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Alamo Theatre

Jackson, MS

333 North Farish Street

, Jackson, MS 39207 United States

(map)

Status:	Open
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Art Moderne

Function:	Community Arts Center, Live Performances, Performing Arts
Seats:	326
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

The Alamo theatre opened in 1942 seating 406. It was built in the African-American professional and trade community of Farish Street. The Alamo screened westerns and African- American films and also hosted acts and performing artists such as B.B King, Nat King Cole and other top African-American performers.

By 1960 everything came to a halt and the Alamo closed. It remained shuttered until 1992. A community restoration came about in the hopes of reviving the neighborhood. Fortunately the exterior was still in good shape and therefore the plasterwork, windows and corrigated white metal were easily restored.

Inside, everything was in shambles with the ceiling and other junk a foot and a half deep on the floors. Nothing could be salvaged. The restoration decided to go from scratch and restore in the interior to its original Art Deco style.

The marquee and the vertical sign were restored to their original design including all the neon. It took over two years to complete the project and the theatre re-opened in 1997. It is now hosting all forms of art, music, dance and theatre.

Contributed by Chuck Van Bibber

YOUR COMMENTS

Here is a photo of the Alamo Theatre.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/Chuck1231/AlamoTheatreJacksonMs.jpg

posted by Chuck1231 on May 30, 2005 at 9:42am

Charles: I couldn't bring up the above site. Also I noticed on an AOL window a photo of an old theatre that was demolished during Hurricane Katrina. It is in Bay St. Louis MS, but that theatre is not listed on CT.

posted by Patsy on Sep 2, 2005 at 4:29pm

Patsy, I did some realigning in photobucket and lost the original link. Here is a corrected link.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/Chuck1231/Mississippi%20Theatres/AlamoTheatreJacksonMs.jpg

posted by Chuck1231 on Sep 2, 2005 at 5:00pm

Charles: Great photo of the Alamo. I've been looking at the LA and MS CT theatres and wonder which ones, if any, survived? I don't know the name of the theatre pictured on AOL news that 'was' in Bay St. Louis MS, but sadly the brick structure was leveled.

posted by Patsy on Sep 2, 2005 at 5:04pm

Would love to see an interior photo of this art deco cinema in MS.

posted by Patsy on Sep 2, 2005 at 5:06pm

Patsy,that was more than likely the Bay Star Theatre in Bay St. Louis at 600 So. Beach Blvd. It had been closed for some time though.

posted by Chuck1231 on Sep 2, 2005 at 5:13pm

Chuck: I figured it probably had been closed for some time yet it was sad to see it gone. It would be nice to see it included on CT though.

posted by Patsy on Sep 3, 2005 at 4:28am

Here is a photo of the Alamo Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Sep 20, 2005 at 1:47pm

Can anyone tell us the condition of this theatre in Jackson MS after Hurricane Katrina?

posted by Patsy on Sep 20, 2005 at 2:58pm

Couple photos of the Alamo Theatre.
http://www.roadsidenut.com/alamo1103.jpg
http://www.roadsidenut.com/alamo11031.jpg

posted by Chuck1231 on Oct 2, 2005 at 8:12pm

This is a small photo of the interior of the Alamo Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Nov 28, 2005 at 5:07pm

Here is a recent photo of the Alamo Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Sep 11, 2007 at 5:28pm

Doing Family history research, I came across a cousin, Webb Stevens, WW I Draft Registration, dated June 5, 1917.

His occuption description on his draft card stated,
Motion Picture Operator,
Alamo Theatre, [no street address]
Jackson, Mississippi,
Employer: R A Bell.

The 1917 date on the draft card predates, by 25 years, the 1942 opening date described in the above history of the theatre.

It seems obvious there was another Alamo Theatre located in Jackson
prior to the Farish Street Alamo.
If so,
Does anyone know where it was located in Jackson?

Jerry Stevens
Jackson, Ms

posted by Jerry1945 on Nov 15, 2008 at 9:01am

Well, five minutes after my question, I came across another history description of the Alamo Theatre on another web site.
http://www.visitjackson.com/view.php?eid=616

It States,,,
The first structure was located on Farish Street in the 100 block across from where McCoy Federal Building now stands. The second Alamo was located on West Amite Street at Roach Street. This newly renovated structure (the third) was built in the early 1940's in this Farish Street Historic District.

Jerry Stevens

posted by Jerry1945 on Nov 15, 2008 at 9:08am

And according to this link the current Alamo Theater has 524 seats.

posted by Lost Memory on Nov 15, 2008 at 9:16am

Here is a marquee photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y96nwu4

posted by ken mc on Feb 6, 2010 at 11:45am

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