Joy's Panorama 6
3939 Airline Highway,
Metairie,
LA
70001
3939 Airline Highway,
Metairie,
LA
70001
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Grand opening ad and article with inferior quality pictures of the Patio theatre posted.
Opened January 26, 1950 as the Patio Theater, which operated at least through mid-1959. In July 1960 Joy Bowling Lanes was opened by Joy Houck and that operated until about January 1967. Reopened August 17, 1967 as the Joy’s Panorama I & II. The only illustration I was able to find of the Patio bore no resemblence whatsoever to The bowling lanes and Panorama theater - how accurate that was I don’t know, but I haven’t been able to find a photograph of the Patio thus far.
Closed Oct. 27, 1996. They tried offering 55 cent matinees the last few months they were in business. I remember going there in 1993 or 1994 and the place was in pretty sorry shape and dirty - they hadn’t mopped the aisles in so long I remember my sneakers sticking and peeling off with each step…lol…
Opened as the Patio Theatre in 1950, then was a bowling alley from 1960-`67 before reopening as Joy’s Panorama.
https://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/289.html
By the mid 1990’s this theatre and the other two Joy’s theatres were owned by Movies Inc. Theatres later Silver Cinemas along with the Plazas Cinema 5 formerly 4 , La Place twin later expanded to seven screens like Chalmette Cinema originally had nine screens today it had six screens with stadium seating.
I remember seeing plenty of movies at this theatre I also remember the women’s restroom is located upstairs and two sets of men’s restrooms were downstairs. One side of the theatre had two screens while the other side had lengthy hallway connecting four other screens.
Big, I have fond memories of the Joy. Saturday’s was kiddie day..matinees for .25 cents, then became a $1 cinema. Monster movies, cartoon movies. When I was in college it was the best place to go for entertainment. Toward the end of its tenure for me…1982…it was kinda grungy and smelled real bad.
I can remember seeing one of the worst movies ever made at the Panorama. I think the name of it was “Candy”. That movie looked like they had swept up the cutting room floor, spliced it together and sent it out and called it a movie. There was no plot, no story, no nothing. You kept thinking that something was going to happen that would make all make sense. But nothing ever did. I talked to friend whoa had seen it, too. And he had the same impression.
I worked at the Panorama theater in 1990 as a ticket taker. By that time the theater was run down. This was the summer that the first run theaters stopped selling their movies to the “Dollar Theaters” thereby effectively putting them out of business. I remember seeing so many movies there. “Grease”, “It’s Alive”, “Roller Coaster”, “Phantom of the Paradise”. It was sad to see it’s decline before they closed down for good. The last movie I saw there was “People Under The Stairs”.
I can remember going too “Rollercoaster” with Timothy Bottoms there. The theatre was one of the few if not the only, to install the Sensesurround system the emphasized the bass notes and shook in your seats. They also played a movie called “Earthquake” that used that process.
This was converted to four screens in 1970 and six in 1985. An 1987 ad gives the 3929 or (3939)Airline address.
This opened on August 17th,1967. Ad with picture uploaded here.
Be careful, There was an Panorama theatre that opened downtown on August 14th, 1953
Haven’t heard “GREAT SCOUT” in a long time.I played it.
Thanks jazzland.
I went to the Panorama only twice, both times in 1976 or ‘77. Once I went to see “Jaws” in a second run. I remember that “American Graffiti” was still showing to full houses at the Panorama at that time. The second time that I went I saw “The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday”. I had heard that this theatre was once a bowling alley. I don’t know if that is correct.
I am sure many great movies played here are four that played in 1978.
“THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT part 2”
“COMA”
“ANNIE HALL”
“SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER” it was $1.00 to all from 1:00 till 1:30 pm till capacity on all four movies.
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.
Joy’s Panorama closed in 1996. The building caught fire in January 1999 and was torn down that year.
The theater faced east on the property now occupied by an Auto Zone, Rally’s and Chevron station on Airline between Manson and Cleary.