Hudson Theatre (New)

graymatters on April 20, 2021 at 5:08 pm

The “new” Hudson Theatre was built at 116 S. Market Street, which was around the corner from the “old” theater of the same name. Al Johnson shot two color slides during construction of the “new” venue in July 1948, and four more during opening week in March 1949. I’ve uploaded all of these images to this website.

In the two exterior shots, a brick building can be seen next to the new theatre with an “Authorized Buick Service” sign. One slide (which my grandfather labeled “the Morgans”) shows a couple standing under the marquee of the new theater while a worker touches up the front wall in the background. I’m guessing that the Morgans owned the theatre.

The marquee in another image announces that the theater’s grand opening was scheduled on “Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday March 29 - 31” (in 1949) with the film “The Sun Comes Up.” The marquees of both the old and new theaters say “Hudson” in the 1948 and ‘49 slides. Two interior shots show a pastel color scheme and elaborately styled murals similar to several other Johnson theater projects of the era. Al Johnson’s widow Ann told her grandson Scott Johnson that, to gin up interest before the “new” Hudson Theatre opened in 1949, the owners set up a temporary screen and chairs in the street in front of the theater and showed films to residents of the town. I haven’t found any online information about the “new” Hudson Theatre. The Hudson Lanes bowling alley now occupies the former new Hudson Theatre building. I’ve uploaded a Google Maps image showing a current (March 2021) view of the building.