The people at the Wilson Companies are cataloguing a lot of old photos for the first time. The very nice woman in charge of that said she will let me know if any turned up.
I just posted a new photo. This is a drawing of a theatre addition from the Memphis and Shelby County Board of Adjustment now in the Memphis and Shelby County Room of the Memphis Public Library and Information Center. Used with permission.
It is titled as a prospective addition to the Lamar Theatre but it is not the addition that was actually built. It is dated 1934 and greatly resembles the only image I have ever seen of the Rialto Theatre on Jackson in newsreel footage.
The Williamson has disappeared without a trace. There might be an old picture of a building which housed it once upon a time. That building fell to urban renewal.
According to Sanborn Fire Maps, 253 N Main was near Exchange St, north of Main and Washington where the Hotel/Amuse Theatre was (in the postcard view). No photos have come to light of the Amuse U theatre.
“The Amuse U opened c. 1913 . Closed c. 1910
The AMUSE U, a Nickelodeon, is listed in the 1909 and 1910 Memphis Directories. Angelo Barrasso is listed as the Proprietor of Amuse U Theatre in the 1910 Directory. (He was also proprietor of Amuse U Soft Drinks at 123 S. 4th)
The Amuse U name is used again in 1933 for 1 year at 2424 Chelsea."
If the Amuse U Theatre was at 253 N Main St it was on the opposite side of Main from the business with the sign “Amuse” which shows in the post card photo associated with the above reference. The Theatorium/Majestic was next to the “Dinstuhl’s” sign which is on the EVEN side of Main St. (at 158 N. Main) the same side as the “Amuse” sign. They cannot be the same theatre if the above address is correct. The Hotel Read, also in the photo, has an address of 146 N. Main according to its entry on the same website. The “Amuse” sign appears to be on the Hotel Read building at 146 N. Main.
The photo posted was taken from a composite ad of neighborhood movie theatres printed in the Press-Scimitar in their 75th anniversary edition Wednesday, October 12, 1955. Memphis Public Library and Information Center, used with permission. The only photo I have come across in my research.
The building survived until 2002 when it made its last appearance in the WKNO documentary “At The Movies.” It was an auto repair shop, it never was a lovely building, and it was torn down that year.
“Hearts and Fists” is a melodrama from 1926 with Alan Hale, Sr. This information for both comments is from IMDB. The Gene Tunney 10-episode serial should be “The Fighting Marine” also from 1926, his only film.
“Wife Tamers” is a comedy short released in 1926 starring Lionel Barrymore, Gertrude Astor, Clyde Cook and James Finlayson. A Hal Roach production. One of the writers was Stan Laurel.
For those of you who remember the Guild Art Theatre in this building it is my sad duty to report that Bill Kendall, flamboyant and colorful manager during this period, died in Atlanta in April. It’s a long story but a tribute article is available on commercialappeal.com. A gathering is being planned (and it will probably be free dish night for Miss Kendall) in early June at the Evergreen/Guild. There will be film.
The film I remember most at the Bristol was a double-feature, Murders in the Rue Morgue and House of Wax (non-3-d). We went to other theatres, but lived further in town. We mostly went to first-run at the Plaza or Park or downtown until the Paramount opened. What is the name of your book? I’d like to see it, if I haven’t come across it in my research for my new book. Am picking up the project of doing a lot of updating to Cinema Treasures and will get a Bristol photo soon.
There were actually three theatres on Chelsea. The Hyde Park was not far from the Hollywood. Unfortunately, the only image I have seen so far was one right before demolition and that on videotape. There was evidence of a marquee and an entrance in a rather narrow building. It was an automotive repair shop in its last days.
New 2013 photos of the interior have been uploaded. The church is celebrating its 59th anniversary this year. I was in attendance at their celebration, in the company of Mary Mitchell who is a historian of the Orange Mound neighborhood where the building is located. It still contains the theatre seats and looks very much as it always has.
The people at the Wilson Companies are cataloguing a lot of old photos for the first time. The very nice woman in charge of that said she will let me know if any turned up.
I just posted a new photo. This is a drawing of a theatre addition from the Memphis and Shelby County Board of Adjustment now in the Memphis and Shelby County Room of the Memphis Public Library and Information Center. Used with permission.
