Avenue Theatre

It turns out that this this theater was already listed as the Rio; it should be listed though as the Avenue, because this picture of the theater as the Rio is clearly older than the one I posted above which shows it as the Avenue: View link

The address of 316 St. Charles was home to one of New Orleans' early nickelodeons and the first of two Dreamland Theatres in NOLA. Josiah Pearce opening here as the Dreamland taking just 7 days to convert the medical retail space to a movie theater. It launched on August 24, 1907 with Max Linder in “Harlequin’s Story.” It was Pearce’s second theater following the opening of the Electric Theatre in 1906 followed by Dreamland, Grand, Bijou Dream, Trianon and Tudor. Pearce & Sons also had theaters in Houston, Texas. In 1909, Pearce sold the Dreamland.

The venue featured highlights of the World Series one day after the Pittsburgh Pirates won the series in 7 games. John Depinet appears to have closed the Dreamland later that year. One of three Regent Shoe Stores in New Orleans located here for 20 years in a retail re-conversion. M.A. and Ira Weingrun of Avenue Theatres Inc. would acquire the Regent Shoe building on a 10-year leasing agreement in 1938. The opening of the Regent took place on November 11, 1938 with “Army Girl.” The auditorium was bathed in blue and silver with the lobby in walnut and maple woods with cream-baked porcelain giving off a streamline moderne look.

Within hours of opening, Weingrun was in deep financial hot water with lawsuits racking up. Avenue Theatres would be dissolved and the Regent was part of a sheriff’s auction to recoup lost money. The venue’s name officially changed on May 13, 1939 (ads caught up two days later) as Joy’s Rio Theatre owned by the Joy Houk Circuit. It played third-tier double features at steep discount prices (a nickel for kids and a dime for adults at any time). The name was later marketed as the Joy Rio Theatre (dropping the apostrophe) then the Rio Theatre and, after a significant summer 1949 refresh, the New Rio Theatre beginning in July of 1949.

The New Rio earned its stripes as an amazing grindhouse with live burlesque and exploitation movies basically cranked out until the last customer left… or was carried out. The New Rio ended its service on February 12, 1950 with Sunny Knight, “The Mighty Mite” Jackie Del Rio, “The Flame of New Orleans” Jerry Ruzell and and the “Voluptuous Vamp” Vangie Lee on stage and the 1934 exploitation film, “Guilty Parents” with a mere five shows that day.

Under new operators, the venue was refreshed as the proposed Cinema 50, a foreign art movie house. But it officially lanhced as the Avenue Theatre on August 2, 1950 with “Saints in Sinners.” It now seated 350 patrons. It would be branded as the Avenue Art Theatre, the Avenue Art Cinema and simply “The Avenue” in various branding strategies. The Avenue was a success and at various points offered Spanish language films weekly on Thursdays. In 1960, the policy went full grind with adult titles. This policy included an arrest on the charge of presenting lewd films on September 17, 1960. This may have been it as the last advertised shows were three films for 35 cents and open all night ending on September 18, 1960 with Candy Barr performing on the big screen. And it that’s the way it ended, what could have been more appropriate? The space became a travel agency in 1961.