Paramount Theatre
200 Yazoo Avenue,
Clarksdale,
MS
38614
200 Yazoo Avenue,
Clarksdale,
MS
38614
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The Marion Theatre opened in 1918 on Yazoo Avenue in Clarksdale. The theatre was designed by John Gaisford and one of the first theaters in the area to be built mainly for showing movies. During the 1930’s, the Marion Theatre was acquired by the Saenger Amusements chain, which renamed the theater the Paramount Theatre. It continued to operate as a movie house for over three more decades.
By the time it closed, it had been twinned. In 1986, the Paramount Theatre was taken over by a group that used the theatre for performing arts, and was renamed the Larry Thompson Center for the Performing Arts. The theater seems to have been used on and off since the 1990’s and is currently closed.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The theater organ list shows a Moller theater organ opus 2368 installed in a Mc Williams (Marion) Theater in Clarksdale, MS in 1917. I don’t know if that Marion Theater is the theater listed here.
A Robert-Morton theater organ size 2/6 was installed in the Marion (Paramount) Theater in 1927.
The organ from the Marion/Paramount was moved to the Paramount in Baton Rouge, LA.
After extensive repairs in the chambers, a Robert Morton console was transplanted from the Paramount Theatre in Clarksdale, Mississippi & extensively engineered to provide the utmost flexibility for the organist. Dolton McAlpin, the Baton Rouge Paramount’s house organist, released two albums of popular music recorded on the organ.
After Saenger Theatres, ownership was followed with Paramount Publix, Paramount Richards and Paramount Gulf States.
From the late 1950s a photo postcard image of Yazoo Street along with the Paramount in Clarksdale.