Lincoln Theatre

The architect is Reginald Geare, who also designed several West Virginia theatres.

When the Lincoln Theatre was a movie theatre it seated 1568 people.

The Lincoln theatre still can and does show 35mm film. The screen and stage speakers for film are flown and are brought down for such events. Steve

Located on U Street, NW, within blocks of 2 other fine houses, the Republic and the Booker T.

During the late 70s, triple features of black exploitation films and/or horror films was what The Lincoln Theater was known for featuring. I know 'cause I was there many times as a kid.

I dearly remember the "U" street theatres...Republic, BookerT. The last time I was in the Lincoln was around 1962. The occasion was the run of "West Side Story," concurrent with the roadshow at another house on roadshow (probably the Uptown or Ontario). I remember that the operator kept the anamorphic lens (or attachment) on for the pre-feature stuff...the cartoon and the newsreel. The cartoon, especially, didn't look too bad.

Geare also designed the Knickerbocker Theater in Washington D.C. in 1921. It collapsed in a snowstorm in 1922 and killed 98 people. My grandfather lost his arm while he was there in the orchestra. His brother, the conductor died. Geare later committed suicide.

Picketing Gone With The Wind at the theater:
http://sirismm.si.edu/archivcenter/scurlock/618ps0237229-01jp.jpg

Courtesty of the Smithsonian.

Summary: Complete caption quoted above in ink on verso of print A. Print B is marked "Picketing at Lincoln Theater / late 40s".

Scope and Content: The movie being picketed is "Gone with the Wind." Several figures carry signs with messages such as "A dollar and ten 'gone...with the wind". Print is on resin-coated paper, so is probably a much later restrike print by Robert Scurlock, ca. 1970s.

Cite as: Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.


Subject-Topical: Civil rights
Civil rights demonstrations -- Washington (D.C.) -- 1940-1950.
Demonstrations -- Washington (D.C.).
Picketing

Another old photo courtesy of the Smithsonian:
http://sirismm.si.edu/archivcenter/scurlock/618nl0010383-01bp.jpg

Exterior view, shows marquee advertising movie "Personal Property (1937)", with Jean Harlow and Robert Taylor.

TC - Referring to the photo you linked up, why were blacks picketing there? Was it the price of the movie? Just curious.

Thanks.

My initial guess would be that they were denied entry or had to sit in segregated seats .... but, the main description of this theater claims it was used exclusively for black audiences. If this is true, then I believe they were picketing the movie itself and its portrayal of black people. Look at the signs the people are carrying, they seem to be targeting the movie.

They might be protesting the price of the movie. The price on the ticket booth looks like it says $1.10. Isn't that kind of pricey for 1939-40?

It would surprise me if they were picketing the movie for its depiction of blacks. I don't even think in today's PC invested waters is GWTW seen as offensive to blacks. Would it have been viewed that way back in the late 1940s? The Birth of a Nation yes, but not GWTW. It doesn't seem the movie was trying to demean anyone. After all, the first black to win an oscar, Hattie McDaniel, won it for her role in this movie. But, who knows. The character played by Butterfly McQueen wasn't too bright. Maybe that was their problem. I suspect it had more to do with the price of the show.

For most of its life the LINCOLN was the #1 and best First Run movie theatre for the Black audience and ran the top pictures simultaneously with the "white" theatres on F Street. Although the so-called white theatres didn't actually deny Blacks admission, it was commonly assumed they did. When segregation ended, Blacks tended to see movies elsewhere and the LINCOLN closed. The historical markers regarding the LINCOLN's past as a LIVE theatre tend to fib. Most Black stars actually appeared not at the LINCOLN, but at the more famous (and now delapidated) HOWARD a few blocks east. It's not likely that any person alive today ever saw a LIVE show at the old LINCOLN, but hundreds remember the HOWARD --- as do I.

