Coliseum Theatre

1233 Coliseum Street,
New Orleans, LA 70130

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Additional Info

Architects: Jack M. Corgan

Styles: Streamline Moderne

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Coliseum Theatre

The Coliseum Theatre opened in 1915, located on Coliseum Street at Thalia Street. The theatre seated 600 as of 1945 according to the Film Daily Yearbook from that year, though it originally seated over 1,000. The Coliseum Theatre was remodeled in around 1946, to the plans of architect Jack Corgan.

It was closed in 1976, and later was used for a movie production company.

A scene from the 1994 film version of Anne Rice’s “Interview With the Vampire” where Louis watches the movie “Tequila Sunrise” was shot at the Coliseum Theatre.

Contributed by Bryan

Recent comments (view all 16 comments)

joysmovies
joysmovies on January 17, 2008 at 4:41 pm

Here is a photo of the Coliseum Theatre from 1975, showing a classic double feature. Photo by Joe Grillot.

View link

joysmovies
joysmovies on January 17, 2008 at 5:12 pm

Here is a photo of Al Viola in front of the Coliseum box-office in the 70’s pointing to his low admission prices.
View link

joysmovies
joysmovies on January 21, 2008 at 3:37 pm

Here’s some more Coliseum photos:
The projection booth, taken in 1975 while I was working there:
View link
and the neon celling light fixtures that had deep blue & green neon:
View link

joysmovies
joysmovies on January 24, 2008 at 1:51 pm

Here’s an ad for a movie playing at the Coliseum and other theatres in 1963:
View link

BigEasyBarry
BigEasyBarry on August 9, 2009 at 9:59 pm

Drive-in-mike and I spent many a fun night in this old movie house. I remember when we did some work for our school principle, he took us to the Coliseum to see a double feature of The Hellfighters and Anne of a Thousand Days.(Wasn’t that an odd pairing?)

ArthurHardy
ArthurHardy on June 11, 2010 at 12:27 pm

Announcing a book about New Orleans Movie Theaters

THEREâ€\S ONE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
The History of the Neighborhood Theaters in New Orleans
is being written by 89-year-old Rene Brunet, the dean of the motion picture industry in Louisiana, and New Orleans historian and preservationist Jack Stewart. The 160-page,coffee table book will be released in November and is being published by Arthur Hardy Enterprises, Inc. Attention will be focused on 50 major neighborhood and downtown theaters, culled from a list of nearly 250 that have dotted the cityâ€\s landscape since the first “nickelodeon” opened in 1896 at 626 Canal Street. The book will be divided by neighborhoods and will open with a map and a narrative about each area. Each major theater will feature “then and now” photographs, historic information, and a short series of quotes from famous New Orleanians and from regular citizens who will share their recollections.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
We are trying to acquire memorabilia and additional photos of this theater for this publication. (deadline July 1.) You will be credited in the book and receive a free autographed copy if we publish the picture that you supply. Please contact Arthur Hardy at or call 504-913-1563 if you can help.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on August 4, 2010 at 6:12 pm

Great Story,Drive-in Mike about a great theatre manager and owner.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on September 5, 2010 at 3:42 pm

A picture of the Coliseum taken in what looks like light snow (rare for the Big Easy); it was also obviously taken much later than 1915: View link

danielmorales
danielmorales on January 27, 2011 at 8:26 am

Drive-in Mike and Others – I’m a creative writing student at the University of New Orleans and am putting together a story about the Coliseum Theatre. I was born in New Orleans but was too young to ever have experienced the theatre itself. I did a walking project in high school and came across Coliseum Square and the Theatre and was struck by the architecture and the whole neighborhood really – I grew up mostly Uptown.

I’d love to talk with anyone who knows more than me or with anyone who is willing to share photos for my project. I have several good photos I took in 2002 when I did a second walking project in college, but I have no photos of the inside of the building.

Any help would be much appreciated. Please contact me (Daniel Morales) at rupansansei at gmail dot com.

Thanks for all the great stories…it really makes the Theatre seem like a real gem.

MaxTheMoviegoer
MaxTheMoviegoer on December 15, 2017 at 4:21 am

“fire destroys coliseum theatre” on YouTube

by Peter Petitfils

https://youtu.be/woFceQlM3Zk

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