Loew's Palace Theatre
81 Union Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38103
81 Union Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38103
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 52 comments found
My dad took my brother and I to see a re-release of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” in the early 1960s. My first movie in a theater!
Where else? Stan Hightower.
Will, where did you come by the Don Baker memorabilia?
Photos, even old ones, of the Palace are scarce. Came across this one recently. Lobby, as opposed to the State’s long one was crosswise with two flanking staircases. Wall was originally glass but was painted over because the standee rail was just inside.
Shortcut to the above post here
Here’s a remembrance and photo of Loew’s Palace in Memphis: http://www.memphistechhigh.com/memphis/memories/palace.html
Marcus Loew was born on this date in 1870.
Love the Elvis Story,ASst Mgr Loews.
Does anyone have information on the performers who might have appeared at Loew’s when it first opened in the ‘20s?
The February, 1921, issue of trade journal The Clay Worker said that the new Palace Theatre in Memphis had opened to the public on Saturday, January 15.
Thanks for the Loew down.Great stories.
Regarding Evansville Loew’s theatres. Mr Cecil Vogel who for many years was manager of Loew’s Palace in Memphis was transferred there from Evansville, probably in the early 1930’s. At one time during those lean 1930 years he managed, at the same time, all of the down town first run theaters in Memphis. When Memphis blue-laws prohibited selling tickets to see movies on Sunday, Mr Vogel sold tickets for a luncheon buffet and you saw the movie free.
Around 1948 or 49 Mr Allen Sparrow, who was Loew’s south-east district manager and I believe also manager of Loew’s State in Atlanta, died of a heart attack in Loew’s Palace’s office.
Elvis, while in high school, worked at Loew’s State in memphis. He couldn’t get to work on time and it was my duty to fire him. Some years later about 1955 or 56 I happended to meet him at the Variety Club in Memphis. I was recently out of the military and back in college and knew nothing about Elvis Presley. He remembered me and told me about my firing him. I jokingly told him I must have done him a favor.
Thanks Bob Jenson.
Everything I could find out or remember about CINERAMA at the Lowe’s Palace, the only CINERAMA Theater in Memphis.
CINERAMA used a single booth.
It showed 3-strip CINERAMA from Wednesday, July 26, 1961 to Wednesday, October 2, 1963.
It never played 70mm CINERAMA.
I may have seen other CINERAMA Movies in Memphis, but I know I saw THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM, probably around August or September of 1962.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON, opened on Wednesday, July 3, 1963 and ran for 13 weeks, until Wednesday, October 2, 1963 (this was the last CINERAMA Movie shown in Memphis). I saw it, but not in Memphis.
Anyone know the size of the screen, if it was louvered or it’s curvature?
Here’s something I’ve never seen mentioned before. After THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM was over, I don’t remember if they showed the credits or not of if the curtain closed or not, but they showed the preview to HOW THE WEST WAS WON in 3-strip CINERAMA. They of course showed all the action shots. At least that’s the way I remember it. Can anyone verify this?
While attending Memphis Technical High School I went to work at the Loews Palace as an usher, 1946. After about five years and a few promotions in between, I was transferred to Loews State Theatre on Main Street as its assistant manager. I was attending Memphis State College by then. In 1951 I went on active duty in the Navy.
Those years were still great years in the motion picture exhibition business. Loews, Inc was the owner of Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios and the actors were still contract players. If Mr Marcus Loew or Mr Mayer wanted actors to appear at a pictures opening, they were there ready to go to work, meeting the press, stage appearances and I even had one or two visit schools. The “Stars” of that day were real professionals and enjoyable to work with.
I still have a few autographed photos left from then.
tlsloews I added the Loew’s Majestic this evening. Found a little info on it and it should show up tomorrow.
You are right Chuck1231. I tried to find it but could not.
The Majestic is not listed on Ct. it must not have been open in 1965 or wasn’t under the Loew’s Banner since the only one that we got figures from was the Loew’s Victory.
Thanks for the information.,
Loew’s once had a second theatre in Evansville, Indiana, the 980-seat Majestic at 15 SE Fifth Street.
tlsloews, the Loew’s Theatre in Evansville was the Victory, Loew’s Victory. It is not listed as Loew’s in the header on CT but should have an AKA added to show Loew’s Victory. I don’t recall the Managers last name but his first name was Gary and this was in 1965. The Victory barely turned in any high figures when I worked for Loew’s.
Chuck 1231 I would like to know the name of the Loews in Evansville, I cannot find it,would like to learn any info about it, I have some friends who live there, I have been there a long time ago.You must have worked for LOEWS,by the posts I have read of yours,THANKS.
When i was with ABC PLITT it was my job to call the figures in to Columbia,S.C. Some nights i don’t know why we even opened and this was before VHS and Video games,we had cable,but it wasn’t much. I still remember to this day the phone numbers of NATIONAL HILLs and the IMPERIAl..738-4588 and 722-1866!
When I was in high school and a student assistant manager, the Loew’s Palace and Loew’s State along with the Loew’s in Evansville, In. had to call their figures in every night to the Loew’s State in St. Louis. We then had to send them along with the figures for Loew’s State and Loew’s Mid City in St. Louis, on to New York. I was really stunned on some nights when the Palace had box office figures of between $100 and $200 dollars for the entire day. That was pretty often also. Admission at the time was $1.25 matinee and 1.75 for evenings. There wasn’t many people going through the doors with those figures. St. Louis must have been a bigger movie city because their figures were always in the $1,000’s compared to Memphis and Evansville.