In July of 2021 Golden Ticket Circuit announced it would take over the location as its 13th location after a conversion to lounge reclining seats and other improvements.
The Blue Moon launched March 22, 1940 with May Robeson in “Granny Get Your Gun” supported by the serial, “Overland with Kit Carson” and a cartoon. It closed in 1956.
Brown Bros. launched the Kozy Theatre on April 7, 1917 with six reels of moving pictures and music by Mrs. Ward’s Orchestra. In March of 1930, the theatre was equipped with sound starting with the film, “Murder on the Roof” to remain viable.
Operator Melville Danner got the Kozy’s only world premiere by suggesting a short idea pitched to Pete Smith of MGM. That short became “Movie Pests” premiering at the Granite on July 5, 1944 and the Mayor of the city proclaimed it Melville Danner and Pete Smith Day on July 8, 1944.
Under Raymond Burns, the theatre transitioned to widescreen projection to present CinemaScope titles beginning October 2, 1957 with June Allyson in “Woman’s World.” Ernest Wayne and Nancy Craig closed the Kozy Theatre following the November 20, 1965 showing of “Pillow Talk” which may have ended its 58 year run. The theatre was, however, used for sporadic screenings thereafter.
The Thompson Theatre opened with 464 seats in August of 1939 by Glen Thompson which replaced the original Thompson Theatre which had opened in 1936 but was burned on January 3, 1939. The 300-seat theatre was the Princess Theatre which Thompson also operated through October of 1950. On October 15, 1954, the theatre converted to widescreen projection to present CinemaScope films beginning with “The Robe.” It may mean little, but ads discontinue at the 20-year mark of the theater.
Early motion pictures were played in town at the Cox Opera House / Majestic Theatre.It would get competition from the Empress Theatre which appears to have opened in August of 1921. Mrs. Charles H. Gilliam operated the theatre until 1925 selling it to T. Miller Davidge and Fred T Gresham who changed the name to the Princess Theatre. The operators would close briefly late in 1930 to convert to sound reopening Thanksgiving Day with “Call of the Flesh” with Roman Navarro.
Glen Thompson built the new Thompson Theatre in 1936 and the town operated with two movie houses. Though the trade press erroneously reported that the Princess burned down in a January 4, 1939 fire, it was the not quite three-year old Thompson Theatre that was lost after a fire originated in a shoe store took out multiple Tishomingo businesses. All bookings played the Princess for seven months until Thompson rebuilt the theater relaunching in August of 1939. The two theaters operated together until October 28, 1950 when the Princess Theatre was closed permanently with Gene Autry in “Grand Canyon.” Seating from the venue was donated to the city’s court room for spectators.
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Martin began construction of the Joy Theatre in November of 1945. War shortages delayed its opening until August 8, 1946. The Martins continued operating the Palace Theatre making Coweta a two-theatre town - interesting for a town of just under 1,500 residents. The Palace folded on Thanksgiving of 1948. O.R. Beasley took on the Joy and gave it a new sound system in 1964. The Joy closed but it reopened for a period as the Coweta Theatre and appears to have since closed.
The Granada Theatre was a new-build facility that was constructed in 1992/3 to replace the former Oxford Auditorium that was in existence from 1917 to 1992. It will have its own CinemaTreasure page. The New Granada was built on the site of the former location. Its seating count was 152 at opening but replaced those seats in 2015 to its current auditorium count of 120. It closed for the pandemic in March of 2020 but reopened early in 2021 to resume current film offerings which were heavily family-centric.
Best known for a major obscenity case when local officials shut down the Heights Art Theatre for showing the film, “The Lovers" on November 13, 1959. Theater manager Nico Jacobellis showed the French film, landed himself in jail, and his case gravitated on appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964) overturned the Cleveland Heights' suspect enforcement and was one of several cases that led to major changes in obscenity law enforcement in the United States. The case indirectly led to the rise of the porno chic era of motion picture exhibition.
