The Madison Theatre launched for Irvin Stein on September 19, 1941 with Mayor M.L. Hoffman delivering the dedication. Sid Fuhrmann took over the theatre not long thereafter.
274 names had poured in in 1913 and Charles Sidney August Fuhrmann and his three person committee were ready to have an opening night to announce the winning name when the theatre chairs were delayed. However, the Illinois Central Railroad came through with those seats allowing for a slightly delayed May 3, 1913 and Mrs. Edmund B. Stern got a free ticket for submitting the winning name of “Parkview.” Fuhrman’s opening speech was published in the newspaper and states, “We also wish to assure the public that smoking in the audiences and spitting on the floors will positively be prohibited - that is, to the best of our ability.”
The Parkview was closed May 5, 1925 with the employees offered new positions at the Majestic Theatre that opened the next day. The building was sold for $2,750 one month later. In 1928, that same building was the subject of a forced sheriff’s sale
Landry & Jacobs launched here April 8, 1917. It likely complete three 20-year leasing terms closing permanently on September 4, 1967 with “Divorce American Style.” It wasted as an art gallery into 1968 and then boarded up.
The Oxford Theatre opened on September 28, 1912 by James and Noble at 2036 Onatario Street. It was short-lived as a twin screen, single auditorium concept running on a continuous show, grind policy. You could get an hour and a half of original programming just by moving a section to your right (or left). America’s first - if not only double-grindhouse theater. James and Noble failed quickly.
The space was offered for lease in January of 1913. The Public Clothes retail store moved into the former theater spot completing a 10-year leasing agreement. However, their final ads said that they were being forced out by the Union Terminal project. The building was indeed demolished in 1925 taking the double-grindhouse’s former location with it.
The Ace Theatre dated back to the silent era of film exhibition as the Othello turned Charleston. The 323 South Rampart location housed a post-Civil War era Livery and Blacksmith in the Central Business District. Shortly after the War, those services weren’t a big need and Frank Rousca - an auctioneer of horses and mules - was trying to figure out how to deal with the livery at Rampart. Liveries were commonly transitioned to theatres and that appears to have happened at 323 Rampart.
In 1920 and 1921, Rousca rebuilt the structure as a theatre likely using the frame of the livery and opened the Othello Theatre on October 23, 1921. This didn’t work out as the first lien was reported within a month. The next item was Mrs. Frank Rousca suing Mr. Rousca followed by an auction of his theatre and his, then current, livery elsewhere in NOLA. So new operators took on the venue (reportedly $6,500 for everything). Under its new operators, it would be one of the original theaters of E.L. Cummings new circuit for African American vaudeville formed in 1922, the fledgling Managers and Owners Co-Operative or M&P Circuit. (In 1921, Cummings’ Southern Consolidated Theater Circuit had fused together with the Theatre Owner Booking Association - TOBA - but Cummings decided competition was a good thing.)
The M&P Othello became the TOBA-booked venue when the two companies came together. The Othello got new operators and was changed to the Charleston Theatre on Valentine’s Day 1926. It reopened with Buffalo Bill Jr. in “On the Go” supported by the Jack White comedy short, “Wide Awake.” The building was sold five months later and would be renamed as the Savoy Theatre & Ballroom. The South Rampart Street African American business and entertainment district in downtown New Orleans was vibrant and adjacent to the city’s historic Tremé neighborhood.
New sublessees Iberville Amusement Circuit created a more traditional sound era for At a modest price point, it became a streamline moderne movie house complete with new neon signage now called the Ace Theatre - “where the ocean breeze blows (likely air conditioned).” The Bijou Entertainment Circuit took on the venue operated though showtimes of April 5, 1939 when fire gutted the building.
The repair bill was $8,000 and included a new interior by architects Weiss, Dreyfus and Seiferth at its relaunch on July 4, 1939 with Bing Crosby in “Sing, you Sinners.” Othello Corporation acquired the building and created on last 15-year subleasing agreement for the theater’s operation. The Ace was discarded on September 1, 1956 with Kent Taylor in ”Secret Venture” and Bill Hickok as the “Two Gun Teacher.” The lease expired in 1957 and Othello Theatre Corporation sold off the property to Parking Services for $40,0000 cash. They demolished the livery turned theatre for a parking lot.
The $125,000 Strand Theatre wapparance as announced in March of 1925 by John E. Panora and was built in the rear of the deposed Winsted Opera House. It reportedly opened August 11,1926. It received sound to remain viable and widescreen to present CinemaScope titles. Danny Kaye made a live appearance in support of “The Man from the Diners Club” in 1963.
It initially cosed under independent ownership as the Strand Cinema on April 30, 1967. It reopened again onJanuary 3, 1968 as the Strand Cinema closing late in 1973.
It reopened under new operators and closed in 1972. It opened a year later on Christmas Day 1973 by Cannavo Enterprises as the Strand Theatre. It operated as the Gilson Cafe & Cinema from 1986 to 2026. It closed on May 24, 2026. As the Winsted Opera House had opened on the lot next door on April 2, 1873, the general Main Street address provided more than 150 years of entertainment. Not bad!
