Alabama Theatre

Grand opening ad Alabama theatre grand opening ad and articles Sun, Dec 25, 1927 – 56 · The Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama) · Newspapers.com

3rd Avenue vertical sign now to be refurbished.

https://www.al.com/life/2019/01/alabama-theatre-sign-to-be-taken-down-and-refurbished.html?fbclid=IwAR2hKsYKMFUgsLkVZRo_ue2YP3TFc323cS8MvAOowA_iH6ewq5e_G15fBAI

6 images added.

The Birmingham Rewound link has changed, this should work for now.

Lots of info and photos on the Alabama and other Bham theatres. Seems like the Melba was demolished.

http://www.birminghamrewound.com/features/bham_theaters.htm

Cecil Whitmire, a former organist at this theater and the man credited with leading the efforts to get it restored, passed away recently; story here: View link

No, thst’s the architectural firm, Graven & Mayger.

On July 18th, accompanied by two assistants, I had the opportunity extensively photograph the Alabama and Lyric Theater (across the street). The photos were taken to compare and contrast the condition of the two theaters and includes a number of wide angle, long exposure images that bring out the detail and vivid color on the inside of both grand old theaters. I’ll post links here to the site the images will be uploaded to. Over 400 photos were taken between the two sites, including backstage, below the stage, storage and mechanical areas, balconies and more. It’s taking a bit to sort out.

Indeed I too enjoy viewing these marvelous photographs. Your contributions are very much appreciated Lost Memory. Do not be discouraged by the verbal assault of one disgruntled person. When an individual resorts to name calling that person has already admitted defeat.

Yes ERD, the Alabama Theatre is a beautiful theatre. If you have the opportunity to attend the Alabama Theatre please do so. You will not be disappointed.
George

Lost Memory, I really appreciate all the wonderful photos you post. Thank you!

The Melba is not listed on CT, but it is listed on Cinema Tour with no information other than it is supposedly “closed” so hopefully it hasn’t been demolished.

I moved from Birmingham in 2007. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s going to the Alabama, Empire, Melba and Ritz. I saw many animated Disney movies at the Alabama. And I saw the original DR. DOOLITTLE there. Sitting near the front, the giant pink snail nearly blinded me with the brightness. I also saw the first HERBIE THE LOVE BUG movie there as a kid and they had the HERBIE CAR OUTSIDE when we came out. The last first run I saw there was the 70’s remake of King Kong…. what a waste of grand theater usage. When I was in High School in early 1980’s it was the site for the Cult Classic Rocky Horror Picture Show… every weekend it seemed.

My mother was a product of the Depression and WWII. She went to the Mickey Mouse Club at the Alabama every Saturday, and she has told me that the high back balcony of the Alabama was used by the Black community before desegregation.
Now living near Knoxville, the Tennessee (last surviving sister of the Alabama is still functional in much the same way as the Alabama is today) is used for classic festivals, live entertainment, etc.

The Lyric is just a legend to me. It was gone before I was born.

By the 1970’s the other downtown theaters were basicly B run theaters… showing Chinese KungFu movies, Blacksploitation films, etc; along with occasional classic re- releases. There were the African American theaters like the Carver… that are still used as African American Cultural Centers

Can anybody tell me about other theaters in Birmingham… I know about the Homewood.. (Homewood Cycle and Hobby through my lifetime; but there were also theaters on Southside, East Lake and West End at one time. I think the Southside theater was the Jupiter. It was still operational in 1990s as a XXX venue but I think it too is gone. And I think the East Lake theater is still also operational as a XXX venue. But what about West End? I think I remember a defunct theater near Princeton Hospital. There were other neighborhood theaters scattered around town I am sure. Ensley and Hueytown are noted in this website.

There was an ABC theater in Roebuck Shopping Center. It was also originally a widescreen theater. It also showed alot of First run Disney movies. It was converted to a church in the 1980’s. I am not sure what is in the site now. Several twin and quad theaters came and went throughout the city between 1970 and 2000…not worth noting too much… they were pretty cookie cutter.

And the Eastwood Mall Theater… built in the mid 1960’s was originally a cinemascope venue and had super plush rocking chair seats. It converted to a twin (think proto-multiplex) somewhere around 1980. The last fullscreen show I saw there was Raiders of the Lost Ark. It closed a few years ago and was demolished along with Eastwood Mall and replaced with a Walmart in 2006 or 07. The Eastwood was not particularly elegant in any form or fashion, but it was unique in that it was one of the first IN-mall theaters in the country, and it was NOT A twin or multiplex. A similar theater was built in Jackson, Tennessee at the Old Hickory Mall a few years later.

This photo is circa 1948:
http://tinyurl.com/376qm3