I grew up in Greenville and worked as an usher at the Jordan from 1972 thru 78. I also spent many hours up on a ladder changing the letters on the marquee. This was the best job a kid in Greenville could have. Many of my friends worked there and we all hung out at the theater when we weren’t working. Of course I fell in love with a candy girl and we are married to this day.
The Jordan had seen better days when we worked there but it was obvious that it was once a beautiful theater. It had many Streamline / Art Moderne architectural features including port hole windows in the doors and a multicolor lighted glass block wall along the rear of auditorium. Many of the interior and exterior surfaces were curved with rounded edges. A picture of Corporal Jordan who the theater was named after hung in the lobby.
The movie screen was curved and advertised as a “Giant Curved Screenâ€. Truth be told, the manager told me that it was ordered too large so they had to put a curve in to make it fit. I remember the projection booth had a couple of big old Simplex projectors with arc lamps. My friends and fellow employees spent a good bit of time in the booth when we weren’t working and the projectionist would let us do “change overs†from one projector to the other.
I’d love to see any pictures you have or to hear from any other former employees.
Greenville is in Mercer county.
Here’s a link to their Historical Society.
http://www.greenvillehistoricalsociety.org/
I grew up in Greenville and worked as an usher at the Jordan from 1972 thru 78. I also spent many hours up on a ladder changing the letters on the marquee. This was the best job a kid in Greenville could have. Many of my friends worked there and we all hung out at the theater when we weren’t working. Of course I fell in love with a candy girl and we are married to this day.
The Jordan had seen better days when we worked there but it was obvious that it was once a beautiful theater. It had many Streamline / Art Moderne architectural features including port hole windows in the doors and a multicolor lighted glass block wall along the rear of auditorium. Many of the interior and exterior surfaces were curved with rounded edges. A picture of Corporal Jordan who the theater was named after hung in the lobby.
The movie screen was curved and advertised as a “Giant Curved Screenâ€. Truth be told, the manager told me that it was ordered too large so they had to put a curve in to make it fit. I remember the projection booth had a couple of big old Simplex projectors with arc lamps. My friends and fellow employees spent a good bit of time in the booth when we weren’t working and the projectionist would let us do “change overs†from one projector to the other.
I’d love to see any pictures you have or to hear from any other former employees.