Bruce Theatre

A.J. “Bruce” Broussard had two existing theaters in Crowley and Jennings, Louisiana in the 1940’s when he teamed with Rayne theatre man. C.B “Buck” Hardy, to open a new Bruce Theatre in Rayne. The Bruce Theatre opened in the Valverde Building on September 19, 1947 with the film, “Carnival in Costa Rica". Western star Sunset Carson made an onstage appearance at the opening.

The 750-seat theatre was bathed in blue including blue leather seats and blue carpeting. The wall muals by Lester Lalande combined clouds and traditional theatrical masks. A Voice of the Theater sound system and new screen were part of the presentation. A cry room for babies and balcony for Africn American patrons were also featured.

The building was familiar to locals built in 1903 by C.W. Valverde originally housing a restaurant and retail on its ground floor and a hotel with rooms on the second floor. The Valverde Hotel fire in May of 1917 was one of the most famous fires in city history but its outer walls remained strong. The building was repurposed many times including the Rayne Bowling Alley in 1940 on its second floor.

The genesis of the theatre was in 1946 when the Joy Theatre burned down. Manager Buck Hardy opened a short-lived theater, Buck’s Theater and Buck’s Open Air Theatre along with the Gym Theatre while a new theater was built. Broussard decided he’d team up with a competing theater to challenge the Acadia Theater by Joy Circuit.

A year later, the Joy Circuit bought the Bruce Theatre. It suffered a roof collapse in 1948 in off hours and was closed two months. It ceased operations by 1951. It was later demolished.

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