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Movies
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The famous Hollywood mural at The Ridgeway
Four |
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| Memories: |
"FILM CENSOR LLOYD T. BINFORD: In the 40's, along with Boston, Memphis was noted as one of the cities with a notorious film censor. Lloyd T. Binford's power was absolute. He made sure that white Memphis did not see Lena Horne in any films. Her scenes were always cut out. But white Memphis could, however, see Lena Horne in a film if they wanted to sit in the balcony of the New Daisy - which was an all black movie house at the time. He also banned all Ingrid Bergman films when she became pregnant with director Roberto Rossellin's child while still married to another. When films were banned in Memphis, Memphians who still wanted to see them would drive across the bridge and see the films in West Memphis. Binford was known to have banned one prominent actress simply because she "had been divorced several times". He also banned "Our Gang" comedies because they features white and black children playing together."
- Gene Gill, Tech High 1951
"COLLECTIONS FOR WAR DRIVE AT MOVIE THEATERS: During WW2, all movie theaters in Memphis participated in the drive to collect money for WW2. At the end of a film, the house lights would come on, and young girls would enter the auditorium carrying cans with a slot in the top. These cans were passed down every row and patrons dropped their coins into the cans. Everyone participated. This was one time that America was 100% patriotic and together." - Gene Gill, Tech High 1951
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Our goal is to
create a separate page for every movie theater in
the city's history, complete with photos, years of
operation, and films shown.
Send us your
memories and photos by clicking
here. |
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Memphis
Indoor
Movie Theaters
[Theaters still in operation have a
green asterisk
*
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Memphian Theater
51 South Cooper Street near Overton Square,
Now Playhouse on the Square |
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Airways |
Airways
Boulevard between Park &
Lamar, where S. Trezevant
splits off from Airways. |
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Bartlett Cinema 10* |
2809 Bartlett
Boulevard, Bartlett. 10
screens. |
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Capital |
926 East McLemore Avenue. In
1959, the Capital was
converted into the Stax
Records Studios. The
building was demolished in
1989, then rebuilt in 2000
was the Stax Museum. |
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Collierville* |
Market Street
north of Poplar. 14 screens,
stadium seating. |
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Cordova* |
Germantown Parkway at Macon.
14
screens, stadium seating. |
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Crosstown |
400 N.
Cleveland Avenue across from
Sears Crosstown; the last of the big
undivided auditoriums.
Now a Jehovah's
Witness meeting hall. |
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Fare Four* |
Summer Avenue at I-240
(still in operation, now called the Palace Cinema) |
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Forest Hill Cinema* |
Poplar Avenue
at Forest Hill-Irene Road,
Germantown. 8 screens. |
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Frayser Three |
Next to J.B. Hunter at
Frayser Boulevard and Range
Line, opened around 1969. |
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Guild |
1705
Poplar at Evergreen (also
once called the Ritz, now the
Circuit Playhouse) |
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Highland Quartet |
Poplar at Highland, closed a
couple of years ago. |
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Hollywood 20 Cinema* |
6711 Stage
Road in Bartlett. 20
screens, stadium seating. |
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Idlewild |
1819
Madison at Idlewild
(now a private reception
hall) |
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Lamar |
1716
Lamar Avenue between Airways
and Prescott |
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Linden Circle |
Linden Circle |
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Lowe's State |
Downtown at 152 South Main |
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Luciann |
2434
Summer just west of
Hollywood. Now the
Paris Adult Theater.
Reportedly is was a small
bowling alley for a short
period in the 60s. |
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Malco |
Downtown at 203 S. Main (now the
Orpheum) |
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Majestic |
Winchester at
Riverdale. 16 screens,
stadium seating. |
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Normal |
535
South Highland in the
Highland strip. Later
called the Studio. |
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Northgate |
Highway 51 in the Northgate
Shopping Center in
Frayser |
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Palace Cinema* |
Old Summer
Road off Summer Avenue. 10
screens, stadium seating. |
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Paradiso* |
Black Road
off Mendenhall & Poplar
behind White Station Tower.
Where Service Merchandise
used to be. 14
screens, stadium seating. |
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Princess |
169 S. Main, similar to
the Strand |
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Raleigh Mall* |
Raleigh-Springs Mall
on Austin Peay in Raleigh.
The original 2-screen
theater was located to the
left of the main mall
entrance. That theater
was later closed and replaced with a new 12-screen theater
with stadium seating in the north end of the mall. |
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Ritz |
1705
Poplar at Evergreen (also
once called the Guild, now the
Circuit Playhouse) |
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Rosemary |
1396
Jackson at Watkins (later a
bank) |
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Rosewood |
South
Lauderdale |
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Ruby |
129 North
Main, opened in 1907 by the
Huddleston Brothers. 320
seats, 10 cent admission.
Movies with musical
accompaniment interspersed
with four live performances
daily. |
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Stage Cinema* |
7930
Stage Road
(Highway 64) west of
Germantown Parkway. 10
screens, stadium seating. |
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Strand |
138 S. Main
Downtown |
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Studio |
535
South Highland in the
Highland strip.