The Black theaters on U Street were usually cheaper than the White ones on F Street, but in the case of GWTW in 1939 the admission at LOEW'S PALACE for Evening Shows was also $1.10 --- indeed expensive enough in 1939 to make folks angry. A middle class government job like a GS-12 paid $800 a year in 1939.
Amazingly, in New York at the glorious LOEW'S CAPITOL THEATRE on Broadway the price was also $1.10 at night. New York prices were almost always double the Washington price back then. Reserved seats at the ASTOR on Broadway were $1.10 to $2.20.
In summary, the price for GWTW at the Lincoln was enough to rate a picket line.
Nobody was "offended" by GWTW in 1939 except concerning the final line, "Frankly, m'dear, I don't give a DAMN!" It wasn't until recently that liberal wacko's started to badmouth GWTW for depicting slavery (ohmygod, slavery! in the South! in 1861! SHOCKING!!!) In 1939 it was big news that HATTIE McDANIEL was the first Black to win an Oscar, and Black folks were honored with that; not offended.

A large color photo of the Lincoln Theater can be seen here.

During the 1980's I rented the Lincoln theatre once a month and featured all night movies, usually martial arts, blaxploitation or horrorthons. The shows would start at midnight and last until dawn, and occassionally we would include a hardcore sex film at the end to wake everybody up. We always drew from 1500 to 2500 each weekend and often held the same shows in Baltimore (at the Hippodrome). The theatre was a twin, so we would show movies both up and down and rotate the prints.

This is another photo of the Lincoln theater.

Here is another photo of the Lincoln Theater.

DON'T CRY for the LINCOLN. This theatre is alive and well, offering a limited number of stage shows including some big name Black stars. The neighborhood is seriously on the rebound, as block after block of formerly decaying townhouses have undergone big time renovation.

a read a news story from last year that the theatre was running into some risk that they might be able to remain open. I guess that was solved - it's too bad that the only time I go to this theatre, it's for the annual Reel Affirmations Film Festival in the Fall. Whoever the booker is, needs to find a way to get more diverse live acts/bands to perform there.

A Moller theater organ opus 3259 size 2/9 was installed in the Lincoln Theater in 1922.

This is the website for the Lincoln Theater.

Here is a nice recent photo of the Lincoln Theater.

The ARENA STAGE will be using the LINCOLN for at least 4 of this year's plays or musicals. Just advertised today 6/18/08.

Another photo is here.

Here is an excerpt from a Washington Post article dated 7/16/22:

COLORED THEATER REOPENS
Lincoln, Largest of Its Kind, to Be Managed by Prominent Men of Race

Crandall's Lincoln theater, 1215 U Street Northwest, the largest playhouse in the United States for colored patrons, will be reopened tomorrow night under the management of a board of directors composed of prominent professional men of the colored race in Washington.

That is a sadly worded article.

Wow Lost imagine what life was like back then. I have been down this way a little over 6 years now and although there has been a big resurgence of the Shaw area there are a few rough spots. Even in my short time in this area I have seen beat up homes turn in to gems and new businesses taking shape. Now if and when the Howard gets it's face lift that will be another boost to the neighborhood.

The Lincoln Theater can be seen in this 2009 photo.

As a free bonus, you can also see Ben's Chili Bowl which is the former Minnehaha Theater.

Bens has been in the news recently when President Obama anf the DC Mayor had lunch there before inaugaration day. Bens also operates a stand at the Nationals Baseball park in DC

This site has some photos.

You should come down here and see some of these places for your self. The Lincoln restoration looks awesome from the outside. It looks like the past came to life when you see when you see this almost 90 year old gem sparkle.

When I get some free time, that would be a nice drive to take in the warm weather. I could also check out Ben's Chili Bowl while I'm there.

SOunds like a plan. Where do you live? Let me know if you do head out this way. Maybe we can find others on CT and have a live CT meet.

Another 2009 photo is here.

The snow on the ground must have been close to the time Obama called the DC Board of Ed whips for closing the schools. Being raised in NYC Obama was funny but right. In NYC schools would be open unless there was at least a foot or more of snow on the ground.

As to the picture the snow and the wet streets gives it a nice feel.

This is another 2009 photo.

Refer to the "mini debate" posted above in June 2005.

The debate is resolved. The linked photo is currently on display in the Smithsonian American History museum as part of the "Picturing the Promise" exhibition. The caption states that the patrons were indeed protesting the treatment of african americans in the movie Gone with the Wind.