It is titled as a prospective addition to the Lamar Theatre but it is not the addition that was actually built. It is dated 1934 and greatly resembles the only image I have ever seen of the Rialto Theatre on Jackson in newsreel footage.
A photo of the Bristol has been posted.
Marks are visible in the brickwork where the marquee supports were.
And he previewed them there!
The Williamson has disappeared without a trace. There might be an old picture of a building which housed it once upon a time. That building fell to urban renewal.
This was probably another unenclosed theatre, of short duration, of which there is no trace and no photo has come to light.
According to Sanborn Fire Maps, 253 N Main was near Exchange St, north of Main and Washington where the Hotel/Amuse Theatre was (in the postcard view). No photos have come to light of the Amuse U theatre.
The postcard may be viewed at http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/37718 which is the First Majestic #1 (North Main).
From elsewhere on the internet:
“The Amuse U opened c. 1913 . Closed c. 1910 The AMUSE U, a Nickelodeon, is listed in the 1909 and 1910 Memphis Directories. Angelo Barrasso is listed as the Proprietor of Amuse U Theatre in the 1910 Directory. (He was also proprietor of Amuse U Soft Drinks at 123 S. 4th) The Amuse U name is used again in 1933 for 1 year at 2424 Chelsea."
If the Amuse U Theatre was at 253 N Main St it was on the opposite side of Main from the business with the sign “Amuse” which shows in the post card photo associated with the above reference. The Theatorium/Majestic was next to the “Dinstuhl’s” sign which is on the EVEN side of Main St. (at 158 N. Main) the same side as the “Amuse” sign. They cannot be the same theatre if the above address is correct. The Hotel Read, also in the photo, has an address of 146 N. Main according to its entry on the same website. The “Amuse” sign appears to be on the Hotel Read building at 146 N. Main.
A new photo has been uploaded from 1955 of the Bellevue in its early glory.
The photo posted was taken from a composite ad of neighborhood movie theatres printed in the Press-Scimitar in their 75th anniversary edition Wednesday, October 12, 1955. Memphis Public Library and Information Center, used with permission. The only photo I have come across in my research.
It appears that the marquee was one of the pie-shaped varieties like the Luciann and the Georgia.
The building survived until 2002 when it made its last appearance in the WKNO documentary “At The Movies.” It was an auto repair shop, it never was a lovely building, and it was torn down that year.
I’d like to know the source of this photo, the only extant one of the original front. I did see this front between overlays a number of years ago.
“Hearts and Fists” is a melodrama from 1926 with Alan Hale, Sr. This information for both comments is from IMDB. The Gene Tunney 10-episode serial should be “The Fighting Marine” also from 1926, his only film.
“Wife Tamers” is a comedy short released in 1926 starring Lionel Barrymore, Gertrude Astor, Clyde Cook and James Finlayson. A Hal Roach production. One of the writers was Stan Laurel.
For those of you who remember the Guild Art Theatre in this building it is my sad duty to report that Bill Kendall, flamboyant and colorful manager during this period, died in Atlanta in April. It’s a long story but a tribute article is available on commercialappeal.com. A gathering is being planned (and it will probably be free dish night for Miss Kendall) in early June at the Evergreen/Guild. There will be film.
The film I remember most at the Bristol was a double-feature, Murders in the Rue Morgue and House of Wax (non-3-d). We went to other theatres, but lived further in town. We mostly went to first-run at the Plaza or Park or downtown until the Paramount opened. What is the name of your book? I’d like to see it, if I haven’t come across it in my research for my new book. Am picking up the project of doing a lot of updating to Cinema Treasures and will get a Bristol photo soon.
There were actually three theatres on Chelsea. The Hyde Park was not far from the Hollywood. Unfortunately, the only image I have seen so far was one right before demolition and that on videotape. There was evidence of a marquee and an entrance in a rather narrow building. It was an automotive repair shop in its last days.
The Midnight Rambles were stage shows. It is possible they were revived (have not researched that) but Beale was declining in the early fifties.
The Ritz has recently been divided up into office spaces.
New photos, many of the interior, were posted April of 2013.
New photo of the spire has been posted.
New 2013 photos of the interior have been uploaded. The church is celebrating its 59th anniversary this year. I was in attendance at their celebration, in the company of Mary Mitchell who is a historian of the Orange Mound neighborhood where the building is located. It still contains the theatre seats and looks very much as it always has.