The Plaza Theatre was a new-build facility for T. Miller Davidge who held a naming contest to give a handle to the W. Scott Dunne architected venue. It launched as the Plaza Theatre which replaced the fire-damaged former Liberty/State Theatre which had been on the lot prior to its demolition. The fire took place on Halloween of 1934 closing the State Theatre permanently. It had become the State Theatre when John Terry took over the Liberty from Robb & Rowley and relaunched as the State Theatre on March 4, 1932 with “The Big Shot.” The Plaza opened July 3d, 1936.
The Ship Drive-In set sail on March 6, 1952 with Jane Frazee in “Rhythm Inn.” It appears to have ceased operation on December 14, 1963 with a double feature of “It Happened at the World’s Fair” and “The Young and The Brave” supported by a cartoon.
The Sky-Vu launched September 29, 1949 by T. Miller Davidge with Burt Lancaster in “Desert Fury” supported by a cartoon. It was demolished by a tornado on April 2, 1957. desert fury movie. The theatre was rebuilt relaunching as the Sky-Vu Drive-In relaunched on June 20, 1957 with “The Deadly Mantis” and “The Girl in the Kremlin.”
Repositioned by Gulf States Theatre Circuit on September 20, 1967 as the Rebel Art Theatre. It was closed permanently on April 11, 1968 with Fabian in “The Wild Racers.” Its phone number was moved to Gulf States' new Cinema Theatre which ostensibly replaced the Rebel Art later in 1968.
The Harkins Circuit announced in July of 2021 that it would close the theatre later that year. It felt that the cost of refurbishing the theater was too great and preferred to open a new-build, “start of the art” venue.
Lloyd Royal, Sr., of the Royal Circuit was operating here in 1932 and closed permanently at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement on March 23, 1957 after a double feature of “The Proud Ones” and “Tiger Claw.” The building was retrofitted for a bank in 1958.
The Rose Theatre opened in the early 1930s operating almost 20 years. Paramount-Richards Theatres Circuit closed both the Rose and the Buck theaters on September 10, 1949. After a refresh and under new ownerships, the theatre became the Ritz Theatre on March 1, 1950 with a double feature of “The Family Honeymoon” and “The Countess of Monte Cristo.”
Lloyd Royal of the Royal Circuit was bought out of his location a block away where he was operating the Rebel Theatre in December of 1958. So he moved the Rebel Theatre to the Ritz Theatre and reopened there after a refresh on Feb. 28, 1959 with the religious film, “I’ll Give My Life.”
The former Rose turned Ritz turned Rebel was purchased by Gulf States operating briefly as the Rebel Art Theatre showing adult/overseas titles. Gulf opened the new-build Cinema Theatre elsewhere in town and subsequently closed the Rebel which was later demolished. The Rebel’s former home at the Lomo was also demolished.
United Artists demoted the Cloverleaf Cinema to sub-run discount status in 1995 and dropped the theater in the Summer of 1996. Cinestar Theatres of Atlanta took on the venue on January 4, 1 997 resuming a discount policy at the 99 cent price point. The circuit closed the Cloverleaf on December 1, 2004 just months from the end of a 30-year lease.
The Star Theatre opens for African American audiences on November 23, 1944 at 312 Mobile Street getting a War-time exemption to use building materials in its creation. Live music was part of the mix as Tommie “T-Bone” Pruitt was a member of the regular house band. The theatre appears to have discontinued film exhibition in 1951.
The theatre had a grand reopening with films on April 12, 1954 with “Tumbleweed” and “Slaves of Babylon.” It was accompanied by an opening parade featuring the Royal Street and the Eureka bands. Films were once again apparently discontinued on June 13, 1961 with a double feature of “Beyond the Time Barrier” and “Journey to the Lost City” supported by a cartoon and short subject. The theatre hosted live African American wrestling and beauty pageants before closing altogether.`
Paramount-Richards Theatres Circuit listed the Buck at least back to 1938. The Circui tclosed by the Buck and the Rose theaters on September 10, 1949. While the Rose would find new life as the Ritz then Rebel (location #2), the Buck closed permanently with a double feature of Charles Sterrett in “The Durango Kid” and Smiley Burnett in “Quick on the Trigger” supported by the final chapter of the serial, “Bruce Gentry,” a cartoon and a newsreel.
