Bama Theatre
600 Greensboro Avenue,
Tuscaloosa,
AL
35401
600 Greensboro Avenue,
Tuscaloosa,
AL
35401
4 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa -- Bama Theatre (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Paramount Pictures Inc.
Architects: David O. Whilldin
Functions: Movies, Performing Arts
Styles: Art Deco, Atmospheric, Beaux-Arts, Streamline Moderne
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
205.758.5195
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Sep 12, 2011 — Bama Theatre keeps tradition alive downtown
A mixture of Art Moderne, Art Deco, Beaux-Arts and Atmospheric styles, the Bama Theatre opened on April 12, 1938 with Bobby Breen in “Hawaii Calls”. It was Tuscaloosa’s first air-conditioned public building.
The interior originally seated 1,230, including the balcony, with the entire orchestra and balcony sections decorated as a reproduction of the Davanzati Palace of Florence. Twinkling stars and clouds on the night sky ceiling completed the open-air feel of the performance hall.
In 1976, the Bama Theatre was converted to a performing arts center and for several years was home to the Tuscaloosa Symphony, Theatre Tuscaloosa, and Tuscaloosa Children’s Theatre shows, among others.
When Theatre Tuscaloosa built its own home in 1999, the Bama Theatre returned to showing classic, foreign, and art films with its Silver Screen Series.
Contributed by
Mark Hughes Cobb
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
This is the second Bama theater in Tuscaloosa. The original Bama became the Druid.
URL from related web site has changed:
http://www.tuscarts.org/bamatheatre.html
Among other things there is a pretty cool virtual tour.
Great-looking theatre!!
From the early 1940s, a Bama employees group photo.
There was a nice video of the marquee of the Bama in the Joan Baez documentary that aired last night on PBS.
Very nice virtual tour photos,nice looking theatre.
Great looking theatre staff,not a tatoo anywhere.
From 1938 a postcard view of the Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa.
This $200,000 (original 1,230-seat capacity) Bama Theatre opened its doors on April 12, 1938 with Bobby Breen In “Hawaii Calls” along with performances by the University “Million Dollar Band” and a double quartette by a nearby glee club. I’m not sure if a newsreel or cartoon was added too, but the hunt still continues.