Otho Long opened the Parkway Drive-in on August 1, 1950 with Abbott and Costello in “Lost in Alaska.” It was still cruising toward its 40th Anniversary in 1989.
This and its neighboring building were commercial structures built in 1909 . Braswell & Keaton created the Victoria Theatre here operating as a silent house in 1919. They sold out in 1925 by F.C. “Buck” Buchanan until October of 1928. A New Victoria was under construction which was changed to the Joy Theatre at its launch. This, the former Victoria location, became Buck’s Theatre beginning on October 16, 1928 with “Virgin Lips” with Olive Borden.
Buck’s stopped running films in 1930 when he closed the venue and Fox Film Corp. sued Buchanan for $2,500 for breach of contract. (Fox lost that lawsuit.) The former theatre became a church. But Harry O'Neal took on the venue on a 20-year leasing agreement. He wired the theater with RCA Photophone sound becoming the New Winn Theatre on June 15, 1933 with “So This is Africa.” In 1936, “New” was dropped with the venue simply the Winn Theater. Southern Theatres Circuit took over his lease in 1941. The Winn closed at the end of that lease with Lon McAllen in “Big Cat” supported by the Universal musical short, “Don Carnell Sings (three songs)” on April 30, 1953.
Purportedly, the venue reopened in early 1954 possibly - if not likely - as an African American theater (that would be its only possible run as an African American house) and was shut down by the fire Marshall leading to a lawsuit with building owner Hasson Morris. On November 2, 1955, the venue was brought up to code and relaunched by W. Otho Long as the Princess Theatre. On the widescreen that day, you could see “The Last Command.” The Princess closed with “The Last of the Vikings” deciding to begin and end programming with films with “last” in their titles. That occurred on July 19, 1963. The building stayed in its theater form until the 1970s when it was converted for other retail purposes.
The Venus leaves the constellation of Winnfield “temporarily” on September 29, 1970 with “Kelly’s Heroes.” It is sited as The County Store - a thrift store - in 1973 leaving customers and astronomers, alike, baffled. The Court Street venue was later demolished.
Henry Greenwall was the last of the great theatrical owner-managers in the City of New Orleans. The long-time manager of the Grand Opera House on Canal Street had the Stone Brothers Architects draw up a house that he could be proud to put his name on in 1903. It would open on October 20, 1904 with the play, “The Wife.” Greenwall made it through 1908 with live fare and sublet the place in 1909.
On a subleasing agreement, it was downgraded (somewhat) to a vaudeville house known as the American Music Hall in February of 1909. But it was good vaudeville programmed by none other than the William A. Morris Company as they broke into the NOLA market. Lew Rose also did some of the bookings. For some live events - sports - it was referred to as the Greenwall Theatre. The vaudeville ended after two years February 16, 1911.
With Morris and vaudeville off of its sublease, Greenwall rechristened the venue as the Greenwall Theatre in 1911. But it would slip a peg or two doing a combination of vaudeville and movies. with Arthur Leopold programming. Prices were cheap at a dime and top end pricing at 15 cents down from the quarter and half dollar pricing just days earlier. It was the only “popular price” vaudeville house in the city as motion pictures were the far more profitable play. Greenwall would die in his apartment over the Greenwall Theatre on November 27, 1913. The Greenwall name would play on until the vaudeville ended in January of 1916.
In 1916, Ernest Boehringer, noted NOLA film exhibitor, took the venue on on a one-year leasing agreement as the Triangle Theatre (sometimes the Greenwall Triangle Theatre perhaps due to existing signage) on January 14, 1916. The Triangle played feature films from the Triangle film studio. Boehringber began the Triangle with Normal Talmage in “The Missing Links” supported by “The Submarine Pirates” and “Because He Loved Her.” On June 2, 1917, he purchased the Greenwall Theatre for $100,000 and deemed it “the most extraordinary photoplay theatre in the entire South.” Wow! But on July 15, 1917, Boeringer Amusement would move to larger and newer digs with the new-build Liberty Theatre. In turn, he would sell here to the Eastern Vaudeville Circuit which would reprogram and rename here.
As the Palace Theatre, the vaudeville returned on September 2, 1917 - again with popular price vaudeville. That lasted until 1920 when the Palace returned almost primarily with motion pictures. The theatre was not poised to become a major sound theatre and tried mixing in more live programming by decade’s end before being sold for $311k. The movies were back in the 1930s as the Palace operated as a third-run grindhouse and welcoming of African American audiences. It was converted to widescreen. The Palace made it to its 1962 Twist dance contests and an April 10, 1962 showing of “The Premature Burial” with “The Long Rope.”
A theatre salvage sale took place in April of 1962 hours after the last showing as the venue would be demolished in favor of the Central Parking Garage Lot and that started on April 17, 1962. A block away, the Dauphine Theatre also staged a surplus sale and would also be demolished for a multi-floor parking structure - a plan that was put on hold until 1970.
