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.
United Theatres' Escorial Theatre closed on February 12, 1952 with “The Purple Mask.” It appears to have opened in February of 1912 by Peter Ludman. Ludman would join Sobel, Richards, et al. which eventually would become United Theatres which absorbed the indy Escorial.
The Trianon closed on July 19, 1929 with “The Girl From Chicago.” Saenger additionally closed the Liberty, Strand, Globe and St. Charles due to lack of business plus the cost to wire the theaters. Ultimately, that was the end of the Trianon as it was occupied “as is” by a business until its 1932 conversion in 1932 to a retail building by architects Favrot & Livaudais.
Legendary New York showman S.L. Rothafel programmed the first night of Saenger’s new-build Strand Theatre. The Strand opened on July 4, 1917 with the Hope-Jones $20,000 Orchestral Pipe Organ wowing opening night patrons. The films “Wild & Wooly” and “Who’s Baby?” played on opening night.
The venue added sound to remain viable. But it was dropped by Saenger on January 29, 1933 as the theater had been surpassed by a new breed of destination movie palaces. G&G Theaters, Inc. and C.L. Lanier arranged a sublease late in 1934 reopening it briefly beginning on February 2, 1935 - two years after it had initially closed - unsuccessfully. The Strand was used for church services and some live vaudeville later that year.
But the Strand got a new operator who gave it a streamline moderne makeover at its reopening as a second-run house, the New Strand, on June 21, 1936 with “Everybody’s Old Man.” It was rebranded as the Joy Strand in 1937 on a deep discount, third-run double-feature grind policy with nickel and dime price points as the theatre hustled for any coin it could still suffering against far superior movie houses.
The Strand was closed in July of 1953 for an overhaul to widescreen projection - at a cost of an austere $6,000 (and presumably cleaned, though not guaranteed) - and was ready to reopen as the Paramount Theatre. But at the last minute, it was changed to the Panorama Theatre, likely to avoid a naming dispute, opening August 14, 1953 with “Salome.” The venue finally ground to a halt on September 20, 1959 with a decidedly non-Panoramic double-feature of “Louisiana Hussy” and “Naughty New Orleans” and mercifully closed. It was demolished shortly thereafter in 1960 in favor a new skyscraper.
Sobel Richards Shear Entertainment Circuit announced this new theater to replace the Pastime Theatre and joining the company’s Carrollton and Washington theaters. The Fine Arts' architect, Moise H. Goldstein Sr., delivered his plans in 1917 . The venue had a Hillgreen-Lane Electric Action Organ at its launch on August 11, 1917. It added sound to remain viable.
The Fine Arts closed on July 27, 1958 with “Paris Holiday.” It came back to usage briefly as a live venue in 1960 as the Theater Guild of New Orleans. In 1961, it was offered for sale for $32,000 then $29,500 and then just $6,000 in a sale from United Theatres to the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.
Josiah Pearce & Sons opened the Theatorium soon turned Electric Theatre on December 21, 1905 followed by the Dreamland, Grand, Bijou Dream, and Trianon. Pearce & Sons extended their holdings to Houston and elsewhere in Mississippi and Louisiana. The Tudor was built in 1913 as Pearce’s first ground to roof movie palace. It featured a stunning $25,000 Möller Vox Humana pipe organ with the console in the Tudor orchestra pit on an electric-pneumatic lift so it could be featured or hidden. It opened with two, two-reelers “White Slave” and D.W. Griffith’s “His Mother’s Son" on June 3, 1913.
The Tudor themed architecture featured 15th Century decorations evocative of Henry VII and VIIIth. It was considered a success by New Orleans architects DeBuys, Churchill & Labouisse (Rathbone Debuys, Frank G. Churchill and Samuel S. Labouisse). The first wave of movie palaces continued with Fichtenberg’s Globe Theatre opening next door at Christmastime in 1916 and its neighbor, the long-running Child’s Restaurant at 620 Canal Street and Scharff’s Billiard Parlor above it for an entertainment combination. (Saenger and Fichtenberg combined in 1917 under the Sanger Amusement Circuit nameplate.)
