Ritz Theatre

124 Bradford Street NW,
Gainesville, GA 30501

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Georgia Theater Company

Previous Names: Show

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Ritz Theater

The Ritz Theatre was opened by the Georgia Theater Company in 1934 and was destroyed by a tornado in 1936. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1940. It was closed around 1961.

It was converted into a dance hall named Peppermint Lounge which operated for several years.

On June 18, 1969 it became a movie theatre again, named The Show and screened adult movies. It was closed and demolished in March 1986.

Contributed by DENNIS WHITEFIELD

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on October 24, 2009 at 2:15 pm

Some History can be read on the PALACE THEATRE site Athens Ga. I printed several letters on both GAINSVILLE theatres. Enjoy.they date back to the 40’s.

Lbritain
Lbritain on June 19, 2011 at 3:31 pm

My dad owned this theater and the Royal Theater in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The Ritz never did as well as the Royal and always seemd to be second class behind the Royal. In 1960 or 61, my dad closed the Ritz and my mother took it over. They removed all the theater seats and other “theater” stuff and it was completely redone as a teenage dance club called The Peppermint Lounge. Everything was done in red and white and the ladies bathroom was so cute with peppermint striped chairs. The old concessions area remained a concessions area but instead of candy and popcorn, they sold hamburgers, hot dogs and corn dogs. The Peppermint Lounge lasted only a year or two and my parents sold the Ritz/Peppermint Lounge entirely. I remember in its later years, it was transformed back into a theater and was renamed The Show and showed all x-rated movies (to my mother’s disgust). My parents kept the Royal until sometime in the 1970’s when it was sold.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on July 12, 2016 at 7:53 pm

An article about Gainesville’s movie theaters in the September 26, 2010 issue of the Gainesville Times said that Frank Plaginos, operator of the State and Royal Theatres, opened the Ritz Theatre in 1934. Two years later it was destroyed by a tornado that also damaged the Royal Theatre. The Ritz was rebuilt and reopened, but not until 1940.

rivest266
rivest266 on July 13, 2025 at 1:15 pm

Reopened as “The Show” by Thompson theatres on June 18th, 1969 and closed or placed its last ad on March 26th, 1974. Ad posted.

The Show theatre in GainesvilleThe Show theatre in Gainesville 18 Mar 1984, Sun The Times (Gainesville, Georgia) Newspapers.com

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on July 13, 2025 at 3:50 pm

The Ritz Theatre once closed in January 1968 but did serve as a special events house for a whole year. The Ritz brought back movies as “The Show” on June 18, 1969.

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