In 1951, Hattiesburg Federal Savings and Loan bought the building and demolished it. There are no listings with Gulf States Theatres - just Paramount-Richards.
Lohmann and Mollere fused their name together to launch their Lomo Theater on September 7, 1910 on a 5-year lease. The establishment went bankrupt in 1914 and sold for just $670 at auction. After reopening, the winning bidders created a new-build venue launching as the New Lomo Theatre on West Pine on October 21, 1915 with its first feature Francis X. Bushman in “Second in Command.” The Gulf Arm & Creosoting Company – later Gulf Amusement Circuit – built the theater along with the Southern Metro Picture Corporation. It was located next to the office of the town’s streetcar operator, the Hattiesburg Traction Company. The theater remained silent closing in 1929.
Paramount-Gulf later decided to breathe new life in the venue equipping it for sound and a grand opening relaunch in 1933. It closed the Lomo there on July 14, 1950 likely at the end of lease with Roy Rogers in “Jeepers Creepers” supported by “Trail of the Hawk,” a Popeye cartoon and Chapter Five of “Invisible Monster.” (Give the Dome Theatre credit for continuing the serial from that point and getting the town’s moviegoers to the 12th and culminating episode.)
Lloyd Royal’s Royal Circuit - which had the original Royal in town back in 1914 - took on the venue and - after a significant refresh - reopened it as the Rebel Theatre on April 12, 1952 with Alan Young and Dinah Shore in “Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick.” The Rebel lived up to its name booking the racy Brigette Bardot film, “And God Created Woman.” As showtime neared, the city stepped in forbidding the show until an agreed upon, “sharply edited” version finally played there in November 1958. That turned out to be one of the last movies for the Rebel as it was sold by Royal Circuit under the agreement that no further pictures would play there for five years.
The venue would be renamed as the McGinnis Building used for a newsstand, a realtor office, and a jeweler thereafter. It was torn down without returning to cinematic greatness. Royal would move the Rebel name to the Ritz Theatre, and after a refresh, the Rebel continued there using the same exterior “R"s that dated to the Rose in the 1930s and the Ritz, previously. The Rebel would go full-time adult / foreign film exhibition in its final days as the Rebel Art Cinema under its purchase by Gulf States The Rose/Ritz/Rebel/Rebel Art closed when the the Cinema Theatre was opened by the circuit elsewhere in town.
To locals, however, the building housing the Lomo for decades and the Rebel for just a few was generally referred to as the former Lomo Theatre upon its demolition.
Gulf States announced this venue in February of 1967 shortly after purchasing the Rebel Theatre elsewhere in town. It was built as an “upscale shopping center theater” with 750 rocker lounger seats and large screen. It launched as The Cinema Theater August 22, 1967 with Walt Disney’s “The Gnome Mobile.” The theatre was twinned beginning on June 12, 1981.
On March 5, 1982, Gulf States renamed the venue as the Hardy Street Cinemas 2. United Artists Theatre Circuit purchased Gulf States Theatres Inc. and its 52 theaters in December of 1986. United Artists officially took over the venue on February 12, 1987 as the UA Hardy Street Cinema 2 (often truncated in ads to the UA Hardy 2). United Artists closed the venue permanently on August 13, 1992 likely at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement with John Lithgow in “Raising Cain” and Geena Davis in “A League of Their Own.”
The facility became an auto dealer location the next year and later was a gaming venue known for laser tag. (BTW: The theater was never called the Hardy Court Twin which was a Plitt location in Gulfport.)
aka Corral Auto Theatre
In July of 2021 Golden Ticket Circuit announced it would take over the location as its 13th location after a conversion to lounge reclining seats and other improvements.
