Great to hear from you again Mr. Roe! I am still working on this. This is the first time that I have encountered cinemas with distinct names with numeric suffixes that aren’t multiplexs. Weird… Do know that this Suzore was leveled in 1967.
UPDATE: United Artist opened the 1130 seat Southbrook Four in 1972. The theatre was later expand to seven screens and taken over by Regal Theaters. The Southbrook was shuttered in 1998.
General Cinema premiered the 500 seat Whitehaven on November 2, 1966. From the clippings, it appeared to be one of GC’s top of the line models. Unfortunately, the auditorium was split down the middle in 1973 resulting in two long narrow cinemas. The Whitehaven was mercifully demolished in 1983.
Here are a couple of shots of the Loews Madison Square theatre in Nashville. It is of the same cast and era as the 12 Oaks but remarkably remained a single screen up until its closing.
The Princess was initially part of the Crescent Theatre chain. In 1951 the Cain-Sloan department store acquired the property at 511 Church and the theatre reopened at 415 Church St. In 1959, the Princess was remodeled and renamed the Crescent Cinerama. The theatre was equipped with a 45-foot screen and stereophonic sound. After the theatre became part of the Loews chain in the 1960s, it’s name was gradually shorten from being the Loews Crescent Cinerama to just the Loews. The Loews was demolished in 1994.
According to a 1968 ad for the theatre in the Atlanta Journal, the Tara theatre opened with a 70mm, stereophonic presentation of Gone With The Wind on its 60-foot screen.
Well at least give me credit for being kinda half right. I was going by what a former writer (or so she said) for Variety told me. By chance does anyone know if the AIA maintains any type of listing of works by its members (I am assuming Mr. Eberson was part of the association)? I have heard that he designed a few smaller scale theatres.
Bummer, major bummer. Just noticed the referance to the Brannon Square. I didn’t know that it was once part of ABC. I knew it was once a Jerry Lewis, then a Septum. It wasn’t anything like the other ABC properties.
One of the photos in this set was mistaking tagged as Polk Columbia, GA. It has been corrected and retagged as Polk, Columbia, TN. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Here is a 2003 photo of the Tara: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/
The only camera I had available at the time was one of those drug store drop offs with no means to adjust the shot for overcast skies. The low rectangular appendage on the left of the building is the entrance to the third auditorium from the lobby.
The theatre was still standing when I last visited the Sharpstown area about 10 years ago. It was being used as some sort of indoor sports complex with a jungle theme.
There were at one time about four other theatres in this area, the Lyons, Roxy, Globe and Venus. It has been a couple of years since I was last in Houston, but I recall seeing two building on Lyons Blvd, which resembled theatres. One was an ornate vacant building that might have been the Roxy based on its proximity to the Eastex Expressway. Further east of the Eastex was a church that I believe was the former Lyons Theatre. These are the only two theaters like structures that I can remember from this area.
Noted in clipping from an old Memphis newspaper that Martin opened the Crosstown on May 15, 1951. With 1400 seats, the Crosstown had the distinction of being the largest and most luxurious suburban theatre in the metropolitan Memphis area. Curious to know how much, if any of the décor of the original auditorium remains intact. It supposedly was quite ornate.
Great to hear from you again Mr. Roe! I am still working on this. This is the first time that I have encountered cinemas with distinct names with numeric suffixes that aren’t multiplexs. Weird… Do know that this Suzore was leveled in 1967.
UPDATE: United Artist opened the 1130 seat Southbrook Four in 1972. The theatre was later expand to seven screens and taken over by Regal Theaters. The Southbrook was shuttered in 1998.
General Cinema premiered the 500 seat Whitehaven on November 2, 1966. From the clippings, it appeared to be one of GC’s top of the line models. Unfortunately, the auditorium was split down the middle in 1973 resulting in two long narrow cinemas. The Whitehaven was mercifully demolished in 1983.
Here are a couple of shots of the Loews Madison Square theatre in Nashville. It is of the same cast and era as the 12 Oaks but remarkably remained a single screen up until its closing.
Joe Holman was the architect.
The Princess was initially part of the Crescent Theatre chain. In 1951 the Cain-Sloan department store acquired the property at 511 Church and the theatre reopened at 415 Church St. In 1959, the Princess was remodeled and renamed the Crescent Cinerama. The theatre was equipped with a 45-foot screen and stereophonic sound. After the theatre became part of the Loews chain in the 1960s, it’s name was gradually shorten from being the Loews Crescent Cinerama to just the Loews. The Loews was demolished in 1994.
According to a 1968 ad for the theatre in the Atlanta Journal, the Tara theatre opened with a 70mm, stereophonic presentation of Gone With The Wind on its 60-foot screen.
During the last years of the Vendome existence it was just simply referred to as the Loews.
Is/was there a Studio at 2105 Court St? I think that it is a multiplex.
Well at least give me credit for being kinda half right. I was going by what a former writer (or so she said) for Variety told me. By chance does anyone know if the AIA maintains any type of listing of works by its members (I am assuming Mr. Eberson was part of the association)? I have heard that he designed a few smaller scale theatres.
Bummer, major bummer. Just noticed the referance to the Brannon Square. I didn’t know that it was once part of ABC. I knew it was once a Jerry Lewis, then a Septum. It wasn’t anything like the other ABC properties.
Eberson is the architect. Hardtop is a “trade term” to distinguish an indoor theatre from a drive-in or “ozone”.
The Memphian/Playhouse on the Square is listed at 51 South Cooper. Was the Memphian also once know as the Ritz?
Here is a recent photo of the Teton View link
You can view some recent photos of the Cedar at View link
Here are 2005 photos of the Regent www.flickr.com/photos/91428163@N00/tags/regent/
One of the photos in this set was mistaking tagged as Polk Columbia, GA. It has been corrected and retagged as Polk, Columbia, TN. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Here are a couple of recent photos of the Granada View link
Here is a 2003 photo of the Tara: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/
The only camera I had available at the time was one of those drug store drop offs with no means to adjust the shot for overcast skies. The low rectangular appendage on the left of the building is the entrance to the third auditorium from the lobby.
Here is a 2003 photo of the Cobb: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/
Unfortunately the digital camera I was using at the time had a very low resolution.
The theatre was still standing when I last visited the Sharpstown area about 10 years ago. It was being used as some sort of indoor sports complex with a jungle theme.
According to the 1921-28 Nashville City Directories, this theatre opened as the Central and was renamed the Elite around 1928.
Movie Palaces: A Retrospect (http://www.moviepalaces.net/) contains some great shots of the Tower during its prime.
There were at one time about four other theatres in this area, the Lyons, Roxy, Globe and Venus. It has been a couple of years since I was last in Houston, but I recall seeing two building on Lyons Blvd, which resembled theatres. One was an ornate vacant building that might have been the Roxy based on its proximity to the Eastex Expressway. Further east of the Eastex was a church that I believe was the former Lyons Theatre. These are the only two theaters like structures that I can remember from this area.