Ritz Theatre
311 E. Broad Street,
Texarkana,
AR
71854
311 E. Broad Street,
Texarkana,
AR
71854
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Joy's Theaters Inc.
Functions: Community Center, Retail
Nearby Theaters
Located a few blocks from the Century Theatre on E. Broad Street at Wood Street was the Ritz Theatre which opened in 1941. The Ritz Theatre was closed in November 1955.
Today the building houses the Salvation Army and its retail store.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Boxoffice of September 27, 1941, said that Jack Holman had recently opened his new Ritz Theatre at Texarkana. In 1943 he sold the house to Garlon Nelson, and after that I can’t find the Ritz mentioned in Boxoffice other than retrospectively, in items about Holman. Garlon Nelson is never mentioned again, either.
As for the other two theaters on Broad Street, I can’t find the Capri mentioned in Boxoffice at all, but the Joy opened in 1961, according to the May 9 issue of Boxoffice that year. It had 520 seats, and was originally operated by Joy Houck and L.D. Powers. It was built as a replacement for the Leo Theatre, which was to be dismantled and replaced by a bank. The Joy was “…closed indefinitely….” on September 14, 1967, according to boxoffice of September 25. I haven’t found it mentioned after that.
This is incorrect as the Salvation Army told me they did not own it (if it is that taller building in the middle), they own what is next to it.
Thanks for clearing thing up.I had lived in Texarkana Texas from 58 to 63.The Leo theater in my bad memory I had thought it was the old joy.I had seen midnight lace at the leo.When it close they did turn it into the bank, but, I thought it was the joy theater. What you called the joy we had called it the new joy.I had seen the v.i.p.’s and fell asleep until it was over.I also saw it’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world too in that theater too.
Motion Picture Exhibitor of November 16, 1955 said “Joy’s Theatres shuttered the Ritz, Texarkana, Ark.” I haven’t found anything saying that this closure was final, but it likely was. The beginning of the wide-screen era saw the demise of many small downtown theaters, especially in cities of moderate size.