Maze Theatre

Valetti’s Moving Picture House, the Grand Street Theatre and Maze Theatre were silent era movie theater in downtown Monroe, Louisiana. And they all appear to have been in the same South Grand Street building. The Maze Theatre was the first such venue operated by a female, Mrs. M.W. Hoyt, and opened on June 27, 1912.

Valetti’s Moving Picture House had begun in 1908. Columbia Amusement of Baton Rouge came in and bought out the indy operator beginning on June 1, 1909. Mrs. Hoyt moved the stage back to get 300 seats in and also provided more exit spots as the Maze Theatre. Programming was short films on the 15'x21' screen and using two Powers No. 6 projectors with live vaudeville between. The first night featured just three, one reel films and live fare. All for a nickel.

Two news notes in early-1913 indicated the closing of the theatre permanently. The first is that Saenger Amusement had bought the Maze Theatre from Mrs. Hoyt and the second was that the space was being converted to a retail clothing store - which it was.

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