Ritz Theatre

Throughout early-1935, Greenwood had a huge explosion in theatres all across the city from just only a single theatre into 3 theatres for the city itself. Beginning with the State Theatre on New Year’s Day 1935 when it opened with Francis Lederer in the Paramount feature “The Pursuit Of Happiness” along with a Hearst Metrotone Newsreel and a Laurel and Hardy short “Going Bye-Bye!”. And exactly 2 months later, the Ritz Theatre took its turn to open its doors to the public.

This is a confusing theatre to find for me because there are exactly 2 Ritz Theatres throughout its history for the city of Greenwood.

The first Ritz Theatre opened its doors on March 14, 1935 with Lyda Roberti in “The Kid From Spain”, a Samuel Goldwyn production that was distributed by United Artists; along with Walt Disney’s Silly Symphony cartoon “Peculiar Penguins” (also an United Artists film) and an unknown comedy reel.

The explosion of Greenwood theatres brings a total to 3 theatres for the city of Greenwood during the mid-1930’s, with the other one being the Carolina Theatre which opened to the public exactly almost 5 years prior.

The Ritz Theatre’s information goes as follows: Most of the stuff in this theatre was done by companies across the city but there’s not a lot of information on the equipment they installed. The electrical installations were done by the C. N. Sligh Electric Company of Greenwood, and all Lumber and others materials for the theatre were done by the W. L. Snead Lumber Company of Greenwood.

The bad news about this theatre is the first building is short lived due to unknown reasons or causes so it was unidentified why the first building had closed.

Grady Beeker, who owned some Columbia, SC theatres, finally held its long career at Greenwood as he opened the second Ritz Theatre, which held a grand opening on February 3, 1939 as it was announced by Grady himself at a building site that was built in 1914. The building has been remodeled and refurbished since Spring 1938, but hasn’t been opened for almost a year. The theatre reopened with Charles Starrett in “Rio Grande” along with Flash Gordon’s “Trip to Mars” and Harry Langdon in “Sue My Lawyer” without even a grand opening advertisement. The Ritz Theatre at the time aired mostly B-films and Westerns (but the Westerns console in the Ritz had dropped by the early-1940’s since the content they’ve aired is short lived) while the other 2, the State Theatre and the Carolina Theatre, have mainstream and A-films in its entirety. By the early-1940’s, the Ritz Theatre had the opportunity to switch, targeting run mixes of mainstream, A, and B films. By 1941 all three theatres in Greenwood were operated by H.F. Kincey, a subsidiary of Paramount pictures Inc.

A little background story goes by as follows on Greenwood and the city of Columbia:

The Ritz Theatre along with the State Theatre and Carolina Theatre continued to operate throughout the entire decade of the 1940’s. On September 16, 1941, the State, Carolina, and Ritz Theatres took over ownership from all 3 theatres by Kermit High of Greenwood who formerly operated the Broadhurst Theatre in High Point, North Carolina after Grady Beeker left the ownership for all 3 theatres in Greenwood and left Greenwood the following day on the 17th to promote managership to a theatre in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has operated a lot of theatres in Columbia including the Ritz Theatre in Columbia (last known as the Plaza III), and the first Carolina Theatre in Columbia. He visited Greenwood for only 3 years after operating the first Carolina Theatre in downtown Columbia, S.C (formerly the Columbia Theatre, and definitely not the one in Greenwood). He closed the first Carolina Theatre in Columbia on December 31, 1938 after Grady had succeeded to move to Greenwood where he became the manager for the 2 main theatres in Greenwood, the State Theatre and the Carolina Theatre, before opening up the second Ritz Theatre on February 3, 1939. Fred Bearden, former operator of the Greenwood theatres, left Greenwood for Salisbury, N.C. The equipment of the Carolina Theatre in Columbia will be transferred before dismantling of the building to make way for construction of the Wade Hampton hotel. That day marked the death of the first Columbia Carolina Theatre before the second one, also named the Carolina, opened on September 1, 1941, and that is why the first Carolina Theatre in Columbia had closed its doors for the final time permanently.

Back in Greenwood:

The Ritz Theatre in Greenwood is not a full movie house, as it sometimes premiere local special events and performances as well. By the mid-1940’s, the theatre was part of its first chain, Ecco Theatres Incorporated, owned by James C. Cartledge. Mr. Ransom E. Bryan and Mr. Harold Bryan of Greenwood announced on April 29, 1950 that the theatre will be purchased from Ecco Theatres. Their wives later assisted the operation of the Ritz Theatre. Harold himself has associated with Greenwood Theatres, Incorporated who operated the State Theatre and Carolina Theatre since 1941, and Ransom had some experience in unknown years prior.

The Ritz Theatre closed its doors for the final time during the Spring of 1951.

On May 13, 1953, the theatre was remodeled by Ignatius and Nicholas Sterghos. The building was converted into 2 business quarters with a frontage of 12 feet and a depth of 60 feet each. It included a warehouse store as well. The site was then occupied by the building and the Greenwood café as it was used as a livery stable until construction between both buildings.

This marked the end of the Ritz Theatre.

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