Bijou Theatre
4316 Burgundy Street,
New Orleans,
LA
70117
4316 Burgundy Street,
New Orleans,
LA
70117
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate, Theaters Service Co., United Theaters Inc.
Previous Names: Cambias Hall
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The Cambias Hall opened in 1916 and later in 1916 was renamed Bijou Theatre, operated by the Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate chain. It was sold in 1926. In 1930 it was equipped for sound movies with seating listed at 500. It was located on Burgundy Street between Poland Street and Lessep Street. The theatre was operated by United Theaters Inc. In June of 1949 it suffered damage from a fire and repairs were carried out and it was operated by the Theaters Service Co. chain.
The theatre suffered damage in a fire in 1951 and never reopened.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Nothing on that section of street except houses. All to small to ever have been a 500-seat theatre
The theatre is on the 1937 Sanborn maps. It is a long and skinny lot.
The new Cambias Hall opened in the Ninth Ward at 4316 Burgundy in 1916 likely on a five-year leasing agreement. Carnival specialists Josiah Pearce & Sons Syndicate had added silent cinemas to the operatio, including such early NOLA cinemas as the Electric, Dreamland, Grand, Trianon. and Tudor. Another cinema, Bijou Dream (#2), was moved by the Pearces from 117 St. Charles to here re-opening as Bijou Dream (#3) on April 30, 1921.
Josiah Pearce & Sons left the film industry at the outset of film and the Bijou Dream (#3) was sold in 1926. The building was sold and William Aitken took on the lease. He refreshed the venue as the Bijou Theatre at the outset of the sound era of cinema on a pricey lease of $26.67 per month. It was subject of a sheriff’s auction in 1936 indicating lease - too high. I.J. Harrelson was next in a gave a light streamline update to the plans of architect Martin Shepard.
The update included fire suppression sprinklers that were put to the test twice: the first in June of 1949 (success as 350 patrons escaped easily with only minor projection booth damage). The second, in 1951, apparently not as successful.