for the chemo. Fantastic. Let me do one thing here. I think we can kill.

What are they saying? I wish I would like to take care of that. But anyways, I mean, I have to almost wonder. Lee, I think he's using those terms. And, you know, I think in essence, the way the program is organized actually did a little bit of myth busting because it, you know, it presents the native performers as performers and not just performing in within one cultural tradition being their own. Pablo Abeda, for example, spoke at least three languages. Including the Pueblo, the various Pueblo languages. Yes, his own language of Tiva, Spanish, English, and probably more, a very well-read educated man. And so it's entirely plausible that the performers were also, you know, world educated as well. You know, we tend to think of native communities as being more limited, but by the turn of the century, there were tremendous opportunities. Pablo Abeda traveled all over the country.

Yeah. You know, he addressed Washington several times. Wow. Well, when I first started, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, the most important thing. Yeah. Sorry. So we still have this. Sorry about that. And does that explain me? What? Okay. Well, the chemo theater was run by a huge number of employees. There was a floor manager who kind of organized operations. And there was also production manager who worked to organize the actual staging and production. And there were also usherers and usherers and people who took tickets. There were projectionists and employees of the restaurant and the lounge and also the curio shop. And later on, there were also employees that worked up on the second and third floors. And so a number of those people even met and fell in love and married while they were working as employees of the chemo theater. There are lots of funny stories about the projectionists and some of the crazy antics that they did up there in the projection booth. Okay.

Let's do that again. Okay. Not bad for sure. No, I'm not bad at all. I'll shorten it. Yeah, okay. Yeah, right. Okay. All righty. Well, the chemo theater had a huge number of employees over 100 during its heyday. There were projection operators. Sorry about that. Let me do it again. Okay. There were a huge number of employers. Sorry. Okay. There was a large number of people who worked at the chemo theater. There were lots of employees. There were people who ran the projection booth. There were usherers and usherers, people who took tickets and employees of the restaurants and the cafes and the curio shops. People everywhere. There were lots of great stories that were told by people who ran the projection booth. And also lots of great stories about people who met and married at the chemo theater. Fantastic. Tell me about the story about the projectionists, the crazy projectionists. I think it was the lion with the sound of the rooster or something. Right.

This is a story by Jay Wilson Bechtel, who is the former stagehand at the chemo. And he's speaking of his father, John Bechtel, who is a projectionist. There was a film company called Path A and their logo was a rooster. And the rooster would crow at the beginning. And MGM had a lion. And he roared. So my father, when he started the feature, he started both projectors. The lion opened his mouth to roar in a cockadoodle dude. And when it came for the news to come on, he did the opposite. The rooster stuck his head up and roared. Fantastic. Yeah. Very good. That's good. That's excellent. Okay. Let me just make sure that Paul's a lot of people here working. As opposed to now, whether I think it's maybe the total of 10. If they're lucky, yeah, 10. Right. And the people from the staff here. Right. So the post at 10 now, there was 100. And actually, you may want to think about even saying something like that because it's amazing. Yeah.

I mean, judging from the photos, I saw the restaurant straps were pretty large. But the restaurant and the cafe had large staffs. And so they served a lot of people. They probably served a lot of food at the chemotherapy. Yeah. Well, one of the things we need there. Okay. This is a quote from the former manager, Jimmy LaRue, from 1995. And he's talking about installing lights. It scared the hell out of you. I mean, you're 60 feet in the air. And you've got to put all those little lights in. I put them in one time and I told somebody, next time those lights go out and you want to put them in, then have, now let's get viewers a sense of what this place is like. You know, they had almost 100 people working here. And this was a beehive. As opposed to what it is now, which is quite confident. Yeah. I think the place was probably buzzing with activity. You had numerous rehearsals going on for the staged productions, the theaters, and the Vodville Act. So you had rehearsal and you had a very quick turnover of productions.

And so the place was always buzzing with activity. On opening nights, you had the staff who were serving as ushers and usharetts, who were bringing in people into the auditorium and upstairs. And you had projectionists who were getting set up in the back and you had the technicians that were in the stage facility, getting lighting set up and getting the stage scenery put together. So it was really buzzing with activity all the time. You even had activities going on up on the second floor. You had offices. You had the Kiva High and the Kiva Low, the restaurant and the cafes. So it was buzzing with activity all the time. Fantastic. Let's do that again because you mentioned buzzing. You said it three times. Busted. Let me do it again. Okay. Sure. Well, the chemo theater was bustling with activity all of the time. You had productions.

