Ivy Theatre

The New Ivy Theatre was purportedly the first female-owned movie theater in New Orleans. Built and opened by Margaret “Maggie” Garnier on December 11, 1910. The Seventh District venue celebrated its 20th Anniversary only to burn down days later following a projection booth explosion.The New Ivy Theatre featured a balcony for African American patrons and six dressing rooms. Its capacity was 1,100 - large for a suburban movie house and catering to a lower-income, working class audience.

Garnier built and operated a neighboring, covered carousel as part of a family-themed entertainment Despite the family vibe, the theater had its share of moments - one included a “hoodoo” stunt with a cow’s tongue purportedly to jinx the operation. Another in July of 1912 found Garnier bound, gagged and bagged in an unsolved mystery - she was uninjured. And she was the target of grand larceny in a 1913 holdup. And a projection booth explosion almost ended things at the theater’s Third Anniversary in December of 1913. About the time of the New Ivy’s 13th Anniversary, the venue’s security officer was trying to quell an unruly crowd killing one of the theater’s patrons.

United Theatres Circuit took on the Ivy Theatre equipping it for sound to remain viable. During a showing of Ramon Navarro’s “The Call of the Flesh",” explosion in the projection booth ended the Ivy Theatre just after its 20th Anniversary celebration in December 1930. Within weeks, the Roseland (3525 Tonti Street) and the Valentino (2101 Frenchmen Street) also suffered theater-ending projection booth explosions. In January of 1931, $300 was spent to have the remains of the Ivy Theatre removed by Southern Demolishing Company.

United Theatres contracted with Emile Weil drawing up the replacement for the Ivy Theatre on the site of the former venue. United decided against the plan and the property was used for residential housing at some point.

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