CineStarz closed here permanently
The Blue Moon launched March 22, 1940 with May Robeson in “Granny Get Your Gun” supported by the serial, “Overland with Kit Carson” and a cartoon. It closed in 1956.
Brown Bros. launched the Kozy Theatre on April 7, 1917 with six reels of moving pictures and music by Mrs. Ward’s Orchestra. In March of 1930, the theatre was equipped with sound starting with the film, “Murder on the Roof” to remain viable.
Operator Melville Danner got the Kozy’s only world premiere by suggesting a short idea pitched to Pete Smith of MGM. That short became “Movie Pests” premiering at the Granite on July 5, 1944 and the Mayor of the city proclaimed it Melville Danner and Pete Smith Day on July 8, 1944.
Under Raymond Burns, the theatre transitioned to widescreen projection to present CinemaScope titles beginning October 2, 1957 with June Allyson in “Woman’s World.” Ernest Wayne and Nancy Craig closed the Kozy Theatre following the November 20, 1965 showing of “Pillow Talk” which may have ended its 58 year run. The theatre was, however, used for sporadic screenings thereafter.
The Thompson Theatre opened with 464 seats in August of 1939 by Glen Thompson which replaced the original Thompson Theatre which had opened in 1936 but was burned on January 3, 1939. The 300-seat theatre was the Princess Theatre which Thompson also operated through October of 1950. On October 15, 1954, the theatre converted to widescreen projection to present CinemaScope films beginning with “The Robe.” It may mean little, but ads discontinue at the 20-year mark of the theater.
Early motion pictures were played in town at the Cox Opera House / Majestic Theatre.It would get competition from the Empress Theatre which appears to have opened in August of 1921. Mrs. Charles H. Gilliam operated the theatre until 1925 selling it to T. Miller Davidge and Fred T Gresham who changed the name to the Princess Theatre. The operators would close briefly late in 1930 to convert to sound reopening Thanksgiving Day with “Call of the Flesh” with Roman Navarro.
Glen Thompson built the new Thompson Theatre in 1936 and the town operated with two movie houses. Though the trade press erroneously reported that the Princess burned down in a January 4, 1939 fire, it was the not quite three-year old Thompson Theatre that was lost after a fire originated in a shoe store took out multiple Tishomingo businesses. All bookings played the Princess for seven months until Thompson rebuilt the theater relaunching in August of 1939. The two theaters operated together until October 28, 1950 when the Princess Theatre was closed permanently with Gene Autry in “Grand Canyon.” Seating from the venue was donated to the city’s court room for spectators.
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Martin began construction of the Joy Theatre in November of 1945. War shortages delayed its opening until August 8, 1946. The Martins continued operating the Palace Theatre making Coweta a two-theatre town - interesting for a town of just under 1,500 residents. The Palace folded on Thanksgiving of 1948. O.R. Beasley took on the Joy and gave it a new sound system in 1964. The Joy closed but it reopened for a period as the Coweta Theatre and appears to have since closed.
The Rex Theatre launched November 3, 1915 by Lloyd M. Drayton and Austin C. King, Jr.
The Granada Theatre was a new-build facility that was constructed in 1992/3 to replace the former Oxford Auditorium that was in existence from 1917 to 1992. It will have its own CinemaTreasure page. The New Granada was built on the site of the former location. Its seating count was 152 at opening but replaced those seats in 2015 to its current auditorium count of 120. It closed for the pandemic in March of 2020 but reopened early in 2021 to resume current film offerings which were heavily family-centric.
Best known for a major obscenity case when local officials shut down the Heights Art Theatre for showing the film, “The Lovers" on November 13, 1959. Theater manager Nico Jacobellis showed the French film, landed himself in jail, and his case gravitated on appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964) overturned the Cleveland Heights' suspect enforcement and was one of several cases that led to major changes in obscenity law enforcement in the United States. The case indirectly led to the rise of the porno chic era of motion picture exhibition.
The new-build Liberty Theatre is opened as another World War I Liberty location on August 14, 1917 with movies and live vaudeville in Durant.
