Lura Theatre
Second Street,
Augusta,
AR
72006
Second Street,
Augusta,
AR
72006
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I finally found an item about W. E. Malin’s death, in Boxoffice of March 11, 1950. He was killed in an automobile accident on March 8 that year.
Boxoffice of August 1, 1977, had an item about Marjorie Malin, then operator of the Lura Theatre. It mentioned that her father, W. E. Malin, had opened the theater in 1916.
The Lura Theatre is mentioned in many issues of Boxoffice, and was long operated by Marjorie Malin’s mother, Lura Malin. She is first mentioned as operator of the theater in 1950. Prior to that, W. E. Milin was the operator, so he might have died about that time, though I can’t find a death notice for him in Boxoffice. A brief notice of Lura Malin’s death was published in Boxoffice of February 26, 1968.
A single line in Boxoffice of October, 1982, read: “The Lura Theatre, Augusta, recently closed.” I’ve found nolater mentions of it.
It probably is a typo in the Film Daily. I’ve noticed a few theaters that the Film Daily gives the wrong spelling for.
I found an address of 262 N. 2nd St.. Main St. Is either North or South. LM I think the Film Journal made a spelling error. From what I read it was always the Lura. (History of Small Town Motion Picture Theatre in Arkansas)
Either the 1935 Film Daily has a spelling error or this theater briefly changed it’s name. In 1930, the only theater listed for Augusta, AR is the 250 seat “Lura” Theater.
In 1935, the Laura is the only theater listed for Augusta. I wonder if the name was later changed to Lura or was it a typo in the 1935 Film Daily. In 1955 it is listed as the Lura with 380 seats.
By the 1945 Film Daily Yearbook, Augusta’s only theater is showing up as the Lura, seating 208. By 1951, the Lura is shown seating 380.
The 1935 Film Daily lists a 250 seat Laura Theater for Augusta, AR. Could that be a previous name for the Lura Theater?
A recent photo of the boarded-up Lura Theatre can be seen here.