The theatre closed on March 9, 1980 with the film, “The Last Married Couple in America.” The contents of it, the Milgram and Fox were all auctioned off on April 1, 1980. The three venues were demolished thereafter.
The State Theatre opened on May 1, 1930 with Olive Borden in “Hello Sister.“ Harlon O. Jones architectural drawings show a Spanish Renaissance architectural style that was matched by the interior furnishings selected by Fischer & Jiroch of Cleveland.
The State closed permanently at the expiry of its 20 year leasing agreement with Maureen O'Hara in “A Woman’s Secret” on July 6, 1949. All of the employees were moved to the Galion Theatre which opened the next night.
Adam J. “AJ” Paul opened the Royal Theatre on August 14, 1911 with live music and one reel films between including D.W. Griffith’s “As a Man Soweth” and the Powers Picture Play, “The Haunted Island.”
Paul announced in the Summer of 1928 that he had ordered both Vitaphone and Western Electric sound for the Royal. Paul - likely sensing the sound conversion complexity - announced the closure of the Royal following the August 27, 1928 with Billie Dove in “Adoration” supported by the Jack White comedy short, “Studio Pests” and the cartoon KoKo, the Clown’s “KoKo’s Crib” and a Fox newsreel. A steam shovel was brought in on September 7, 1929 to remove the Royal.
The new State Theatre launched on May 1, 1930 with Western Electric sound and the film, “Hello Sister.”
A.J. Paul opened the Royal Theatre on August 14, 1911 with live music and one reel films between including D.W. Griffith’s “As a Man Soweth” and the Powers Picture Play, “The Haunted Island.”
The address of 316 St. Charles was home to one of New Orleans' early nickelodeons and the first of two Dreamland Theatres in NOLA. Josiah Pearce opening here as the Dreamland taking just 7 days to convert the medical retail space to a movie theater. It launched on August 24, 1907 on a 10-year leasing agreement with Max Linder in “Harlequin’s Story.” It was Pearce’s second theater following the opening of the Electric Theatre in 1906 followed by Dreamland, Grand, Bijou Dream, Trianon and Tudor. Pearce & Sons also had theaters in Houston, Texas. In 1909, Pearce sublet the Dreamland.
The venue featured highlights of the World Series one day after the Pittsburgh Pirates won the series in 7 games. John Depinet appears to have closed the Dreamland later that year. Pearce reopened it and sublet it once again. The operator, Ficthenberg Enterprises - another early NOLA chain operator - closed and Pearce operated to the end of its 10-year leasing agreement according to the trade press closing August 23, 1917 with the contents removed for a retail store.
One of three Regent Shoe Stores in New Orleans located here in a retail re-conversion. M.A. and Ira Weingrun of Avenue Theatres Inc. would acquire what was then referred to as “the Regent Shoe building” on a 10-year leasing agreement in 1938. They retained the shoe store’s name in creating the second movie theaters at the address. The opening of the Regent took place on November 11, 1938 with “Army Girl.” The auditorium was bathed in blue and silver with the lobby in walnut and maple woods with cream-baked porcelain giving off a streamline moderne look.
Within hours of opening, Weingrun was in deep financial hot water with lawsuits racking up. Avenue Theatres would be dissolved and the Regent was part of a sheriff’s auction to recoup lost money. The venue’s name officially changed on May 13, 1939 (ads caught up two days later) as Joy’s Rio Theatre owned by the Joy Houk Circuit. It played third-tier double features at steep discount prices (a nickel for kids and a dime for adults at any time). The name was later marketed as the Joy Rio Theatre (dropping the apostrophe) then the Rio Theatre and, after a significant summer 1949 refresh, the New Rio Theatre beginning in July of 1949.
The New Rio earned its stripes as an amazing grindhouse with live burlesque and exploitation movies basically cranked out until the last customer left… or was carried out. The New Rio ended its service on February 12, 1950 with Sunny Knight, “The Mighty Mite” Jackie Del Rio, “The Flame of New Orleans” Jerry Ruzell and and the “Voluptuous Vamp” Vangie Lee on stage and the 1934 exploitation film, “Guilty Parents” with a mere five shows that day.
Under new operators, the venue was refreshed as the proposed Cinema 50, a foreign art movie house. But it officially lanhced as the Avenue Theatre on August 2, 1950 with “Saints in Sinners.” It now seated 350 patrons. It would be branded as the Avenue Art Theatre, the Avenue Art Cinema and simply “The Avenue” in various branding strategies. The Avenue was a success and at various points offered Spanish language films weekly on Thursdays. In 1960, the policy went full grind with adult titles. This policy included an arrest on the charge of presenting lewd films on September 17, 1960. This may have been it as the last advertised shows were three films for 35 cents and open all night ending on September 18, 1960 with Candy Barr performing on the big screen. And it that’s the way it ended, what could have been more appropriate? The space became a travel agency in 1961.
