State Theatre
221 19th Street N,
Bessemer,
AL
35020
221 19th Street N,
Bessemer,
AL
35020
No one has favorited this theater yet
The State Theatre was listed in the 1941 and 1943 editions of Film Daily Yearbook as (Closed). It was operated by R.B. Wilby, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures Inc. It had reopened by 1950 and continued to operate until its closure in 1960. From 1964 it operated as a jewellery store.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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 NRHP registration form for the Downtown Bessemer Historic District says that the State Theatre closed in 1960 and the building was completely remodeled for a chain jewelry store in 1964. It also mistakenly says that the building housed “…the Grand (later the State) Theatre for many years….” The building down the block that actually housed the Grand is long gone.
Both the Grand and the State were in operation in 1945 when their operating company, Bessemer Theatres Inc., filed a lawsuit against the city over its license fees for the theaters. The Alabama Supreme Court’s final decision, handed down in 1955, favored the city.