Bama Theatre

600 Greensboro Avenue,
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

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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

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News About This Theater

Bama Theatre

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

Recent comments (view all 9 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 14, 2006 at 11:40 pm

This is the second Bama theater in Tuscaloosa. The original Bama became the Druid.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on December 16, 2008 at 4:51 pm

URL from related web site has changed:

http://www.tuscarts.org/bamatheatre.html

Among other things there is a pretty cool virtual tour.

MPol
MPol on March 31, 2009 at 11:46 pm

Great-looking theatre!!

Don Lewis
Don Lewis on September 14, 2009 at 4:46 am

From the early 1940s, a Bama employees group photo.

michaelkaplan
michaelkaplan on October 16, 2009 at 5:40 am

There was a nice video of the marquee of the Bama in the Joan Baez documentary that aired last night on PBS.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on March 15, 2010 at 10:09 pm

Very nice virtual tour photos,nice looking theatre.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on July 10, 2010 at 12:47 am

Great looking theatre staff,not a tatoo anywhere.

Don Lewis
Don Lewis on July 13, 2010 at 4:42 pm

From 1938 a postcard view of the Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on December 7, 2021 at 6:43 pm

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.

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