Herman Fichtenberg’s Fichtenberg Amusement Enterprises opened the Alamo Theatre on October 10, 1908 with Selig’s brand new release, “The Ranchman’s Love,” and Edwin S. Porter’s “A Voice From the Dead” with live musical numbers between. Fichtenberg Amusement would add the Dreamworld, Plaza, Pico and Globe Theaters. On March 25, 1917, Fichtenberg Amusement merged with Saenger Amusement under th latter’s namesake.
The venue operated some eight years under Saenger Amusements.The Alamo ceased operations at end of lease on August 31, 1925 with Erich von Stroheim’s “Greed.” Earlier in the year, F. Rubinstein & Co. had purchased the lease. Rubenstein’s opened after a significant interior refresh on October 22, 1925. It received a streamline moderne exterior makeover in the 1930s. It was then folded into a long running W.T. Grant retail store followed by a number of others.
Demolition of the former theater and its neighbor occurred in June of 2020 following the catastrophic collapse of the Hard Rock Casino project on October 12, 2019 after the top floors of the 18-story hotel project collapsed. To allow crews to safely dismantle the collapsed tower and recover victims’ remains, the venerable buildings had to be removed.
Demolition of the former theater and its neighbor occurred in June of 2020 following the catastrophic collapse of the Hard Rock Casino project on October 12, 2019 after the top floors of the 18-story hotel project collapsed. To allow crews to safely dismantle the collapsed tower and recover victims’ remains, the venerable buildings had to be removed.
Sam S. & Lee Shubert’s Shubert Bros. Circuit surged in 1906 to 35 theatres in America’s most prominent cities. The NOLA location was the Lyric Theatre but Stone Brothers architects had drawn up the Shubert’s new building going up here on Baronne. The Shubert Theatre launched on a ten-year leasing agreement on December 29, 1906 with Clay Clement in “In Sam Houston.” And after a disastrous first season, the Shubert moniker was the only thing left as they bolted here consolidating at their Lyric Theatre.
O.T. Crawford took on the venue repositioning it as “The largest movie theater in the world” with motion pictures beginning on March 9, 1908. A December 23, 1910 fire in the Shubert Arcade almost destroyed the theater with its screenings moved to the Crescent until the severely damaged building was reopened. The venue reopened on July 2, 1911 temporarily as the Shubert Theatre still playing movies. On September 10, 1911, the venue was renamed as the Lafayette Theatre. Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate was among the operators of the venue. They signed a 30 year leasing agreement in 1917 - not making it very far into that contract.
The Lafayette scuffled as better theaters converted to sound. The cavernous venue was not equipped for the new medium and went into receivership and auctioned on May 16, 1929 with the auction listing suggesting a conversion to an auto parking garage - the fate of its neighboring building. In 1931, it would be wired for sound and resume motion picture operations with third-tier, discount double features. Under new operators it was given a streamline moderne refresh rebranding as the New Lafayette Theatre in late 1939.
The once mighty Schubert Theatre then hit rock bottom as a burley house at its rebranding as the Star Theatre playing a combination of third-run and exploitation films on April 9, 1944. The policy was a one hour and fifteen minute stage show repeated up to four times a day with the feature film and shorts thrown in after the live show.
In May of 1947, the post-War immigration led to a revival of foreign film and the Star became the Star Art Theatre showing films from around the globe. By late Fall, that had failed with the lease expiring. Irwin Poché Enterprises changed the fortunes of the venue hiring architects Freret & Wolf who did the unlikely job of transferring it from dirty burley house back to its original intent of live stage plays and high profile events. Certainly, this would be its last chance as a live house.
The Poché Theatre opened on November 2, 1947. Films would be inserted where no live events were scheduled. On October 13, 1950, the venue was renamed the Civic Theatre shifting back to film programming beginning with Robert Montgomery in “Eye-Witness.” In 1965, the Civic shifted back to live programming the way the Shuberts had drawn up some 60 years prior. This would undoubtedly be the very last chance to prove itself as a live house. And that period lasted until February 13, 1977’s Godspell. The space was then converted to the Civic Center Discotheque opening November of 1977 yet retaining the integrity of the original theater - its balconies and other features intact. But disco died and the venue fell into disrepair.
After closing, the building was going to become lofts but Brian Gibbs decided to give the Shubert turned Civic one more shot as a theatre - its fourth such reinvention - restoring it in 2010-2012 and reopening it for live events in September 19, 2013 with the concert, “Empire of the Sun.” The venue was still chugging along in the 2020s. An unlikely story but true.
Consider adding and/or altering (along with the others already there):
Formerly Known as: Poché Theatre, Star Art Theatre, New Lafayette Theater
Formerly Owned by: Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate
Firms: Stone Brothers Architects; Feret & Wolf Architects
Architects: Douglass Vincent Freret; Albert Jacob Wolf, Jr.
Designed by Bodman, Murrell and Webb Architects of Baton Rouge
George J. Riehl exterior architectural sketch
Architect: George J. Riehl.
Eugene J. Gilbert architectural sketch in photos.
