Crescent Theatre
118 W. 2nd Street,
Little Rock,
AR
72201
118 W. 2nd Street,
Little Rock,
AR
72201
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Drat, I just realized we don’t have a page for the Rialto. I’ll cobble one together with what I know about it and submit it.
Prior to the November, 1914 opening of the Crescent Theatre, the building at 118 W. 2nd Street had been occupied since 1908 by the Crystal Theatre, which moved to another location I haven’t been able to discover.
According to a history of Little Rock’s downtown theaters on this web page, even earlier the building had housed the Lyric Theatre, which by 1914 had moved to 511 Main Street (presumably in 1908, when the Crystal opened at 118.)
As for the Crescent, it closed on January 21, 1956. Most likely it was another victim of the cost (and spatial needs) of converting theaters to present wide-screen processes.
First ad found was November 16, 1914. Had a big reopening on March 16, 1941. Grand opening ad with picture in the photo section.
Too bad no photos yet!
Probably a 1915 opening (22 years before 1937.)
Boxoffice published the obituary of J.M. Ensor in its issue of July 3, 1937. It credits him with being one of the organizers of the Tri-State Association of Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America and an early member of the Independent Theatre Owners Association of Arkansas. He died on June 25, at the age of 67. He had operated the Crescent Theatre for 22 years.
The January 28, 1956, issue of Boxoffice reported that the Crescent Theatre had been closed and would be demolished to make way for a bank’s parking lot. The Crescent had been in operation for forty years.
That was the only mention of the Crescent on that site.
The Crescent was mentioned in this October 1920 article in the Fayetteville Democrat:
LITTLE ROCK, Oct. 21â€"J. M. Ensor, manager of the Crescent Theater of Little Rock, has issued a call for a state meeting to be held next Monday at the Marion Hotel for the purpose of organizing a moving picture exhibitors’ association in the state of Arkansas.