Southway Theatre
9736 South Broadway,
St. Louis,
MO
63125
9736 South Broadway,
St. Louis,
MO
63125
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The Southway launched November 5, 1938 (grand opening ad in photos) with Joe Brown in “Fit for a King” supported by Sally Eilers in “Danger Patrol” and Leon Errol “Should Wives Work” and the comedy short, “Phony Boy.” It closed February 29, 1956 and reopened under new operators on March 21, 1956. It closed permanently May 13, 1956 with “The Phenix City Story” and “Night Frieght.” It was converted to a house of worship thereafter.
November 5, 1938 grand opening ad in photo section.
November 5, 1938 grand opening ad in photo section.
Last ad for the Southway I could find dates from May 1956.
This is the current occupant:
http://www.plasti-tek.com/
Here is an item from Boxoffice magazine, February 1955:
ST. LOUIS-The Southway Theater in the Lemay section was reopened Friday under the management of Lloyd G. Weston, who leased the house from the Lau family. The Southway, dark for many months, was formerly operated under a lease by the Fred Wehrenberg circuit.
Charles,
I have a couple of photos of the Southway, one taken in 1938 before it opened, and one in 1953. The “add a photo” feature to this site doesn’t work, so I would be interested in knowing how make the pictures available as you did (if it is fairly simple. I am only barely computer tolerant).
Thanks,
Henry Lau
OH WELL,
THANKS FIOR RESPONDING.
jIM
Mr. Grebe,
Sorry, I have only exterior shots of the Southway. I do have an old newspaper article with a couple of shots of parts of the interior of the Lemay. They were taken when the theater was remodeled in 1984 and are not very clear.
Mr. Lau,
Do you have any interior shots of the theatre?
JamesGrebe
Thanks for the update.
The Lemay theater was indeed owned by my family as well. They built the original building in 1927 and then rebuilt it after a devastating fire in 1932. After the lease to the Wherenbergs ran out(about 1954), my aunt Ella Marty (nee Lau) ran the Lemay until sometime in the 1960’s. I worked there on the candy counter and later as an usher during the 50’s
Henry Lau
My records show the Southway opened on Nov. 5, 1938. By the end of the year the theatre was leased by Fred Wehrenberg, as well as the Lemay Theatre which the Lau family was interested in.
My name is Henry Lau and the Southway Theater was originally owned by my family. The original building was built probably about 1917, but not as a theater. I believe it was originally a tavern; it definitely was a tavern in the 1930’s The building was bought about 1937 by I.E.L. Inc. The corporation members were Irvin Lau, Ella Marty (nee Lau), and Leo Lau. Irvin Lau was my father. They renovated the building lowering the floor to slope so that the view was unobstructed.
The theater was opened in 1938. I have a picture dated May 1938 showing the building before the marquee was added and a sign anouncing the opening. I also have a picture of the building taken about 1953 showing the marquee. The theater was leased out (perhaps to the Wherenberg brothers, I don’t remember) from about 1939 to 1954. My father, brother and I lived in an apartment on the south side above the theater from about 1946 to 1960. My uncle Leo Lau and his wife Marie occupied the apartment on the north side until Leo’s death in 1978.