The Madison Theatre launched for Irvin Stein on September 19, 1941 with Mayor M.L. Hoffman delivering the dedication. Sid Fuhrmann took over the theatre not long thereafter.
274 names had poured in in 1913 and Charles Sidney August Fuhrmann and his three person committee were ready to have an opening night to announce the winning name when the theatre chairs were delayed. However, the Illinois Central Railroad came through with those seats allowing for a slightly delayed May 3, 1913 and Mrs. Edmund B. Stern got a free ticket for submitting the winning name of “Parkview.” Fuhrman’s opening speech was published in the newspaper and states, “We also wish to assure the public that smoking in the audiences and spitting on the floors will positively be prohibited - that is, to the best of our ability.”
The Parkview was closed May 5, 1925 with the employees offered new positions at the Majestic Theatre that opened the next day. The building was sold for $2,750 one month later. In 1928, that same building was the subject of a forced sheriff’s sale
Able Demolition demolished the venue in 1959.
Landry & Jacobs launched here April 8, 1917. It likely complete three 20-year leasing terms closing permanently on September 4, 1967 with “Divorce American Style.” It wasted as an art gallery into 1968 and then boarded up.
The Oxford Theatre opened on September 28, 1912 by James and Noble at 2036 Onatario Street. It was short-lived as a twin screen, single auditorium concept running on a continuous show, grind policy. You could get an hour and a half of original programming just by moving a section to your right (or left). America’s first - if not only double-grindhouse theater. James and Noble failed quickly.
The space was offered for lease in January of 1913. The Public Clothes retail store moved into the former theater spot completing a 10-year leasing agreement. However, their final ads said that they were being forced out by the Union Terminal project. The building was indeed demolished in 1925 taking the double-grindhouse’s former location with it.
The Ace Theatre dated back to the silent era of film exhibition as the Othello turned Charleston. The 323 South Rampart location housed a post-Civil War era Livery and Blacksmith in the Central Business District. Shortly after the War, those services weren’t a big need and Frank Rousca - an auctioneer of horses and mules - was trying to figure out how to deal with the livery at Rampart. Liveries were commonly transitioned to theatres and that appears to have happened at 323 Rampart.
In 1920 and 1921, Rousca rebuilt the structure as a theatre likely using the frame of the livery and opened the Othello Theatre on October 23, 1921. This didn’t work out as the first lien was reported within a month. The next item was Mrs. Frank Rousca suing Mr. Rousca followed by an auction of his theatre and his, then current, livery elsewhere in NOLA. So new operators took on the venue (reportedly $6,500 for everything). Under its new operators, it would be one of the original theaters of E.L. Cummings new circuit for African American vaudeville formed in 1922, the fledgling Managers and Owners Co-Operative or M&P Circuit. (In 1921, Cummings’ Southern Consolidated Theater Circuit had fused together with the Theatre Owner Booking Association - TOBA - but Cummings decided competition was a good thing.)
The M&P Othello became the TOBA-booked venue when the two companies came together. The Othello got new operators and was changed to the Charleston Theatre on Valentine’s Day 1926. It reopened with Buffalo Bill Jr. in “On the Go” supported by the Jack White comedy short, “Wide Awake.” The building was sold five months later and would be renamed as the Savoy Theatre & Ballroom. The South Rampart Street African American business and entertainment district in downtown New Orleans was vibrant and adjacent to the city’s historic Tremé neighborhood.
New sublessees Iberville Amusement Circuit created a more traditional sound era for At a modest price point, it became a streamline moderne movie house complete with new neon signage now called the Ace Theatre - “where the ocean breeze blows (likely air conditioned).” The Bijou Entertainment Circuit took on the venue operated though showtimes of April 5, 1939 when fire gutted the building.
The repair bill was $8,000 and included a new interior by architects Weiss, Dreyfus and Seiferth at its relaunch on July 4, 1939 with Bing Crosby in “Sing, you Sinners.” Othello Corporation acquired the building and created on last 15-year subleasing agreement for the theater’s operation. The Ace was discarded on September 1, 1956 with Kent Taylor in ”Secret Venture” and Bill Hickok as the “Two Gun Teacher.” The lease expired in 1957 and Othello Theatre Corporation sold off the property to Parking Services for $40,0000 cash. They demolished the livery turned theatre for a parking lot.
The $125,000 Strand Theatre wapparance as announced in March of 1925 by John E. Panora and was built in the rear of the deposed Winsted Opera House. It reportedly opened August 11,1926. It received sound to remain viable and widescreen to present CinemaScope titles. Danny Kaye made a live appearance in support of “The Man from the Diners Club” in 1963.
It initially cosed under independent ownership as the Strand Cinema on April 30, 1967. It reopened again onJanuary 3, 1968 as the Strand Cinema closing late in 1973.
It reopened under new operators and closed in 1972. It opened a year later on Christmas Day 1973 by Cannavo Enterprises as the Strand Theatre. It operated as the Gilson Cafe & Cinema from 1986 to 2026. It closed on May 24, 2026. As the Winsted Opera House had opened on the lot next door on April 2, 1873, the general Main Street address provided more than 150 years of entertainment. Not bad!
