The Reliance Theatre opened in an existing 19th Century building on September 1, 1912 by Ed Medus and E.L. Boudreaux. Reliance faded and the property was auctioned off in 1914. Charles Vogt reopened the Reliance and - sadly enough - he also found reliance fading and the property was at its second forced auction on Valentine’s Day of 1918.
WW1 Veteran Alonzo Patterson took on the venue changing it to the Laurel Theater. George De Reyna operated In 1922 and old it for $6,300. John Winberry sold it to the Laurel Theatre Company. Winberry then sued the Laurel Theatre Company two years later. In 1930, the venue was equipped with new projectors able to project sound on film titles.
In December of 1935, new operators rebuilt the theatre as a streamline moderne complex likely keeping some foundational elements of the original structure but little else. It reopened as the New Laurel Theatre in 1936. A year later, the entire theatre was redecorated and re-reopened as the new, New Laurel Theatre on Valentine’s Day 1937. Samuel J. Right Jr. and Frank Lais, Jr. were the final operators of the Laurel Theatre and they booked Dixie Film Exchange titles to little success. The pair closed the Laurel permanently on March 27, 1955 with Laurie Anders as the “Marshal’s Daughter.” The theatre was sold for an austere $11,200 price point and used as a warehouse and, later, as an auction house.
Appears to have opened as Rosenberg’s Hall in 1891. In September of 1909 it opened as the Happy Hour Theatre. In 1915, it installed a pipe organ which was used for silent films. It was sold to the St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church in 1935. Hurricane Betsy damaged the organ in 1965 and the 50-year old organ was retired after receiving and installing their new M. P. Möller unit (Opus 10678). Meanwhile, the Happy Hour continued and was showing Spanish language films on weekends.
Original grand opening was on January 29, 1926 with “The Gold Rush.” It became an African American Theatre in 1956 for its final run which ended on March 26, 1957 with United Theatres closing after showing “Francis in the Haunted House” and “First Texan.” It became a church after five years of vacancy.
Opened April 23, 1916 as the Star Theatre. In 1924, it became the new Cortez Theatre. The Cortez closed likely completing its second 20-year leasing period on December 9, 1956 with “Attack” and “Crashing Las Vegas.” It was offered for sale for $22,500.
The venue dates back to 1918. Its last film was April 8, 1966 with “Shane.” Neither Shane nor the Bell Theatre would come back as fired destroyed the building in the early hours of April 9, 1966.
The Beacon Theatre was a WW2-opened suburban venue. It set sail on April 15, 1942 with “Blues in the Night.” United Theatres built a 450-car parking lot behind the theater for the convenience of a more mobile NOLA populace. Open house attendees were well pleased with the sailboat murals and other other nautically-themed flourishes.
The Beacon operated on a 30-year leasing agreement. The Beacon dimmed on September 4, 1972 with its final film of “The Graduate.” Updated to a non-nautically themed bank, it was later demolished following the impact of the Katrina Hurricane.
The U.S. Auditorium opened here on December 22, 1915. The opening films were accompanied by a Wurlitzer organ. Operator W.G. Teabault did something fairly uncommon for a movie theater in 1916 in New Orleans - he operated it as a soda fountain theater instead of relying on an adjacent concessionaire. This was so successful that the theater’s capacity was raised the next year and its name slightly changed to the U.S. Theatre aka the United States Theater in 1918 then with 1,000 seats.
The U.S. Theatre was wired for disc-based sound. But under new operators, it closed in September of 1931 for a refresh and improved RCA Photophone sound on film with new Simplex projectors. The renamed Garden Theatre opened on September 12, 1931 with Gary Cooper in “City Streets.” It was converted to widescreen projection in the 1950s to present CinemaScope titles reducing to 800 seats.
The theatre scuffled in the television era and offered for sale in 1956, 1957 and 1958. Under new operator Harold A. Greenlin, it became a Spanish language venue on March 20, 1959 with Pedro Infante in “Escuele de Rateros.” That same year it was briefly rebranded under new operators as the Garden Art Theatre reducing seating capacity to 550 but needing far fewer chairs. The Garden ended operations on November 29, 1959. A tax lien was its last listing.
