Plaza Theater
3402 Poplar Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38111
3402 Poplar Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38111
4 people
favorited this theater
I am not sure of the complete name, but am certain it was once called Plaza Theater, which was located in Poplar Plaza shopping center at Poplar Avenue and Highland Street. I believe at one point it had a huge metal spire on top of the front of the building, which was later taken down and stored somewhere else in Memphis.
The theater was opened in 1953 and closed long ago, but during the early-1990’s Bookstar renovated and occupied the space, keeping the front entrance marquee.
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AC
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Recent comments (view all 34 comments)
To expand on my comment above, I’ve found an item in Boxoffice of October 26, 1961, which said that Augustine Cianciolo had sold the lease on the Plaza Theatre to General Drive-In Corp. of Boston, the company which was later renamed General Cinema and became one of the leading builders of multiplex theaters.
Also, an interesting bit about Gus Cianciolo turns up in the March 19, 1955, issue of Boxoffice. When the Plaza Theatre received the print of “A Star is Born” missing 36 minutes the studio had cut because they thought the movie was too long, Gus asked the studio to provide his theater with the original, three hour and ten minute version, only to be told it was not going to be released. Most theater operators were happy to run truncated versions of movies as they could get in more showings and sell more tickets. Cianciolo must have been a real movie fan.
A rendering of the Plaza Theatre, along with a photo of Mr. and Mrs. Gus Cianciolo and their two sons appeared in Boxoffice, April 5, 1952.
Now Showing at GCC’s PLAZA I and II “IF EVER I SEE YOU AGAIN” rated PG. in CINEMA II you have “THE GREEK TYCOON” rated R which is also playing at GCC’s RALEIGH SPRINGS IN Memphis.
Cool shots of the 1952 Boxoffice Joe V.
Anyone know who has the original plans?
Bookstar is gone & the building is vacant. Here’s a photo from April 2011:
http://www.agilitynut.com/11/4/memth.jpg
I’d love to turn it back into a theatre, but a dinner theatre (supper club) and the cafe section of the old Bookstar could be the lounge!! All the retro stuff is still there, from what I hear, and there’s room for a stage. Look at the jobs we could create!!
Good news and bad news. The building is going to become a spa for Gould’s, a beauty parlor which has been at Poplar Plaza for many years. The bad news is that all the remaining decor has been gutted. Couldn’t see the restrooms but the curved lobby which Bookstar retained is gone. The interior was much handsomer after Bookstar moved in than it ever was before (it was pretty plain as were most neighborhood theatres) but all of that is also gone.
The 1952 Boxoffice Magazine item about the Plaza Theater cited in my earlier comment is now located at this link.
I was the Assistant Manager of the Plaza Cinema under Ken Goderre’s Manager-ship.About 1964-65.Used to lunch with Gus Cianciolo at Pete and Sam’s Any contacts out there? Photos or …
J Tom Miller
Arkansas.