Carrollton Theater
4710 S. Carrollton Avenue,
New Orleans,
LA
70118
4710 S. Carrollton Avenue,
New Orleans,
LA
70118
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Theaters Service Co., Trans-Lux Movies Corp., United Theaters Inc.
Architects: Herbert A. Benson
Functions: Medical Center
Styles: Art Deco
Nearby Theaters
Located on Carrollton Avenue at Canal Street. The Carrollton Theatre was opened on March 17, 1917 with Douglas Fairbanks in “The Matrimaniac”. It was equipped with a theatre pipe organ and by the time it was equipped for sound in the late 1920’s it was operated by United Theatres chain. Overnight on February 1, 1935 an explosion and fire which took place in the projection box destroyed the theatre and some adjacent properies. It was rebuilt in an Art Deco style to the plans of architect Herbert A. Benson and reopened on October 1, 1935 with George Raft in “Every Evening at Eight”. It was damaged by fire-bombs on the evening of the assassination of Martin Luthur King on April 4, 1968. Repairs were carried out but unfortunately renovated in the 1960’s thus destroying the classic 1930’s entrance. (Why did people think this was progress?). Trans-Lux Theatres took over on October 1, 1969 but the left within a year and it was taken over by independent operators to screen repertory movies as an off the wall college house showing Marx Bros. movies until the wee hours. It was closed on October 2, 1965 with Bette Davis in “Marked Woman” & Olivia de Havilland in “Devotion”.
On October 3, 1965 it was taken over by a new operator reopening with Linda Lovelace in “Deep Throat” & Christa Free in “Devil in Miss Jones” and closing with John Holmes in “4 Women” & Orita de Chadwick in “Big Switch”.
It was converted into a banquet/wedding reception hall. On August 23, 2005 it was flooded by Hurricane Katrina when it took between eight and ten feet of water after Katrina passed. It is now in use as a medical center for senior citizens.
Contributed by
Michael J. Rouillier
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
From the website listed above in the 1st comment, the Carrolton is now a banquet hall. It appears it is now back in business after Katrina. Looks quite nice inside and I can see the shape of the original auditorium. Nice decor, almost better than when it was a cinema.
Announcing a book about New Orleans Movie Theaters
THEREâ€\S ONE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
The History of the Neighborhood Theaters in New Orleans
is being written by 89-year-old Rene Brunet, the dean of the motion picture industry in Louisiana, and New Orleans historian and preservationist Jack Stewart. The 160-page,coffee table book will be released in November and is being published by Arthur Hardy Enterprises, Inc. Attention will be focused on 50 major neighborhood and downtown theaters, culled from a list of nearly 250 that have dotted the cityâ€\s landscape since the first “nickelodeon†opened in 1896 at 626 Canal Street. The book will be divided by neighborhoods and will open with a map and a narrative about each area. Each major theater will feature “then and now†photographs, historic information, and a short series of quotes from famous New Orleanians and from regular citizens who will share their recollections.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
We are trying to acquire memorabilia and additional photos of this theater for this publication. (deadline July 1.) You will be credited in the book and receive a free autographed copy if we publish the picture that you supply. Please contact Arthur Hardy at or call 504-913-1563 if you can help.
Through much of the 1970s, this theatre showed a lot of porn. It is now the home of a JenCare clinic for senior citizens. The banquet hall closed after Katrina.
Mary Lou Widmer’s New Orleans in the Thirties says that the Carrollton Theatre opened in 1936, replacing an earlier house of the same name that had burned in 1935. The original Carrollton was in operation by 1916, when it was mentioned in the February 26 issue of The Moving Picture World.
Th Carrollton operated as a revival house in the 1970’s. I can remember taking my wife to see “the Harvey Girls”, and “The Toast of New Orleans” with Mario Lanza back then. This was before the advent of cable tv.
My recollection of the Carrollton was as a revival house in the seventies. Maybe it later showed porn, but not for long.
Nathan Sobel of Sobel, Richards, Shear Enterprises opened the original Carrollton Theatre #1 on March 17, 1917 with “The Matrimaniac.” Patrons expressed delight with the venue’s pipe organ. Now under the United Theatres nameplate, the circuit added sound to remain viable.
Carrollton #1’s final show was Warren Baxter in “Bell in Heaven” supported by Red Ryder serial #13 on February 1, 1935. The cliffhanger of the serial would not be realized at the next showtime. An incredible projection booth explosion after hours obliterated the theatre and damaged ten neighboring buildings in the process.
United Theatres proposed a new showplace and local residents objected not wanting another bomb factory of that scale. So a more modest brick concept with a fireproof booth was proposed by United Theatres and designed by architect Herbert A. Benson. That one passed muster with the local government and perhaps a few residents. It relaunched October 1, 1935 with “Every Night at Eight” and supported by three shorts: Phil Regan and the Sons of the Pioneers. musical short,“Romance of the West,” “Tid-Bits,” and the Mickey Mouse cartoon, “Mickey’s Garden.”
On the night of Martin Luther King’s assassination, April 4, 1968, 22 fire bombs were set off in the event’s aftermath and the Carrollton Theatre was one such recipient. United made the repairs unable to salvage the look of the streamline moderne interior though, to give them credit, reopening the venue. Trans-Lux took over on October 1, 1969 - the theater’s 34th Anniversary. They dropped it a year later very likely at its leasing expiry or in a business decision to sub-lease the house.
The Carrollton Theatre became a dynamic independent as a repertory house on a 5-year leasing or subleasing agreement from 1970 to 1975 playing golden age Hollywood double features. It may have been best remembered for this programming by locals. That ended on the theater’s 50th Anniversary playing a double feature of “Marked Woman” and “Devotion” on October 1st & 2d, 1975.
On October 3, 1975, the last operator went a different direction taking the venue to promo chic era programming with “Deep Throat” and “Devil in Miss Jones.” The Carrollton Adult Theatre appears to have ended with John Holmes in “4 Women and Orita De Chadwick in “Big Switch.” It became an events and banquet hall. After the 2005 Katrina flooding, it was turned into a senior medical services building.