New operators relit the venue as a theater in 1961 briefly. It was used for church services in 1962 as the Garden Auditorium. It returned as a movie theater for its final stretch in June of 1963. The Garden finally wilted on November 14, 1965 with Elvis Presley in “Tickle Me” with the second of two 20-year leasing periods ending. In 1966, it was converted to a furniture making facility.
Frank Misuraca and Luis Cianelli had plans drawn up for their new theater in 1926 and as it was getting ready to start, Rudolph Valentino died on August 23, 1926. J.J. Legarde’s architectural plans were changed to The Valentino / The Valentino Theatre and its building occurred in within days of his death. The $31,000 house opened in early January 1927.
The operators were able to convert to sound but closed on May 23, 1930. Talks of a refresh and a possible sale later in the year were overshadowed by an explosion - described as three separate blasts - indicating the use of dynamite - that ended things in a New Year’s Eve spectacular. The Valentino was the third of three theaters that went down for the count in succession beginning with the Ivy, then the Roseland and, finally, the Valentino on December 31, 1930. Misuraca and Cianelli were charged with arson two weeks later. Misuraca’s life ended within two months.
The bottom left ad appears to be the last show for the independently operated Valentino on May 23, 1930. After a period of inactivity, the theatre exploded and its operators were charged with arson on what would have been the theater’s fourth anniversary.
The Washington opened under Central Amusement Co. in 1913. A 1917 refresh to the plans of architect Moise H. Goldstein improved ventilation for the Sobel-Richards-Shear venue. United Theatres added sound to remain viable.
The Washington ended service on June 13, 1937 with “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney” as the last of its offerings. Fire destroyed the venue - United’s third blaze finale of the year - that day. Its remnants - just its walls - were soon demolished
The $250,000, 1,500-seat suburban opened with Mayor Arthur J. O'Keefe presiding on May 28, 1926 by E.V. Richards' then Central Enterprises. “Behind the Front” was the opening film.. The Tivoli was the third NOLA venue with a $20,000 Robert Morton pipe organ after the Loew’s State that had opened the month earlier and Saenger’s Liberty. Sound was installed to remain viable. United Theatres added widescreen projection in the 1950s. New United Theatres closed here on September 7, 1967 with “You Only Live Twice.”
In November of 1970 if was converted into a funeral home. Flood waters during Hurricane Katrina almost led. to its ouster but the Rhodes family was able to salvage the facility.
The Rivoli opened on January 22, 1920 with Erich von Stroheim in “Blind Husbands” and Fatty Arbuckle in “Back Stage.” At launch by Arcade Amusement Co., under Sobel-Richards-Sheear, the largest suburban house with 2,085 seats - including 750 seats in the balcony, a $8,000 pipe organ. Vitaphone and Movietone were added to present sound films later in the decade now as part of United Theatres.
United closed here on June 26, 1958. Three boys entered the vacant theatre and set it ablaze on February 11, 1959 destroying the balcony and roof in a fire that injured tow firefighters. The building’s remnants were demolished.
The Arrow Theatre opened as part of a post-War strip shopping center with an A&P and Walgreen’s store. The venue launched on April 16, 1947 with “My Brother Talks to Horses.” With the Arrow being in close proximity to the Jefferson Park Race Track, the local clientele must have appreciated the effort.
Philip Foto opened the new-build, $37,500 Foto’s Folly Theatre on November 15, 1915. Sound was added to the venue to remain viable. United Theatres Circuit took on the venue losing Foto’s name. United closed the West Bank Folly Theatre following the May 7, 1961 showing of “The Great Impostor”
The Crest closed October 16, 1966 with its last film of Adam West and Burt Ward in “Batman.” In 1967, it was used for a couple of live country music and closed again. It was demolished in September of 1977.
The Empire Theatre was a big deal in Mobile, Alabama as the first movie palace built in the city. Announced in 1913 by Bijou Amusement, the Empire’s Italian-themed architecture with marble to match was different from the converted old playhouses and more prevalent store-show era venues in downtown Mobile. It opened February 9, 1914 and its success led to continuous showtimes from 10a to 11p daily. The venue was converted to sound to remain viable. It survived into the television era.
