Park Theater
3527 Park Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38111
3527 Park Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38111
1 person
favorited this theater
I remember going there as a kid.
Contributed by
Scott
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
Update: the “satellite” feature of the map function now shows a vacant lot where the Park used to be. Don’t know when it was taken.
I saw Natalie Wood’s last film “Brain Storm” at the Park. It was still clean and well kept. I remember the hall being very long and narrow – something like a bowling lane. The sight lines were good with a decent slope to the floor. The most notable exterior feature was it’s late ‘Deco name sign on the triangle marquee. When the recording studio took it over, they kept the name “Park” and did a nice job with their adaptive re-use. Sorry to hear that it’s gone now.
The Park Theater was still in operation into the 80’s. It was one of the last larger single auditoriums in the Memphis area, and possibly THE last one. A great building, too. After it closed it was used for quite a few years by a video production company. They used part of the street address (“35 Park”) as the production company name. I was surprised that the building finally got taken down by the wrecking ball, I suppose in the late 90’s. I believe it has been replaced by yet another national corner pharamcy. A pity, this one. Memphis, like other cities, isn’t particularly protective of its architecture.
I remember standing in long lines to see “Airport” at the Park. I also saw “Jaws”, “Altered States”, “Brainstorm”, and “The Empire Strikes Back” which kept breaking because of a mis-aligned 70mm gate. The management gladly invited me back to see the movie once the problem was repaired. I also seem to remember a censorship controversy for “Love Story” when it played there.
Count me in for “Altered States” and “Watership Down” during my Memphis State University days.
1982 night photo of the Park Theatre.
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Another 1983 photo of the Park Theatre.
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1982 Photo
1983 Photo
PLaying First run at THE PARK theatre CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. Shows at 7:15 and 9:40 .I find this odd only two shows at a theatre in a city the size of Memphis.Usually cities that size play matinees and evening shows. Not here. two shows!
In 1964 I started working at the Park, the number one grossing theatre in the entire south. I was eleven when my father -John Gannon – was appointed general manager. Prior to that it was a neighborhood theatre showing second run movies like..The Blob. The first great movie to show at The Park was Cat Ballou and what followed was one great movie after another. Things looked alot different at the corner of Park and Highland than today. Needless to say working at the Park from 11 to 17 years of age was an adventure that included the greatest days of my life. To The Park theatre an independent theatre that was the number one grossing theatre in the entire south.
Michael Gannon
i recall standing in line for two hours to get tickets to see ‘jaws'in 1975….the park got the exclusive on movies back then.i recall people brought lawn chairs to wait in line…and less that ten yrs later it was gone.