The Tudor was marketed as Pearce’s Tudor Theatre until 1925 - though had gone from the pre-eminent first-run theater to a revival house by that time. Eugene Pearce sold the venue to Phillip A. Schiro of the Schiro Amusement Circuit on March 9, 1925. The venue was marketed as Schiro’s Tudor Theatre as he tried to bring back to first-run status. He closed up for the summer on May 13, 1928 - generally a move made by ventilation challenged, older movie houses and those not converted to sound. Schiro walked away from the Tudor.
Saenger Circuit took on the venue equipping it with Vitaphone sound, improved ventilation, and relaunching it as Saenger’s New Tudor Theatre on June 29, 1927 with Dolores Costello in the talking picture, “Glorious Betsy.” That gave Saenger neighboring, large movie houses on busy Canal Street. The Childs Restaurant, however, was a 1937 casualty being auctioned off. It was first replaced by a precursor to “Ripley’s Believe or Not” called The World’s Fair Museum that included exhibits including Sontain, the living Headless Girl, the Sheep-Headed Men from Ecuador, and the Seal Boy, Sealo - human with seal’s flippers for hands. That morphed into a highly successful Penny Arcade in 1941. The Tudor, Globe, and Penny Arcade combined was the equivalent of a Family Entertainment Destination Center on Canal Street lasting all the way to the venue’s closure and demolition in a 1964 urban renewal plan.
The Tudor had transferred to Paramount Richards / Paramount Gulf / United Theatres (the latter after the ABC -United Paramount 1951 merger) operational names. At its ouster, not long after its 50th Anniversary and likely expiry of its leasing, the Tudor closed July 12, 1964 with Jerry Lewis as “The Patsy. And the Globe ended its run with “Shock Corridor” on the same day. The entire group of entertainment structures on Canal Street were demolished in November of 1964 by Deep South Dismantling Company.
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.
United Theatres' Escorial Theatre closed on February 12, 1952 with “The Purple Mask.” It appears to have opened in February of 1912 by Peter Ludman. Ludman would join Sobel, Richards, et al. which eventually would become United Theatres which absorbed the indy Escorial.
The Trianon closed on July 19, 1929 with “The Girl From Chicago.” Saenger additionally closed the Liberty, Strand, Globe and St. Charles due to lack of business plus the cost to wire the theaters. Ultimately, that was the end of the Trianon as it was occupied “as is” by a business until its 1932 conversion in 1932 to a retail building by architects Favrot & Livaudais.
Legendary New York showman S.L. Rothafel programmed the first night of Saenger’s new-build Strand Theatre. The Strand opened on July 4, 1917 with the Hope-Jones $20,000 Orchestral Pipe Organ wowing opening night patrons. The films “Wild & Wooly” and “Who’s Baby?” played on opening night.
The venue added sound to remain viable. But it was dropped by Saenger on January 29, 1933 as the theater had been surpassed by a new breed of destination movie palaces. G&G Theaters, Inc. and C.L. Lanier arranged a sublease late in 1934 reopening it briefly beginning on February 2, 1935 - two years after it had initially closed - unsuccessfully. The Strand was used for church services and some live vaudeville later that year.
But the Strand got a new operator who gave it a streamline moderne makeover at its reopening as a second-run house, the New Strand, on June 21, 1936 with “Everybody’s Old Man.” It was rebranded as the Joy Strand in 1937 on a deep discount, third-run double-feature grind policy with nickel and dime price points as the theatre hustled for any coin it could still suffering against far superior movie houses.
The Strand was closed in July of 1953 for an overhaul to widescreen projection - at a cost of an austere $6,000 (and presumably cleaned, though not guaranteed) - and was ready to reopen as the Paramount Theatre. But at the last minute, it was changed to the Panorama Theatre, likely to avoid a naming dispute, opening August 14, 1953 with “Salome.” The venue finally ground to a halt on September 20, 1959 with a decidedly non-Panoramic double-feature of “Louisiana Hussy” and “Naughty New Orleans” and mercifully closed. It was demolished shortly thereafter in 1960 in favor a new skyscraper.
