Towne Theater
Pascagoula,
MS
39595
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Searstown was announced at the confluence of Denny Lane and Chicot Road in 1963 anchored by a Sears and housing a Walgreen’s Drug Store, Woolworth’s variety store, and National Food Grocer. In the Luxury Suburban era of film exhibition, Gulf States signed on to be an original tenant. It built a “deluxe” 600-seat venue to take advantage of the free parking offered by the complex.
Searstown launched with a formal dedication in October of 1964 with the mayors of Pascagoula and Moss Point joined by Gulf States President T.G. Solomon. This theater was on the front-end of a successful four-state expansion program by the circuit. Hodges Theatre Equipment provided the screen and projector at the 3253 Denny Avenue.
Single screen venues were challenged by twins, triplexes and early multiplexes in the 1970s. The Towne was refreshed and given a new name, the Towne Cinema, in the 1970s. Gulf States opened the Twin Cinema in town. The Gulf Coast Cablevision circuit closed the Towne Cinema on September 8, 1977 with “Annie Hall.”
I forgot to add that the whole shopping center was demolished in the early eighties with the exception of Eckerds Drugstore. However it is now closed.
The Towne Theatre was located in a strip-mall named Searstown.The biggest memories that I have of it are the 2 story Burt Reynolds stand-up outside of it at the premiere of Smokey and The Bandit in 1977 and the 2 story Jaws stand-up as well in 1975. My dad took me to see The Treasure of Matecumbe in 1976,when I was 6 years old,and we had to leave in the first few minutes because I got really freaked out by some kind of dark native ritual at the start of the movie. I don’t think the Towne lasted past 1979 or 1980 because a new theatre had opened down the street called the Twin Cinema. If I remember right, Xanadu may have been about the last movie to play there. I’m not totally sure.