The Alamo was opened by Henry Fichtenburg of New Orleans movie theatre fame. Mayor Hayes gave the opening speech on Nov. 30, 1911. Bernard Mulligan, the first multi-theater operator became its operator in 1914 and he installed a new screen and an Austin pipe organ in 1914 to improve presentations.
Mulligan had operated the Theatorium, a nickelodeon at 207 South Washington in 1907 followed by the NoSho and Lyric Theatre. Another Louisiana interest came into the marketplace opening the NuSho.
The new Cambias Hall opened in the Ninth Ward at 4316 Burgundy in 1916 likely on a five-year leasing agreement. Carnival specialists Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate had added silent cinemas to the operatio, including such early NOLA cinemas as the Electric, Dreamland, Grand, Trianon. and Tudor. Another cinema, Bijou Dream (#2), was moved by the Pearces from 117 St. Charles to here re-opening as Bijou Dream (#3) on April 30, 1921.
Josiah Pearce & Sons left the film industry at the outset of film and the Bijou Dream (#3) was sold in 1926. The building was sold and William Aitken took on the lease. He refreshed the venue as the Bijou Theatre at the outset of the sound era of cinema on a pricey lease of $26.67 per month. It was subject of a sheriff’s auction in 1936 indicating lease - too high. I.J. Harrelson was next in a gave a light streamline update to the plans of architect Martin Shepard.
The update included fire suppression sprinklers that were put to the test twice: the first in June of 1949 (success as 350 patrons escaped easily with only minor projection booth damage). The second, in 1951, apparently not as successful.
September 9, 1940 grand opening with “If I Had My Way (I’d go to the Jeff Theatre)”.
The Reliance Theatre opened in an existing 19th Century building on September 1, 1912 by Ed Medus and E.L. Boudreaux. Reliance faded and the property was auctioned off in 1914. Charles Vogt reopened the Reliance and - sadly enough - he also found reliance fading and the property was at its second forced auction on Valentine’s Day of 1918.
WW1 Veteran Alonzo Patterson took on the venue changing it to the Laurel Theater. George De Reyna operated In 1922 and old it for $6,300. John Winberry sold it to the Laurel Theatre Company. Winberry then sued the Laurel Theatre Company two years later. In 1930, the venue was equipped with new projectors able to project sound on film titles.
In December of 1935, new operators rebuilt the theatre as a streamline moderne complex likely keeping some foundational elements of the original structure but little else. It reopened as the New Laurel Theatre in 1936. A year later, the entire theatre was redecorated and re-reopened as the new, New Laurel Theatre on Valentine’s Day 1937. Samuel J. Right Jr. and Frank Lais, Jr. were the final operators of the Laurel Theatre and they booked Dixie Film Exchange titles to little success. The pair closed the Laurel permanently on March 27, 1955 with Laurie Anders as the “Marshal’s Daughter.” The theatre was sold for an austere $11,200 price point and used as a warehouse and, later, as an auction house.
Appears to have opened as Rosenberg’s Hall in 1891. In September of 1909 it opened as the Happy Hour Theatre. In 1915, it installed a pipe organ which was used for silent films. It was sold to the St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church in 1935. Hurricane Betsy damaged the organ in 1965 and the 50-year old organ was retired after receiving and installing their new M. P. Möller unit (Opus 10678). Meanwhile, the Happy Hour continued and was showing Spanish language films on weekends.
Original grand opening was on January 29, 1926 with “The Gold Rush.” It became an African American Theatre in 1956 for its final run which ended on March 26, 1957 with United Theatres closing after showing “Francis in the Haunted House” and “First Texan.” It became a church after five years of vacancy.
Opened April 23, 1916 as the Star Theatre. In 1924, it became the new Cortez Theatre. The Cortez closed likely completing its second 20-year leasing period on December 9, 1956 with “Attack” and “Crashing Las Vegas.” It was offered for sale for $22,500.
