Sena Mall Theatre
1201 Veteran's Memorial Boulevard,
Metairie,
LA
70005
1201 Veteran's Memorial Boulevard,
Metairie,
LA
70005
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Gulf States Theatres, Walter Reade Theatres
Functions: Retail
Previous Names: Sena Mall Cinema
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The Sena Mall Cinema was opened by Gulf States Theatres on December 29, 1966 with Elvis Presley in “Spinout”. It was taken over by Walter Read Theatres on March 27, 1977. It was taken back by Gulf States Theatres later in 1977. They closed it as the Sena Mall Theatre on May 7, 1989 with Gene Hackman in “Mississippi Burning” & Tim Curry in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”.
Contributed by
Norman Plant
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
Sena Mall Cinema opened December 29, 1966 with Elvis in “Spinout.” The last listing was May 4, 1989 with a schedule through May 7th, with “Mississippi Burning” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” being the last features. “Rocky Horror…” was run every Friday & Saturday nights at midnight at Sena Mall for some years - Lakeside Theatres took over those showings March 12, 1989.
Sena Mall was conceptualized in 1964. Gulf State Theatres booked the Sena Mall Cinema in its formative years starting on December 27, 1966. Walter Reade Organization Inc. acquired the Sena Mall Cinema from Gulf State Theatres on March 27, 1967 leading to a much higher profile marketing campaign and prestigious “New Hollywood” bookings for the venue. It was New York-based Reade’s first Southern cinema.
Reade filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 5, 1977. It closed around 40 locations with Reade ankling the $20,000 monthly lease owing zero dollars to the Sena Mall when it closed there January 16, 1977. The Mall operated the venue temporarily as a sub-run discount operation at $1 admission.
The Mall folks re-contracted with Gulf State Theatres - likely on a more favorable leasing agreement. The circuit struck gold with “Rocky Horror Picture Show” late night screenings beginning on June 9, 1978. But in the multiplex world, there would be no time warping as the Sena Mall location was screen-challenged and closed on May 7, 1989. Martin Wine Cellar took on the venue soon thereafter as a retail location.
Correction to the entry above: Walter Reade (with an “e”) Organization Inc. acquired the Sena Mall Cinema from Gulf States Theatres on March 27, 1967. Reade declared bankruptcy ten years later ankling the location on January 16, 1977. After the Mall operated it independently briefly, Gulf States Theatres re-contracted in late summer 1977 to operate the cinema.