Joy Theatre
278 E. McLemore Avenue East,
Memphis,
TN
38106
278 E. McLemore Avenue East,
Memphis,
TN
38106
1 person
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Cameo Theatre
Nearby Theaters
No theaters found within 30 miles
Opened as the Cameo Theatre in 1928. In 1932 it was renamed Joy Theatre. It had an unusual side box-office. Originally it had a vertical sign and a canopy similar to many other neighbourhood theatres, which was replaced by a Vitrolite front and a triangular marquee. The display, though small, was striking. The Joy Theatre closed in 1958. No trace remains.
Contributed by
Jack Coursey, Vincent Astor
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
My father, who is 91 years old, grew up in South Memphis near the Joy Theater. Actually, when he was a patron in the early 1930s it was called the Cameo Theater. A friend of his, Sonny Drane, was one of the “ticket takers.” I’m 61 years old and I remember seeing movies at the Joy in the 1950s.
David Bowers' “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p.551 lists a Reproduco organ installed at the Cameo Theatre, Memphis. There is no date, but certainly before 1930. Reproduco built hundreds of photoplayers for theatres in the silent movie era: half-player-piano/half pipe organ/half sound effects machines.