Sobel Richards Shear Entertainment Circuit announced this new theater to replace the Pastime Theatre and joining the company’s Carrollton and Washington theaters. The Fine Arts' architect, Moise H. Goldstein Sr., delivered his plans in 1917 . The venue had a Hillgreen-Lane Electric Action Organ at its launch on August 11, 1917. It added sound to remain viable.
The Fine Arts closed on July 27, 1958 with “Paris Holiday.” It came back to usage briefly as a live venue in 1960 as the Theater Guild of New Orleans. In 1961, it was offered for sale for $32,000 then $29,500 and then just $6,000 in a sale from United Theatres to the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.
April 10, 1929 shot of the Globe Theatre with the Tudor Theatre showing a Richard Dix film in Vitaphone to the left.
Josiah Pearce & Sons opened the Theatorium soon turned Electric Theatre on December 21, 1905 followed by the Dreamland, Grand, Bijou Dream, and Trianon. Pearce & Sons extended their holdings to Houston and elsewhere in Mississippi and Louisiana. The Tudor was built in 1913 as Pearce’s first ground to roof movie palace. It featured a stunning $25,000 Möller Vox Humana pipe organ with the console in the Tudor orchestra pit on an electric-pneumatic lift so it could be featured or hidden. It opened with two, two-reelers “White Slave” and D.W. Griffith’s “His Mother’s Son" on June 3, 1913.
The Tudor themed architecture featured 15th Century decorations evocative of Henry VII and VIIIth. It was considered a success by New Orleans architects DeBuys, Churchill & Labouisse (Rathbone Debuys, Frank G. Churchill and Samuel S. Labouisse). The first wave of movie palaces continued with Fichtenberg’s Globe Theatre opening next door at Christmastime in 1916 and its neighbor, the long-running Child’s Restaurant at 620 Canal Street and Scharff’s Billiard Parlor above it for an entertainment combination. (Saenger and Fichtenberg combined in 1917 under the Sanger Amusement Circuit nameplate.)
The Tudor was marketed as Pearce’s Tudor Theatre until 1925 - though had gone from the pre-eminent first-run theater to a revival house by that time. Eugene Pearce sold the venue to Phillip A. Schiro of the Schiro Amusement Circuit on March 9, 1925. The venue was marketed as Schiro’s Tudor Theatre as he tried to bring back to first-run status. He closed up for the summer on May 13, 1928 - generally a move made by ventilation challenged, older movie houses and those not converted to sound. Schiro walked away from the Tudor.
Saenger Circuit took on the venue equipping it with Vitaphone sound, improved ventilation, and relaunching it as Saenger’s New Tudor Theatre on June 29, 1927 with Dolores Costello in the talking picture, “Glorious Betsy.” That gave Saenger neighboring, large movie houses on busy Canal Street. The Childs Restaurant, however, was a 1937 casualty being auctioned off. It was first replaced by a precursor to “Ripley’s Believe or Not” called The World’s Fair Museum that included exhibits including Sontain, the living Headless Girl, the Sheep-Headed Men from Ecuador, and the Seal Boy, Sealo - human with seal’s flippers for hands. That morphed into a highly successful Penny Arcade in 1941. The Tudor, Globe, and Penny Arcade combined was the equivalent of a Family Entertainment Destination Center on Canal Street lasting all the way to the venue’s closure and demolition in a 1964 urban renewal plan.
The Tudor had transferred to Paramount Richards / Paramount Gulf / United Theatres (the latter after the ABC -United Paramount 1951 merger) operational names. At its ouster, not long after its 50th Anniversary and likely expiry of its leasing, the Tudor closed July 12, 1964 with Jerry Lewis as “The Patsy. And the Globe ended its run with “Shock Corridor” on the same day. The entire group of entertainment structures on Canal Street were demolished in November of 1964 by Deep South Dismantling Company.