The Egyptian Theatre, a longtime landmark in downtown Coos Bay, is closing its doors on Monday. World File Photo

After 70 years in business, The Egyptian Theatre will close Monday, according to an e-mail sent to The World from an employee of Coming Attractions Theatres, which owns the downtown Coos Bay theater.

When asked on Tuesday if The Egyptian would be closed, Coming Attractions CEO John Schweiger said he had no comment, though he added there would be “a very interesting press release” next week.

“The Egyptian Theatre will be closed permanently beginning Monday, November 28, 2005,” the e-mail from Coming Attractions receptionist Kylinn Leiby states.

Leiby confirmed Tuesday that the e-mail was valid.

An advertisement that will appear in The World’s New View magazine Saturday lists a schedule for The Egyptian for “11/25/05 to 11/27/05” alongside a schedule for the Pony Village Cinemas for “11/23/05 to 12/1/05.”

The city of Coos Bay has been in discussions with Little Theatre on the Bay about the possibility of the city assisting the group in a bid to purchase the theater, which opened in November 1925.

City Manager Scott McClure said Tuesday those discussions are ongoing and that no decision has been reached. McClure said he hadn’t heard the theater was closing.

Schweiger introduced the possibility of turning the theater into a venue for live performances at a March meeting of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Independent Business Operators. At that time, he assured local business leaders he would not close the The Egyptian.

At an earlier business forum in December 2001, Schweiger also said his company would never close the theater.

“As long as we’re in business, we will continue to put good money into it,” Schweiger said at that meeting.

Although the Ashland-based company has been discussing a sale of the theater with Little Theatre on the Bay for several months, no record of a sale has reached the office of Coos County Assessor Bob Main, he said. Main said Coming Attractions has owned the property since 1999.

Numerous attempts to reach spokesmen from Little Theatre on the Bay were unsuccessful.

In June, Coming Attractions began showing art and foreign films at The Egyptian in what it described as an experiment. The experiment continued into October, but in the past month, no new movies have opened at The Egyptian without first playing at the Pony Village Cinemas in North Bend, also owned by Coming Attractions.

Employees working at The Egyptian on Tuesday would not comment on the news of the impending closure.