You also had rehearsals and you had a very quick turnover. So there was always something happening here. You had people inside the theater who were here for opening night working. You had people inside the restaurant and the cafe who were also working. Everywhere you went on all floors of the chemo theater, there was activity. You had stage hands in the back, electricians, production managers. And in the front you had ushers and usherettes and floor managers. And people who were taking money up on the second floor for the patrons who wanted to visit the cry room or the smoking room. Good. Fantastic. Yeah, that's good. Let me just this one more. Okay. This is a quote from former box office manager Nancy Luke. And what she recalls is about the glaring buffalo skulls. She said, most people in this town remember the skulls glaring down on them. Now, you know they were doing things they shouldn't have been doing or they wouldn't remember those skulls glaring at them. Good. Okay. They're spooky, aren't they? Yeah, they are.

So now talk about the Native American soprano. Oh, yes. Well, I'm not sure what it is you want. Oh, okay. I'll find out there. Okay. Sounds good. Tell me about that opening night and the fact that you know they have people doing American opera singers. Right. Well, opening night consisted of a number of performances and they all started out with this incredible dedication by the Native American community of the chemo theater. And what they did was they participated in a dramatic recreation of the naming of the theater and there were over 60 participants. And they included some important figures, including Navajo, Baratone, Hasky Nazwood, and Zoony, soprano, Margaret Wells. Fantastic. Okay. Margaret, clown. Yeah. I didn't go into as much detail as I did the last time. Yeah. But it was, yeah, if you used that one, it would cover the most important basis. Yeah.

Let's talk about the curtain. I'm going to see what you have to say. Okay. Let me see where it is. Well, the curtain is closed. Okay. What I'll do is I'll show you the image and my file after we're done. Okay. And that way you'll know which one it is. Okay. But you can't miss it. Okay. Let me think where I. Okay. What I stopped was I was talking about Pablo, a beta B commissioned to oversee the work of two interior designers. And they were Robert Powers, who's from LA, and I Nez Westlake, who is an interior designer from here in Albuquerque. And the very interesting thing is that just a few years earlier, in 1925, I Nez Westlake produced a book of American India's designs that were taken from the Fred Harvey Fine Arts collection and the Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe. And so she was drawing from real native art. And what she did, and it's very clear once you see the book, is that she took those designs and then she incorporated them into select spots in the Chemo Theatose. So, for example, you have the design on the pricenium curtain that's actually in 19th century Hopi Bowl interior featuring a corn maiden.

And that is probably an exact reproduction of an actual bowl. Fantastic. Okay. It's probably the biggest issue that comes up here at the Chemo. I don't have it in the script, but you know what, let's do it since we're here and let's talk about it. Do it and then decide later if you want to use it or maybe ask David the same thing and get a different interp design. It's such a sensitive thing that you know you need to pick what will work the best for you. And I'll tell you what will work best for me is something short just like what I think you're going to find into the point. Okay. I know what I can say. I know. Okay. I know what I'll do. The really amazing thing about the design elements in the Chemo Theater is how they were. Sorry. Okay. I see.

Okay. One of the most incredible things about the design elements at the Chemo Theater is the way that they were creatively combined to form unique arrangements. And one example that we have of that is the combination of the skulls and the whirling logs elements that we see in the auditorium. The glowing eyes of the skulls and the skulls themselves kind of represent the fire and mythology of the Old West and the cultures of the Great Plains. And at the same time you have this in combination with shields that portray the whirling logs symbol, which is an element that is kind of a universal motif, meaning friendship, harmony, and happiness, and abundance. Okay. Perfect. I think I took care of that. But it's also worldwide, so I guess. Again, I, you know, one could spend quite a bit of time talking about Navajo in there because that bouncing it off the fact that you have a plain skull with a Navajo design element. Well, let's just talk about the core elements here.

Number one is that whereas it is a symbol that people are used to seeing, it is a symbol that... But I can still talk about the combined elements. Okay. All right. One of the most unique things about the design elements that were used in the chemo theater is how they were put together in these creative combinations. So, for example, on the auditorium wall, you have this assemblage of buffalo skulls which speak of the mythology of the Old West and the Plains cultures that are combined with the Navajo whirling logs design, which is more of a symbol of happiness and friendship and harmony and abundance themes that are found in the story. Fantastic. Okay. That was perfect. Good. I could really cut that one down. Okay. And it did what it needed to do. It did. Anytime. Okay. Do you want to not see the paper question? Oh, no, it's okay. Okay. There's a great story about how two employees met at the chemo. One day, Betty and Carl van Haasler and I were walking down Central and Fifth and we passed the chemo theater.

Harmon, that was in Harmon Black, was there and he saw me and he saw Carl. He asked Carl, who is that girl? Carl told him I was Betty's sister. Harmon said he would like to meet me and Carl told him I wouldn't give him a second look. And that's the story of Ruth French Black and how she met her husband.