Otho Long opened the Parkway Drive-in on August 1, 1950 with Abbott and Costello in “Lost in Alaska.” It was still cruising toward its 40th Anniversary in 1989.
This and its neighboring building were commercial structures built in 1909 . Braswell & Keaton created the Victoria Theatre here operating as a silent house in 1919. They sold out in 1925 by F.C. “Buck” Buchanan until October of 1928. A New Victoria was under construction which was changed to the Joy Theatre at its launch. This, the former Victoria location, became Buck’s Theatre beginning on October 16, 1928 with “Virgin Lips” with Olive Borden.
Buck’s stopped running films in 1930 when he closed the venue and Fox Film Corp. sued Buchanan for $2,500 for breach of contract. (Fox lost that lawsuit.) The former theatre became a church. But Harry O'Neal took on the venue on a 20-year leasing agreement. He wired the theater with RCA Photophone sound becoming the New Winn Theatre on June 15, 1933 with “So This is Africa.” In 1936, “New” was dropped with the venue simply the Winn Theater. Southern Theatres Circuit took over his lease in 1941. The Winn closed at the end of that lease with Lon McAllen in “Big Cat” supported by the Universal musical short, “Don Carnell Sings (three songs)” on April 30, 1953.
Purportedly, the venue reopened in early 1954 possibly - if not likely - as an African American theater (that would be its only possible run as an African American house) and was shut down by the fire Marshall leading to a lawsuit with building owner Hasson Morris. On November 2, 1955, the venue was brought up to code and relaunched by W. Otho Long as the Princess Theatre. On the widescreen that day, you could see “The Last Command.” The Princess closed with “The Last of the Vikings” deciding to begin and end programming with films with “last” in their titles. That occurred on July 19, 1963. The building stayed in its theater form until the 1970s when it was converted for other retail purposes.
The Venus leaves the constellation of Winnfield “temporarily” on September 29, 1970 with “Kelly’s Heroes.” It is sited as The County Store - a thrift store - in 1973 leaving customers and astronomers, alike, baffled. The Court Street venue was later demolished.
Henry Greenwall was the last of the great theatrical owner-managers in the City of New Orleans. The long-time manager of the Grand Opera House on Canal Street had the Stone Brothers Architects draw up a house that he could be proud to put his name on in 1903. It would open on October 20, 1904 with the play, “The Wife.” Greenwall made it through 1908 with live fare and sublet the place in 1909.
On a subleasing agreement, it was downgraded (somewhat) to a vaudeville house known as the American Music Hall in February of 1909. But it was good vaudeville programmed by none other than the William A. Morris Company as they broke into the NOLA market. Lew Rose also did some of the bookings. For some live events - sports - it was referred to as the Greenwall Theatre. The vaudeville ended after two years February 16, 1911.
With Morris and vaudeville off of its sublease, Greenwall rechristened the venue as the Greenwall Theatre in 1911. But it would slip a peg or two doing a combination of vaudeville and movies. with Arthur Leopold programming. Prices were cheap at a dime and top end pricing at 15 cents down from the quarter and half dollar pricing just days earlier. It was the only “popular price” vaudeville house in the city as motion pictures were the far more profitable play. Greenwall would die in his apartment over the Greenwall Theatre on November 27, 1913. The Greenwall name would play on until the vaudeville ended in January of 1916.
In 1916, Ernest Boehringer, noted NOLA film exhibitor, took the venue on on a one-year leasing agreement as the Triangle Theatre (sometimes the Greenwall Triangle Theatre perhaps due to existing signage) on January 14, 1916. The Triangle played feature films from the Triangle film studio. Boehringber began the Triangle with Normal Talmage in “The Missing Links” supported by “The Submarine Pirates” and “Because He Loved Her.” On June 2, 1917, he purchased the Greenwall Theatre for $100,000 and deemed it “the most extraordinary photoplay theatre in the entire South.” Wow! But on July 15, 1917, Boeringer Amusement would move to larger and newer digs with the new-build Liberty Theatre. In turn, he would sell here to the Eastern Vaudeville Circuit which would reprogram and rename here.
As the Palace Theatre, the vaudeville returned on September 2, 1917 - again with popular price vaudeville. That lasted until 1920 when the Palace returned almost primarily with motion pictures. The theatre was not poised to become a major sound theatre and tried mixing in more live programming by decade’s end before being sold for $311k. The movies were back in the 1930s as the Palace operated as a third-run grindhouse and welcoming of African American audiences. It was converted to widescreen. The Palace made it to its 1962 Twist dance contests and an April 10, 1962 showing of “The Premature Burial” with “The Long Rope.”
A theatre salvage sale took place in April of 1962 hours after the last showing as the venue would be demolished in favor of the Central Parking Garage Lot and that started on April 17, 1962. A block away, the Dauphine Theatre also staged a surplus sale and would also be demolished for a multi-floor parking structure - a plan that was put on hold until 1970.
