Brewton Theater
Brewton,
AL
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Here is what this sign looks like at night when all of the lights are on. I made this photo earlier this evening (11-20-09). The lighted toy soldiers in front are Christmas decorations.
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I called the visitor center yesterday and talked to Marjorie. She said that the theatre was never known as the Brewton, that it was always the Ritz but when they did the building for the message service they changed the verticle to reflect the city of Brewton.
The address of the theatre is the same as the message service building – 2 South Blvd.
Ken Roe can you update the address for the Ritz, 2 South Blvd.
I made the photo at the link posted by Lost Memory. My Flickr stats page has a link back to your site here. The photo was made yesterday (8-25-09). I first saw this welcome sign about 10 years ago and never knew this was originally the entrance to an actual theater. I will update my photo description with the correct info.
Chuck1231 has given the correct street names. This structure is at the intersection of South Blvd. (U.S. Hwys. 31 and 29) and St. Nichols Ave. (State Hwy 41). My photo is geotagged. If you click on the map link you will find the correct location and street names and numbers. Click the hybrid feature on the map and you can see the structure.
2 South Boulevard is the address given for the Brewton Message Service. I assume that’s the kiosk.
LM, South Blvd. is also Hwy 31/29 and if you map it to St. Nicholas that is where the visitors center is.
This site gives the location as Hwy 31 at 29 which Google maps to some highway in the middle of nowhere. Maybe you should contact the “Information Kiosk” and see if it has any information about its location.
It didn’t mention anything about a Brewton Theatre, just the Ritz. I think they may have put Brewton on the verticle for the town and it being the Visitor Information Center for the city of Brewton.
In a Alabama History archive it lists a Ritz Theatre in Brewton as being at 2 South St. at the corner of St. Nicholas Ave. When I used Bing, the visitors information center comes up at this address. The building at the opposite corner looks much like the corner building in the American Classics photo. So I would think that the address of 2 South Blvd., Brewton, Al. 36426 would probably be correct.
Here is a recent photo.
1988 Photo of the Ritz/Brewton theatre.
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Another view of the 1988 Ritz/Brewton Theatre.
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Here is another photo.
The Ritz Theatre opened its doors on this site September 14, 1936, and for more than fifty (50) years prided itself as the “Hub of the Brewton Community.” Between its first feature, “YOURS FOR THE ASKING,” and its last, “CROCODILE DUNDEE,” shown January 22, 1987, the Ritz served as stage for fashion shows, beauty pageants, dances, and various other community events. Stars of the “Grand Ole Opry” and “Hollywood” made live appearances at the Rtiz. The Ritz was the community’s prime source of reliable news from the battle-front during World War II. With a seating capacity for 761, the Ritz was the place to be on Saturday afternoon for generations of children. This legacy of the Ritz Theatre has been perpetuated with the construction of this community message center in March 1996. Source
The Ritz was part of the Fred T. McLendon chain in the early seventies. I’m not sure from the history here whether the Brewton sign was first up during the transformation to community bulletin board. Did it ever actually operate as the Brewton Theater?
More photos of the former Brewton Theater can be seen here.
This is actually a new construction and not the actual facad. There is also a historic marker at the site.
Front view of what is left of the Brewton/Ritz Theatre.
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/1/brewton2.jpg
I believe at on time during the life of this theatre it was callewd the Ritz Theatre.
Here is a clearer photo of what is left of the Brewton Theatre.
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