Ritz Theatre
213 S. Main Street,
Malvern,
AR
72104
213 S. Main Street,
Malvern,
AR
72104
3 people
favorited this theater
The Ritz Theatre, opened in 1938, burnt down in 1947, and was rebuilt to the plans of architects Ginocchio and Cromwell. It is located on Malvern’s Main Street and operated as one of only a few single-screen movie houses in Arkansas for many years.
Renovated in 2004, the Ritz Theatre was closed August 28, 2008, but was reopened in early-2009.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
I have tried to get loopnet to take it off that was from years ago. that is when I had it listed for $275,000. I have around 70 pictures of the theater and I am in the process of putting them all on a virtual tour. I believe I have it sold. I have three investors interested in the property and I have one that has made a verbal offer so hopefully very soon my BELOVED RITZ will be back in BUSINESS!!
David if you will send me your email address I will send you the link to my listing and I have several pictures that might be of interest to you.
Thanks TFS. My e-mail is:
I think it may be the only thing in my profile. Which I blindly used my real name on back in 2005 or whatever. I was Googleproof until then. Well, losing out on a 2006 Emmy saw to that too.
Good luck with your sale, and the hopes The Ritz will remain a theatre for ever.
I couldn’t find a date when the Ritz re-opened but it is open and showing first run attractions. A person named Kaye Raye is the listed owner. It seems that the theatre was twinned in 1992.
Yes Chuck you are correct The Ritz has reoppened. They had closed down due to health reasons in August but has since reopened and it is doing amazing. The same owners still own it is still listed. It can be found at shellysells.net. It is listed at $175,000 but we will soon be going up on the price due to the fact that the building in Arkadelphia that was a theatre years ago just sold for close to $300,000 and it is under 6000 sq ft. This is a running theatre so now we have a great comparable that is within 20 miles. If anyone has any questions you can email me at
1981 photo of the Ritz Theatre. From the photo the Ritz appears to be in great shape and well maintained.
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Red alert to any potential buyer! Great theatre and nice operators but shady realtor. Says one price then says the price has gone up two days later.
And invokes ridiculous reasons like “well the seller will have to pay THEIR property tax and that’s $20k” YOU DO THE MATH! Is the Arkansas annual property tax rate 15%??? NO it is not.
And then “well this other theatre in another place sold for this much so its more now.” Oh ok…so my house in suburban chicago should be as much as a house in upscale chicago?
Then above: Arkadelphia’s sold for more…they have MORE PEOPLE and a higher income per capita. A movie theatre isnt the same as a house!
NOTE TO SELLER: You’ve been trying to sell for over a year now and its a lovely location. Get yourself a commercial realtor who knows more about the business then collagen injections and maybe it’ll sell! She “believed” she had it sold in November of 2008! Its August 2009!
The December 10, 1938, issue of Boxoffice said that the Ritz Theatre had been designed by the Little Rock architectural firm of Brueggeman, Swaim & Allen. Another item in the same issue said that the opening feature scheduled at the new theater was “The Mad Miss Manton,” in which a local actress, Catherine O'Quinn, played a roll. The exact opening date was not given, but one item said it was scheduled for Thursday, which might have meant the Thursday before publication (December 8) or the Thursday after (December 15.)
The March 6, 1948, issue of Boxoffice said that the Ritz was expected to be reopened within a week after undergoing repairs for smoke and water damage due to a fire in a building next door. I’ve been unable to find the date of the larger conflagration which occurred later that year, but the November 6 issue of Boxoffice, which said that the Ritz would soon be reopened, said that the theater had been “…destroyed by fire months ago.”
The Ritz was originally opened by Ray Morrow in partnership with R&R-United Theatres. Morrow had been an exhibitor in Malvern at least as early as 1927, and operated the Liberty Theatre in Malvern as late as 1940. In 1941 he reopened the Liberty as the Joy Theatre, which was being operated by Robb & Rowley as late as 1954. Morrow died in 1944.
Malvern also had a theater called the Rio, for black patrons only, opened by W. F. Caffey in 1947. One Boxoffice item about the 1948 rebuilding of the Ritz said that its formerly segregated balcony with separate entrance had been converted into a white balcony with access from the main part of the theater as part of the reconstruction. Perhaps this was the result of the opening of the Rio.
This is a 2009 photo of the Ritz.
1986 photo of the Ritz Theatre.
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