Columbia Theatre

My name is Joe i am looking for any information on the Columbia Theater in Paducah KY. My wife and I are making a proposal to the city of Paducah in restoration of the theater. I am looking for pictures of the interior from when it was in full working order. We are looking to restore the theater in full working order and as close to the same as it was on April 18, 1927. I am also looking for anyone who would like to lend a hand in the restoration of the theater. I can be contacted at or 618 841 3129

It’s odd since I planned my trips partly by using Cinema Treasures to see where theatres to photograph were located, but somehow I missed the Arcade. I’m afraid if they have done anything to that building, I didn’t notice it and didn’t realize it was there. Sorry.

To whom it may concern. My name is Mark Bass. I live in Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX. I was a Movie Projectionist at the Columbia and Arcade Theatres from 1977 – 1983. I also was a Movie Projectionist at the Paducah Drive In, in Lone Oak, during the.Summer of 1983. All of these theatres including The South Twin Drive In, located on Paducah’s South side, were owned by Jack Keiler, a very nice employer in which to work. Mr. Keiler’s father Leo, began the theatre business in Paducah, Ky. During my tenure at Columbia Amusement Co., my much older superiors told me that the Kentucky Theatre owned by the Keiler family, was also an elaborite theatre that riveled the Columbia Theatre in beauty. I was told that The Kentucky Theatre burned, and later the land was cleared for the errection of the downtown J.C. Penny Building. When the Columbia Theatre was “twinned” in the mid 70’s, dozens upon dozens of seats were removed from the back of the downstairs auditorium. This was to make room for a new Concession Stand and new, larger, rest rooms downtairs. Originally, the Columbia was.a vaudeville theatre (yes, the dressing rooms are still underneath the stage). The full-size stage is hidden by the huge Cinemascope shaped movie screen that was.added during the mid 50’s restoration of the Columbia. The advention of TV was hurting movie theatre attendance so badly, that Cinemascope (larger screen) was invented in an effort to bring lost customers back to the theatres. The Columbia originally did not have a Concession Stand. A tiny Concession Stand was added during the mid 50’s restoration. It was located in the .movie posters.viewing area, the area a customer saw once he or she entered the front doors (on the right). If one looks closely to the right, as soon as one enters (via the right entrance doors to the right of the box office, one can still faintly see on the dark paneling, where the letters “Snack Bar” used to be adhered. After turning the balcony into a second theatre, many.strange things were done during the remodel. For example, to light the beautiful red lamps that are concealed in the beautiful gold-guilded filagree above the entire screen in the main auditorium, the Movie Projectionist had to go flip a switch, hidden in a closet, in the Columbia Theatre. Just email me when the day comes, when someone wishes for those hidden red lamps to turn on! Does anyone wonder what the room and closet are for located in the Mezzanine area of the Columbia balcony? The closet was once a Phone Booth, complete with shutting door for privacy. The room off the upstairs Mezzanine, was the “on shift” Columbia Theatre Manager’s Office. There is a brass rail in the Columbia’s balcany (runs the width of the theatre). This rail seperated the “white” people from the “colored” people during the years of segregation. There was also a second Box Office in the alley between the Columbia & Arcade Theatres. This is where “colored” people had to buy their tickets, and they had to climb the highest Columbia fire escape steps to enter what was called the 2nd Balcany (the balcany behind the brass rail.

Two screens on January 29th, 1976. Article: Columbia II opening article Wed, Jan 28, 1976 – 14 · The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) · Newspapers.com

Just added a couple pictures to the photo section of this page that I took of the outside of the theater last week when I was visiting Paducah.