The Plaza Theatre was a new-build facility for T. Miller Davidge who held a naming contest to give a handle to the W. Scott Dunne architected venue. It launched as the Plaza Theatre which replaced the fire-damaged former Liberty/State Theatre which had been on the lot prior to its demolition. The fire took place on Halloween of 1934 closing the State Theatre permanently. It had become the State Theatre when John Terry took over the Liberty from Robb & Rowley and relaunched as the State Theatre on March 4, 1932 with “The Big Shot.” The Plaza opened July 3d, 1936.
The Ship Drive-In set sail on March 6, 1952 with Jane Frazee in “Rhythm Inn.” It appears to have ceased operation on December 14, 1963 with a double feature of “It Happened at the World’s Fair” and “The Young and The Brave” supported by a cartoon.
The Sky-Vu launched September 29, 1949 by T. Miller Davidge with Burt Lancaster in “Desert Fury” supported by a cartoon. It was demolished by a tornado on April 2, 1957. desert fury movie. The theatre was rebuilt relaunching as the Sky-Vu Drive-In relaunched on June 20, 1957 with “The Deadly Mantis” and “The Girl in the Kremlin.”
Repositioned by Gulf States Theatre Circuit on September 20, 1967 as the Rebel Art Theatre. It was closed permanently on April 11, 1968 with Fabian in “The Wild Racers.” Its phone number was moved to Gulf States' new Cinema Theatre which ostensibly replaced the Rebel Art later in 1968.
The Harkins Circuit announced in July of 2021 that it would close the theatre later that year. It felt that the cost of refurbishing the theater was too great and preferred to open a new-build, “start of the art” venue.
Lloyd Royal, Sr., of the Royal Circuit was operating here in 1932 and closed permanently at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement on March 23, 1957 after a double feature of “The Proud Ones” and “Tiger Claw.” The building was retrofitted for a bank in 1958.
The Rose Theatre opened in the early 1930s operating almost 20 years. Paramount-Richards Theatres Circuit closed both the Rose and the Buck theaters on September 10, 1949. After a refresh and under new ownerships, the theatre became the Ritz Theatre on March 1, 1950 with a double feature of “The Family Honeymoon” and “The Countess of Monte Cristo.”
Lloyd Royal of the Royal Circuit was bought out of his location a block away where he was operating the Rebel Theatre in December of 1958. So he moved the Rebel Theatre to the Ritz Theatre and reopened there after a refresh on Feb. 28, 1959 with the religious film, “I’ll Give My Life.”
The former Rose turned Ritz turned Rebel was purchased by Gulf States operating briefly as the Rebel Art Theatre showing adult/overseas titles. Gulf opened the new-build Cinema Theatre elsewhere in town and subsequently closed the Rebel which was later demolished. The Rebel’s former home at the Lomo was also demolished.
Edgar N. Hirsch launched the Gem Theatre on May 14, 1908 as a “strictly moral” movie house. It appears to have closed in 1918, likely at end of lease.
United Artists demoted the Cloverleaf Cinema to sub-run discount status in 1995 and dropped the theater in the Summer of 1996. Cinestar Theatres of Atlanta took on the venue on January 4, 1 997 resuming a discount policy at the 99 cent price point. The circuit closed the Cloverleaf on December 1, 2004 just months from the end of a 30-year lease.
The Star Theatre opens for African American audiences on November 23, 1944 at 312 Mobile Street getting a War-time exemption to use building materials in its creation. Live music was part of the mix as Tommie “T-Bone” Pruitt was a member of the regular house band. The theatre appears to have discontinued film exhibition in 1951.
