Magic City Theatre

S. Columbia Street,
Bogalusa, LA 70427

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dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on July 1, 2024 at 5:17 pm

Status: Demolished

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on July 1, 2024 at 12:42 pm

The Magic City purportedly installed sound on February 15, 1931 to remain viable. However, the capacity crowd reportedly saw no sound films that night. Its final show was scheduled for March 21, 1931. For its final trick, the Magic City burned to the ground on March 23, 1931.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 3, 2017 at 12:51 pm

The Magic City Theatre most likely opened in 1913, or perhaps very late 1912. For many years the house was operated by Mrs. R. Blanchard, and the October 12, 1912, issue of Moving Picture News said that R. Blanchard would erect a $4,000 theater at Bogalusa.

Bogalusa’s historic downtown runs along South Columbia Street from roughly 2nd Street to 7th Street. The theater was most likely on that stretch. I don’t see any buildings that resemble the theater standing today, but it might have been remodeled beyond recognition.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 2, 2017 at 8:59 pm

Either this theater or one of the same name was still operating in Bogalusa in 1929, as revealed by this item from the February 1 issue of The Film Daily:

“Columbia, Miss. — W. L. Crull, Jr., for several years manager of the Columbia, has been transferred to the Magic City at Bogalusa. Lyall Shiell succeeds him here.”