Demolished January of 2026.
The theatre closed on March 9, 1980 with the film, “The Last Married Couple in America.” The contents of it, the Milgram and Fox were all auctioned off on April 1, 1980. The three venues were demolished thereafter.
The State Theatre opened on May 1, 1930 with Olive Borden in “Hello Sister.“ Harlon O. Jones architectural drawings show a Spanish Renaissance architectural style that was matched by the interior furnishings selected by Fischer & Jiroch of Cleveland.
The State closed permanently at the expiry of its 20 year leasing agreement with Maureen O'Hara in “A Woman’s Secret” on July 6, 1949. All of the employees were moved to the Galion Theatre which opened the next night.
Adam J. “AJ” Paul opened the Royal Theatre on August 14, 1911 with live music and one reel films between including D.W. Griffith’s “As a Man Soweth” and the Powers Picture Play, “The Haunted Island.”
Paul announced in the Summer of 1928 that he had ordered both Vitaphone and Western Electric sound for the Royal. Paul - likely sensing the sound conversion complexity - announced the closure of the Royal following the August 27, 1928 with Billie Dove in “Adoration” supported by the Jack White comedy short, “Studio Pests” and the cartoon KoKo, the Clown’s “KoKo’s Crib” and a Fox newsreel. A steam shovel was brought in on September 7, 1929 to remove the Royal.
The new State Theatre launched on May 1, 1930 with Western Electric sound and the film, “Hello Sister.”
A.J. Paul opened the Royal Theatre on August 14, 1911 with live music and one reel films between including D.W. Griffith’s “As a Man Soweth” and the Powers Picture Play, “The Haunted Island.”
The Strand opened February 5, 1916 with Mary Pickford in “Madame Butterfly” and customers appreciated the venue’s new Moller pipe organ.
The address of 316 St. Charles was home to one of New Orleans' early nickelodeons and the first of two Dreamland Theatres in NOLA. Josiah Pearce opening here as the Dreamland taking just 7 days to convert the medical retail space to a movie theater. It launched on August 24, 1907 on a 10-year leasing agreement with Max Linder in “Harlequin’s Story.” It was Pearce’s second theater following the opening of the Electric Theatre in 1906 followed by Dreamland, Grand, Bijou Dream, Trianon and Tudor. Pearce & Sons also had theaters in Houston, Texas. In 1909, Pearce sublet the Dreamland.
The venue featured highlights of the World Series one day after the Pittsburgh Pirates won the series in 7 games. John Depinet appears to have closed the Dreamland later that year. Pearce reopened it and sublet it once again. The operator, Ficthenberg Enterprises - another early NOLA chain operator - closed and Pearce operated to the end of its 10-year leasing agreement according to the trade press closing August 23, 1917 with the contents removed for a retail store.
One of three Regent Shoe Stores in New Orleans located here in a retail re-conversion. M.A. and Ira Weingrun of Avenue Theatres Inc. would acquire what was then referred to as “the Regent Shoe building” on a 10-year leasing agreement in 1938. They retained the shoe store’s name in creating the second movie theaters at the address. The opening of the Regent took place on November 11, 1938 with “Army Girl.” The auditorium was bathed in blue and silver with the lobby in walnut and maple woods with cream-baked porcelain giving off a streamline moderne look.
Within hours of opening, Weingrun was in deep financial hot water with lawsuits racking up. Avenue Theatres would be dissolved and the Regent was part of a sheriff’s auction to recoup lost money. The venue’s name officially changed on May 13, 1939 (ads caught up two days later) as Joy’s Rio Theatre owned by the Joy Houk Circuit. It played third-tier double features at steep discount prices (a nickel for kids and a dime for adults at any time). The name was later marketed as the Joy Rio Theatre (dropping the apostrophe) then the Rio Theatre and, after a significant summer 1949 refresh, the New Rio Theatre beginning in July of 1949.
The New Rio earned its stripes as an amazing grindhouse with live burlesque and exploitation movies basically cranked out until the last customer left… or was carried out. The New Rio ended its service on February 12, 1950 with Sunny Knight, “The Mighty Mite” Jackie Del Rio, “The Flame of New Orleans” Jerry Ruzell and and the “Voluptuous Vamp” Vangie Lee on stage and the 1934 exploitation film, “Guilty Parents” with a mere five shows that day.
Under new operators, the venue was refreshed as the proposed Cinema 50, a foreign art movie house. But it officially lanhced as the Avenue Theatre on August 2, 1950 with “Saints in Sinners.” It now seated 350 patrons. It would be branded as the Avenue Art Theatre, the Avenue Art Cinema and simply “The Avenue” in various branding strategies. The Avenue was a success and at various points offered Spanish language films weekly on Thursdays. In 1960, the policy went full grind with adult titles. This policy included an arrest on the charge of presenting lewd films on September 17, 1960. This may have been it as the last advertised shows were three films for 35 cents and open all night ending on September 18, 1960 with Candy Barr performing on the big screen. And it that’s the way it ended, what could have been more appropriate? The space became a travel agency in 1961.