The theatre had a grand reopening with films on April 12, 1954 with “Tumbleweed” and “Slaves of Babylon.” It was accompanied by an opening parade featuring the Royal Street and the Eureka bands. Films were once again apparently discontinued on June 13, 1961 with a double feature of “Beyond the Time Barrier” and “Journey to the Lost City” supported by a cartoon and short subject. The theatre hosted live African American wrestling and beauty pageants before closing altogether.`
Paramount-Richards Theatres Circuit listed the Buck at least back to 1938. The Circui tclosed by the Buck and the Rose theaters on September 10, 1949. While the Rose would find new life as the Ritz then Rebel (location #2), the Buck closed permanently with a double feature of Charles Sterrett in “The Durango Kid” and Smiley Burnett in “Quick on the Trigger” supported by the final chapter of the serial, “Bruce Gentry,” a cartoon and a newsreel.
In 1951, Hattiesburg Federal Savings and Loan bought the building and demolished it. There are no listings with Gulf States Theatres - just Paramount-Richards.
Lohmann and Mollere fused their name together to launch their Lomo Theater on September 7, 1910 on a 5-year lease. The establishment went bankrupt in 1914 and sold for just $670 at auction. After reopening, the winning bidders created a new-build venue launching as the New Lomo Theatre on West Pine on October 21, 1915 with its first feature Francis X. Bushman in “Second in Command.” The Gulf Arm & Creosoting Company – later Gulf Amusement Circuit – built the theater along with the Southern Metro Picture Corporation. It was located next to the office of the town’s streetcar operator, the Hattiesburg Traction Company. The theater remained silent closing in 1929.
Paramount-Gulf later decided to breathe new life in the venue equipping it for sound and a grand opening relaunch in 1933. It closed the Lomo there on July 14, 1950 likely at the end of lease with Roy Rogers in “Jeepers Creepers” supported by “Trail of the Hawk,” a Popeye cartoon and Chapter Five of “Invisible Monster.” (Give the Dome Theatre credit for continuing the serial from that point and getting the town’s moviegoers to the 12th and culminating episode.)
Lloyd Royal’s Royal Circuit - which had the original Royal in town back in 1914 - took on the venue and - after a significant refresh - reopened it as the Rebel Theatre on April 12, 1952 with Alan Young and Dinah Shore in “Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick.” The Rebel lived up to its name booking the racy Brigette Bardot film, “And God Created Woman.” As showtime neared, the city stepped in forbidding the show until an agreed upon, “sharply edited” version finally played there in November 1958. That turned out to be one of the last movies for the Rebel as it was sold by Royal Circuit under the agreement that no further pictures would play there for five years.
The venue would be renamed as the McGinnis Building used for a newsstand, a realtor office, and a jeweler thereafter. It was torn down without returning to cinematic greatness. Royal would move the Rebel name to the Ritz Theatre, and after a refresh, the Rebel continued there using the same exterior “R"s that dated to the Rose in the 1930s and the Ritz, previously. The Rebel would go full-time adult / foreign film exhibition in its final days as the Rebel Art Cinema under its purchase by Gulf States The Rose/Ritz/Rebel/Rebel Art closed when the the Cinema Theatre was opened by the circuit elsewhere in town.
To locals, however, the building housing the Lomo for decades and the Rebel for just a few was generally referred to as the former Lomo Theatre upon its demolition.
Gulf States announced this venue in February of 1967 shortly after purchasing the Rebel Theatre elsewhere in town. It was built as an “upscale shopping center theater” with 750 rocker lounger seats and large screen. It launched as The Cinema Theater August 22, 1967 with Walt Disney’s “The Gnome Mobile.” The theatre was twinned beginning on June 12, 1981.
On March 5, 1982, Gulf States renamed the venue as the Hardy Street Cinemas 2. United Artists Theatre Circuit purchased Gulf States Theatres Inc. and its 52 theaters in December of 1986. United Artists officially took over the venue on February 12, 1987 as the UA Hardy Street Cinema 2 (often truncated in ads to the UA Hardy 2). United Artists closed the venue permanently on August 13, 1992 likely at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement with John Lithgow in “Raising Cain” and Geena Davis in “A League of Their Own.”
The facility became an auto dealer location the next year and later was a gaming venue known for laser tag. (BTW: The theater was never called the Hardy Court Twin which was a Plitt location in Gulfport.)