The venue dates back to 1918. Its last film was April 8, 1966 with “Shane.” Neither Shane nor the Bell Theatre would come back as fired destroyed the building in the early hours of April 9, 1966.
The Beacon Theatre was a WW2-opened suburban venue. It set sail on April 15, 1942 with “Blues in the Night.” United Theatres built a 450-car parking lot behind the theater for the convenience of a more mobile NOLA populace. Open house attendees were well pleased with the sailboat murals and other other nautically-themed flourishes.
The Beacon operated on a 30-year leasing agreement. The Beacon dimmed on September 4, 1972 with its final film of “The Graduate.” Updated to a non-nautically themed bank, it was later demolished following the impact of the Katrina Hurricane.
The Beacon lights up on April 15, 1942 with “Blues in the Night.”
The U.S. Auditorium opened here on December 22, 1915. The opening films were accompanied by a Wurlitzer organ. Operator W.G. Teabault did something fairly uncommon for a movie theater in 1916 in New Orleans - he operated it as a soda fountain theater instead of relying on an adjacent concessionaire. This was so successful that the theater’s capacity was raised the next year and its name slightly changed to the U.S. Theatre aka the United States Theater in 1918 then with 1,000 seats.
The U.S. Theatre was wired for disc-based sound. But under new operators, it closed in September of 1931 for a refresh and improved RCA Photophone sound on film with new Simplex projectors. The renamed Garden Theatre opened on September 12, 1931 with Gary Cooper in “City Streets.” It was converted to widescreen projection in the 1950s to present CinemaScope titles reducing to 800 seats.
The theatre scuffled in the television era and offered for sale in 1956, 1957 and 1958. Under new operator Harold A. Greenlin, it became a Spanish language venue on March 20, 1959 with Pedro Infante in “Escuele de Rateros.” That same year it was briefly rebranded under new operators as the Garden Art Theatre reducing seating capacity to 550 but needing far fewer chairs. The Garden ended operations on November 29, 1959. A tax lien was its last listing.
New operators relit the venue as a theater in 1961 briefly. It was used for church services in 1962 as the Garden Auditorium. It returned as a movie theater for its final stretch in June of 1963. The Garden finally wilted on November 14, 1965 with Elvis Presley in “Tickle Me” with the second of two 20-year leasing periods ending. In 1966, it was converted to a furniture making facility.
Harold A. Greenlin reboots here with Spanish language films in 1959
Frank Misuraca and Luis Cianelli had plans drawn up for their new theater in 1926 and as it was getting ready to start, Rudolph Valentino died on August 23, 1926. J.J. Legarde’s architectural plans were changed to The Valentino / The Valentino Theatre and its building occurred in within days of his death. The $31,000 house opened in early January 1927.
The operators were able to convert to sound but closed on May 23, 1930. Talks of a refresh and a possible sale later in the year were overshadowed by an explosion - described as three separate blasts - indicating the use of dynamite - that ended things in a New Year’s Eve spectacular. The Valentino was the third of three theaters that went down for the count in succession beginning with the Ivy, then the Roseland and, finally, the Valentino on December 31, 1930. Misuraca and Cianelli were charged with arson two weeks later. Misuraca’s life ended within two months.
The bottom left ad appears to be the last show for the independently operated Valentino on May 23, 1930. After a period of inactivity, the theatre exploded and its operators were charged with arson on what would have been the theater’s fourth anniversary.
The Washington opened under Central Amusement Co. in 1913. A 1917 refresh to the plans of architect Moise H. Goldstein improved ventilation for the Sobel-Richards-Shear venue. United Theatres added sound to remain viable.
The Washington ended service on June 13, 1937 with “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney” as the last of its offerings. Fire destroyed the venue - United’s third blaze finale of the year - that day. Its remnants - just its walls - were soon demolished
The $250,000, 1,500-seat suburban opened with Mayor Arthur J. O'Keefe presiding on May 28, 1926 by E.V. Richards' then Central Enterprises. “Behind the Front” was the opening film.. The Tivoli was the third NOLA venue with a $20,000 Robert Morton pipe organ after the Loew’s State that had opened the month earlier and Saenger’s Liberty. Sound was installed to remain viable. United Theatres added widescreen projection in the 1950s. New United Theatres closed here on September 7, 1967 with “You Only Live Twice.”
