New Pal Theatre
122 Church Street,
Vidalia,
GA
30475
122 Church Street,
Vidalia,
GA
30475
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Joe, when you google the Brice the building is still there but closed. From the looks of the building it appears to have been built as a theatre. It is located in the rear of a strip shopping center and a free standing building. On the Vidalia home page it lists the Brice Cinema but there is a line through the Cinema.
Yeah, Chuck and Joe sometimes small time operators really clam up when you visit or call, other times they will talk and talk,Onions are the main deal there, not movies.
Probably another operation hanging by a thread, then. I hope they manage to find a ladder.
I’ve also come across references to a Brice Cinema (presumably owned by the same Mr. Brice who owned the Pal) at 1101 E. First Street in Vidalia, but I haven’t found out any details except that it’s closed, and that the building was renovated in 1969 with plans by Savannah architect Allan H. Eitel. It’s unclear if it was already a theater that was renovated, or an existing building with some other use that was converted into a theater.
Apparently the Sweet Onion Cinemas (which has instantly become one of my favorite theater names ever), with five screens, is the only movie theater now operating in Vidalia.
When you call the business number the lady was reluctant to give any information but did say the theatre was still operating but not on a regular basis
The Pal Theatre web site is now at this URL, but it looks like hasn’t been updated for at least a few months, and possibly for more than a year. The “Upcoming Events” section has dates listed for October, November and December, but no year listed, so they could be from 2011 or even 2010. It doesn’t list any movies at all.
It also gives different telephone numbers from the one listed in our “phone numbers” field above, but I haven’t called them as it would be a long distance call for me. Maybe someone local (or with Internet phone service) could check them to see if the numbers are even connected. The theater might have shut down.
Most if not all the PAL theatres were in South Georgia.
If you want to add the Sweet Onion Cinemas to Cinema Treasures, go right ahead. I don’t have any additional information for it.
I seen it right across from my bank BB&T and now it’s closed for good. No, wait. That’s Sweet Onion Cinemas 4 and Lost Memory, I add it for you and put in the info.
1986 night photo of the Pal Theatre.
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1986 daytime photo of the Pal Theatre.
View link
There were a number of Pal theatres throughout Georgia.
According to Bowers' “Encyclopedia” page 551, there was a “Colonial” theatre in Vidalia equipped with a Reproduco organ made by the Operators Piano Co. I could not find a page for the Colonial, so I am putting this here for the time being.
In further research in “The Vidalia Advance” I have discovered that the noted theatre architect, Roy Benjamin was contracted to design the Pal, touted as “Vidalia’s Theatre Beautiful”. This was announced in “The Advance” on September 15, 1927, and the Pal opened on March 26, 1928 featuring Sam Lucas at the Page organ. The Pal’s first manager was Hal H. Macon and the house organist was Lottie Belle Lee.
Mr. Lucas' program at the Pal featured “A Trip Through the Golden Voiced Pipe Organ”. This must have been an abbreviated journey as the Page organ was a very small instrument.
This is the website for the Pal Theater.
Here is a photo of the New Pal Theater.
On a Vidalia, GA tourism website there is a mention of a Pal Theater. It reads “Cool off and catch a movie at the historic New Pal movie theater, which has recently been renovated”. The address for the New Pal Theater is:
122 Church St
Vidalia, GA 30475
(912) 537-3229
I found another movie theater in Vidalia, GA called the Sweet Onion Cinema 5 located at:
2709 E. First St.
Vidalia, GA 30474
(912) 537-0789
Maybe you should add the Sweet Onion Cinema 5. That name brings a tear to my eyes. :)