Newcomb Theatre

The Newcomb Theatre was a movie house on bustling Canal Street in New Orleans that lasted through a 20-year leasing cycle from 1916 to 1936. The name was previously in use elsewhere in town prior. In November of 1903, the existing, 1883-opened Tulane Hall was transformed by Charles Fourton into the Newcomb Theatre, a 1,200-seat playhouse reopening November 21, 1903. But that theater closed quickly and was demolished in 1905.

Fast forward to 1916 where the Pearce & Sons Syndicate was opening yet another cinema, this one at 908 Canal Street. The Pearces had the Electric Theatre, Dreamland Theatre, Grand Theatre, Trianon Theatre. Bijou Dream Theatre, and Tudor Theatre. The Pearces held a naming contest and two of the names considered were New Tulane Hall and the Newcomb Theatre harkening back to the 1883 structure. So the converted, former E. Ofner retail store became Pearce’s Newcomb Theatre, a diminutive 350-seat movie house launching April 26, 1916 with Pathé’s Gold Rooster Serial, “Big Jim Garrity" with Robert Edeson and Eleanor Woodruff.

The Pearce & Sons Syndicate would transition back exclusively to carnival rides as the sound era was getting closer to reality in cinema. Eugene Pearce sold all of their New Orleans theaters to Phillip A. Schiro of The Schiro Amusement Circuit including the remaining ten years on the Newcomb Theatre’s lease in a major transfer.

Schiro’s New Newcomb Theatre opened February 22, 1925 after a refresh. Henry Lazarus Theatres would soon acquire the venue and have the Wonderland Theatre at 912 Canal. When the male/female screenings of the exploitation film, “Is Your Daughter Safe?” played there in 1928, the benefit of having neighboring screens allowed the male screening to take place at the Wonderland and the female screening to take place at the Newcomb Theatre.

The venues were both transitioned to sound. But the Wonderland was gutted by fire and the lease expired on the Newcomb Theatre. So Lazarus rebuilt the Wonderland as the new-build Center Theatre.The former retail building that became the Newcomb Theatre got to return to retail service. The theatre was sold off and dismantled in September of 1936 including the Simplex projectors and all 350-seats.

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