In November of 1970 if was converted into a funeral home. Flood waters during Hurricane Katrina almost led. to its ouster but the Rhodes family was able to salvage the facility.
The Rivoli opened on January 22, 1920 with Erich von Stroheim in “Blind Husbands” and Fatty Arbuckle in “Back Stage.” At launch by Arcade Amusement Co., under Sobel-Richards-Sheear, the largest suburban house with 2,085 seats - including 750 seats in the balcony, a $8,000 pipe organ. Vitaphone and Movietone were added to present sound films later in the decade now as part of United Theatres.
United closed here on June 26, 1958. Three boys entered the vacant theatre and set it ablaze on February 11, 1959 destroying the balcony and roof in a fire that injured tow firefighters. The building’s remnants were demolished.
The Arrow Theatre opened as part of a post-War strip shopping center with an A&P and Walgreen’s store. The venue launched on April 16, 1947 with “My Brother Talks to Horses.” With the Arrow being in close proximity to the Jefferson Park Race Track, the local clientele must have appreciated the effort.
Philip Foto opened the new-build, $37,500 Foto’s Folly Theatre on November 15, 1915. Sound was added to the venue to remain viable. United Theatres Circuit took on the venue losing Foto’s name. United closed the West Bank Folly Theatre following the May 7, 1961 showing of “The Great Impostor”
The Crest closed October 16, 1966 with its last film of Adam West and Burt Ward in “Batman.” In 1967, it was used for a couple of live country music and closed again. It was demolished in September of 1977.
The Empire Theatre was a big deal in Mobile, Alabama as the first movie palace built in the city. Announced in 1913 by Bijou Amusement, the Empire’s Italian-themed architecture with marble to match was different from the converted old playhouses and more prevalent store-show era venues in downtown Mobile. It opened February 9, 1914 and its success led to continuous showtimes from 10a to 11p daily. The venue was converted to sound to remain viable. It survived into the television era.
The Isis Theatre was purchased by the Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate which changed its name to the Pearce Theatre in July of 1913.
Guy Adams' June 19, 1940 grand opening ad in photos.
The Alamo was opened by Henry Fichtenburg of New Orleans movie theatre fame. Mayor Hayes gave the opening speech on Nov. 30, 1911. Bernard Mulligan, the first multi-theater operator became its operator in 1914 and he installed a new screen and an Austin pipe organ in 1914 to improve presentations.
Mulligan had operated the Theatorium, a nickelodeon at 207 South Washington in 1907 followed by the NoSho and Lyric Theatre. Another Louisiana interest came into the marketplace opening the NuSho.
Architects: DeBuys, Churchill & Labouisse (Rathbone Debuys, Frank G. Churchill and Samuel S. Labouisse).
The new Cambias Hall opened in the Ninth Ward at 4316 Burgundy in 1916 likely on a five-year leasing agreement. Carnival specialists Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate had added silent cinemas to the operatio, including such early NOLA cinemas as the Electric, Dreamland, Grand, Trianon. and Tudor. Another cinema, Bijou Dream (#2), was moved by the Pearces from 117 St. Charles to here re-opening as Bijou Dream (#3) on April 30, 1921.
Josiah Pearce & Sons left the film industry at the outset of film and the Bijou Dream (#3) was sold in 1926. The building was sold and William Aitken took on the lease. He refreshed the venue as the Bijou Theatre at the outset of the sound era of cinema on a pricey lease of $26.67 per month. It was subject of a sheriff’s auction in 1936 indicating lease - too high. I.J. Harrelson was next in a gave a light streamline update to the plans of architect Martin Shepard.
The update included fire suppression sprinklers that were put to the test twice: the first in June of 1949 (success as 350 patrons escaped easily with only minor projection booth damage). The second, in 1951, apparently not as successful.
Operated by Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate from 1912 to 1916.