Herman Fichtenberg’s Fichtenberg Amusement Enterprises opened the Alamo Theatre on October 10, 1908 with Selig’s brand new release, “The Ranchman’s Love,” and Edwin S. Porter’s “A Voice From the Dead” with live musical numbers between. Fichtenberg Amusement would add the Dreamworld, Plaza, Pico and Globe Theaters. On March 25, 1917, Fichtenberg Amusement merged with Saenger Amusement under th latter’s namesake.
The venue operated some eight years under Saenger Amusements.The Alamo ceased operations at end of lease on August 31, 1925 with Erich von Stroheim’s “Greed.” Earlier in the year, F. Rubinstein & Co. had purchased the lease. Rubenstein’s opened after a significant interior refresh on October 22, 1925. It received a streamline moderne exterior makeover in the 1930s. It was then folded into a long running W.T. Grant retail store followed by a number of others.
Demolition of the former theater and its neighbor occurred in June of 2020 following the catastrophic collapse of the Hard Rock Casino project on October 12, 2019 after the top floors of the 18-story hotel project collapsed. To allow crews to safely dismantle the collapsed tower and recover victims’ remains, the venerable buildings had to be removed.
Demolition of the former theater and its neighbor occurred in June of 2020 following the catastrophic collapse of the Hard Rock Casino project on October 12, 2019 after the top floors of the 18-story hotel project collapsed. To allow crews to safely dismantle the collapsed tower and recover victims’ remains, the venerable buildings had to be removed.
Sam S. & Lee Shubert’s Shubert Bros. Circuit surged in 1906 to 35 theatres in America’s most prominent cities. The NOLA location was the Lyric Theatre but Stone Brothers architects had drawn up the Shubert’s new building going up here on Baronne. The Shubert Theatre launched on a ten-year leasing agreement on December 29, 1906 with Clay Clement in “In Sam Houston.” And after a disastrous first season, the Shubert moniker was the only thing left as they bolted here consolidating at their Lyric Theatre.
O.T. Crawford took on the venue repositioning it as “The largest movie theater in the world” with motion pictures beginning on March 9, 1908. A December 23, 1910 fire in the Shubert Arcade almost destroyed the theater with its screenings moved to the Crescent until the severely damaged building was reopened. The venue reopened on July 2, 1911 temporarily as the Shubert Theatre still playing movies. On September 10, 1911, the venue was renamed as the Lafayette Theatre. Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate was among the operators of the venue. They signed a 30 year leasing agreement in 1917 - not making it very far into that contract.
The Lafayette scuffled as better theaters converted to sound. The cavernous venue was not equipped for the new medium and went into receivership and auctioned on May 16, 1929 with the auction listing suggesting a conversion to an auto parking garage - the fate of its neighboring building. In 1931, it would be wired for sound and resume motion picture operations with third-tier, discount double features. Under new operators it was given a streamline moderne refresh rebranding as the New Lafayette Theatre in late 1939.
The once mighty Schubert Theatre then hit rock bottom as a burley house at its rebranding as the Star Theatre playing a combination of third-run and exploitation films on April 9, 1944. The policy was a one hour and fifteen minute stage show repeated up to four times a day with the feature film and shorts thrown in after the live show.
In May of 1947, the post-War immigration led to a revival of foreign film and the Star became the Star Art Theatre showing films from around the globe. By late Fall, that had failed with the lease expiring. Irwin Poché Enterprises changed the fortunes of the venue hiring architects Freret & Wolf who did the unlikely job of transferring it from dirty burley house back to its original intent of live stage plays and high profile events. Certainly, this would be its last chance as a live house.
The Poché Theatre opened on November 2, 1947. Films would be inserted where no live events were scheduled. On October 13, 1950, the venue was renamed the Civic Theatre shifting back to film programming beginning with Robert Montgomery in “Eye-Witness.” In 1965, the Civic shifted back to live programming the way the Shuberts had drawn up some 60 years prior. This would undoubtedly be the very last chance to prove itself as a live house. And that period lasted until February 13, 1977’s Godspell. The space was then converted to the Civic Center Discotheque opening November of 1977 yet retaining the integrity of the original theater - its balconies and other features intact. But disco died and the venue fell into disrepair.
After closing, the building was going to become lofts but Brian Gibbs decided to give the Shubert turned Civic one more shot as a theatre - its fourth such reinvention - restoring it in 2010-2012 and reopening it for live events in September 19, 2013 with the concert, “Empire of the Sun.” The venue was still chugging along in the 2020s. An unlikely story but true.
Consider adding and/or altering (along with the others already there):
Formerly Known as: Poché Theatre, Star Art Theatre, New Lafayette Theater
Formerly Owned by: Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate
Firms: Stone Brothers Architects; Feret & Wolf Architects
Architects: Douglass Vincent Freret; Albert Jacob Wolf, Jr.