Hollywood Theatre

The Hollywood ended its career as a church. It was very plain on the outside and probably a typical plain neighborhood theatre inside. The neighborhood at Hollywood St and Chelsea Ave (where the theatre stood) was once a thriving middle class neighborhood. It has since become very low income and somewhat depressed. There is a piece about the neighborhood under Memphis Memories on the historic-memphis.com website. The fine page on Memphis Movie Theatres has migrated there also.

The December 15, 1951, issue of Boxoffice Magazine carried a small ad placed by Jim West, owner of the Hollywood Theatre, offering the house for sale or lease. No price was quoted, but the ad boasted “Everything Modern – Good Location” and said that the Hollywood had 875 seats.

I was in the Hollywood about 1990. It was completely intact and was being used for small-name live acts. The theatre had some roof damage and was very under-funded.