Ritz Theater
1513 Main Street,
Newberry,
SC
29108
1513 Main Street,
Newberry,
SC
29108
1 person
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Related Websites
Ritz Theater - Newberry (Official)
Additional Info
Functions: Live Performances
Styles: Art Deco
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
803.276.1963
Nearby Theaters
The Ritz Theater opened on October 16, 1936 as a movie theater. It is now a live performance theater and since 1974 it is home to the Newberry Community Players.
Contributed by
Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
Dec 1 1970 “ELVIS,THAT’S THE WAY IT IS” is playing.
March 18 1971 and “TORA!TORA!TORA!” is playing .Next was “A NEW LEAF”.March 28 1972 has “ SOUL SOLDIER” playing with this little gem booked in after it “SONG OF THE SOUTH”.Nov.23 1971 and “CATLOW” is playing.“SUMMER of ‘42” is next at the Ritz.
I used to go to the Ritz as a child. You could get in for a dime. When you turned 12, you had to pay the adult admission price which was 50 cents. You could get around that if you had an “in-between” card. The card had your photo on it and would get you in for a quarter. It was good until you turned 14.
Popcorn was a nickel a bag and a drink was a dime. Most candy bars were also a nickel. Of course later inflation drove the price up.
I remember dating during college days. Adult price was still 50 cents so the whole date was less than two dollars.
According to an article in the Fall, 2012 issue of the journal of the Newberry Historical Society, there is more to the history of the Ritz Theater: the article says there had been a theater called the Imperial Theater at 1215 Main Street (2 blocks west of the current Ritz); in 1931 the Albrecht family took over the Imperial and renamed it the Ritz; about 1935 they planned to completely renovate that Ritz, but then decided instead to build a new Ritz Theater at the current location (1513 Main St).
The following are abstracts compiled by Edith Greiser from 1931 issues of the Newberry Observer: RITZ THEATER – A NEW THEATER – Imperial Theater remodeled; stage eliminated; Observer 2/6/1931, p1; work is progressing rapidly; will be under management of C. H. Albrecht of Whitmire, Observer 2/10/1931, p6 The Ritz Theater opened to the public on 2/14/1931 featuring the picture “REDUCING”; a new air cooling system was installed, Observer 5/22/1931, p1; on the night of June 16 there was a fire in the projection room of the Ritz Theater; two reels of film were slightly damaged. The manager reported that all damages were repaired and the movie will be shown the following week, Observer 6/16/1931, p1.
Does anyone know when the Imperial Theater first opened?
jeffri2: I have created a new page for the Imperial/Ritz Theatre. The imperial Theatre was opened prior to 1926.
does anyone know anything about the arcade theater or theoto or newberry theater? these would have been around in the 1920s
jeffri2: I have added pages for those three theatres.