Pandora Theatre
1441 Almonaster Avenue,
New Orleans,
LA
70126
1441 Almonaster Avenue,
New Orleans,
LA
70126
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Architects: August Perez
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: Brennan Brothers' Avenue Theatre, Regent Theatre, Crown Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Opened on January 23, 1924 as Brennan Brothers' Avenue Theatre. Following altertions in 1938 was renamed Regent Theatre on November 11, 1938, but due to a legal wrangle it was renamed Best Theatre on November 14, 1938. On January 1, 1942 it was renamed Crown Theatre. It was closed for a remodel on January 2, 1949 and was given a Streamline-Moderne style to the plans of architect August Perez, reopening on January 21, 1949 as the Pandora Theatre. The theatre had played a double-bill program: Billy Halop in “Dangerous Years” & Randolph Scott in “The Bounty Hunter” on December 31, 1954. Just after midnight, the darkened theatre was hit by an explosion in the projection room destroying the theatre.
Contributed by
Lost Memory
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
The Grand Opening of Brennan Brothers' Avenue Theatre took place on January 23, 1924 at 1441 Lafayette Avenue. (The silent-era Crown was located at 4104 Magnolia Street.) In May of 1924, the City of New Orleans approved the changes to 104 street names with Lafayette ceding to Almonaster - with the Avenue Theatre staying put now at 1441 Almonaster Ave.
Ira Weingrun acquired the venue creating the Avenue Theatre Inc. In 1938, plans were unveiled to replace the venue at its 15-year leasing expiry. Those plans were by Jones, Roessle & Oppenheimer. Weingrun opened the Regent November 11, 1938. But lawsuits mounted and Weingrun liquidated Avenue Theatre Inc. The Avenue became the Best Theatre effective on November 14, 1938. (On July 30, 1950, the Avenue Theatre nameplate was used by the former Rio Theatre at 316 St. Charles in a name and ownership change.)
A 1941 plan was drawn up by Dallas-based architect Jack Corgan to update the Best Theatre to the new, state of the art Crown Theatre with 1,500 seats. But World War II derailed those plans. On January 1, 1942, the venue was simply renamed the Crown Theatre under the Henry Lazarus Theatres Inc. circuit.
Lazarus had new plans draw up by Corgan in 1945 to refresh the venue. Corgan would also design an update to the Coliseum Theatre for Lazarus as well. Perhaps due to post-War material shortages, the second Crown plans were scuttled. Lazarus turned to new plans by August Perez for the streamline moderne remodeling job of $100,000. The Crown closed January 2, 1949 for the refresh. It opened Friday January 21, 1949.
One December 31, 1954, the Pandora had a double-feature of “Dangerous Years” and “Bounty Hunter.” To celebrate the New Year with a bang, the projection room exploded not long after the New Year causing 20 fire companies to arrive and put out the inferno. Fire company personnel from No. 12 and No. 14 were moved out of the way moments before the wall buckled or the situation would have been far worse. The demolition of the venue took place in January of 1955.