Originally
called the Normal. |
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Studio on the Square* |
LaSalle
Place, just off Overton
Square. 4 screens, stadium
seating. |
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Trinity |
Trinity
Shopping Center on
Germantown Parkway. 4
screens. Closed in
mid-2000s. |
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Winchester Court* |
6740
Winchester Road. 6
screens. |
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Wolfchase Mall* |
Wolfchase
Mall, Germantown Parkway &
Stage Road. 8 screens,
stadium seating. |
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Memphis
Drive-In
Movie Theaters |
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51
Drive-In |
In Frayser on
James Road at Highway 51.
(structure no
longer there) They used to have "Dollar-a-Carload"
nights. |
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Jackson Avenue Drive-In |
Jackson Avenue
(location needed) |
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Lamar
Drive-In |
East side of
Lamar just north of Prescott (structure no longer there)
They used to have
"Dollar-a-Carload" nights. |
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Lincoln
Drive-In |
(location needed) |
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Sky-Vue
Drive-In |
South side of
Park Avenue about a mile
east of Airways, where
Melrose High School is now. |
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Southwest
Drive-In |
Highway 61
(location needed).
They had little inside
seating areas where you
could watch the drive-in
screen through a huge
window. |
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Summer
Drive-In* |
Summer Avenue just outside I-240.
Still in operation.
Originally the Summer Twin
until two additional screens
were added. |
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Third Street
Drive-In |
Third Street
(now a flea market) |
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Can
you provide additional information on
Memphis movie theaters?
Let us know by clicking
here. |
Submitted by: papsexpopay : 25 Feb 2008, 01:43
Good
site.
Submitted by: JOE STRAUSSER : 05 May 2008, 12:16
THE BELLEVUE DRIVE-IN IS MISSING AND ALSO I THINK THE THIRD ST. AND
SOUTHWEST DRIVE-IN IS THE SAME. MAYBE THIRD ST DRIVE IN WAS BELLEVUE?.
Submitted by: Martin : 27 Aug 2008, 00:10
There are two theatres which I believe you have missing-
One was in one of the strip centers, either at Knight Arnold and Perkins or
Knight Arnold and Mendenhall. I recall going to an all day science fiction
film day here -- I believe it was in the early 80s- I think I saw a movie
called Meteor, and perhaps one of the Star Trek movies, as well as another
B-movie of some sort. I also recall playing Asteroids in the lobby.
I think there was also a theatre in Collierville in a strip center, perhaps
now the center which has O'Charleys and Papa Johns, although the building
could also be gone completely. About 30 years ago when I was about 10, my
dad took me to a documentary-style film on Bigfoot, which had a scene of
Bigfoots attacking a cabin with hunters in it, which has given me fears of
the woods ever since.
There may have been a theatre at Ridgeway and Quince-- but I have no
specific memory of such a theatre, only a feeling there was once one there.
Submitted by: janelle zettergren : 15 Nov 2008, 22:58
you are missing balmorial cinema i cant remember if it had 2 or 4 screens
but it was there in the 70's and 80's behind seessels and was it quince
?..and what about the cinema off south mendenhall there is a real estate
class there now-but years ago it was a cinema
Submitted by: Paul : 01 Apr 2009, 01:46
The Balmoral cinema was located in the Balmoral shopping center, which is
located at the corner of Quince and Ridgeway. At some point, it ceased to
be a theater and became a hot tub store. I'm fairly certain that the lot
on which the Balmoral Cinema stood was engulfed by the nearby grocery store
(probably a Seesel's at the time) when it expanded in the mid- to late
80's.
Submitted by: Cindi Franz : 20 Apr 2009, 15:35
I am looking for an old black and white photo of the Northgate Movie
Theater in Frayser from the 50's-70's range. Please email if you have one.
I want to frame it for a surprise for my mother for mother's day. Thanks
in advance!
Submitted by: Shawn : 21 May 2009, 17:40
I actually still remember sitting in the Balmoral Cinema. I saw Star Trek:
The Motion Picture there with my mom in 79-80. It was in the back of
Seesel's. You would have to walk down a corridor/alley way and it was right
there. Not sure when it closed down.
Submitted by: Shawn : 21 May 2009, 17:44
Martin, the theater you speak of at Knight Arnold and Mendenhall was called
Village Cinema. I remember it being very small. Looking at the building now
I wonder how they fit a screen in there. I saw Herbie Gone Bananas and
Rescuers. The East End Grill was on the other side of the street.
Submitted by: Shawn : 21 May 2009, 17:48
How did you forget Southbrook Cinema? It was located in the mall on Shelby
Dr in Whitehaven. I saw Star Wars there twice in one night with my
babysitter and her kid. Not bad for being 4 yrs old. Stayed awake for the
1st but struggled the 2nd showing.
Submitted by: John : 22 Jan 2010, 10:12
I grew up in the area near the Normal theatre.I lived on Brister St. I
attended MSU Trainning school. The Saturday matinees were 25 cents in the
50's. Next door was the Gridiron restaurant. I remember Tarzan movies, my
first view of The Wizard of Oz,King Kong,and those famous cheap 50's Sci Fi
flicks. James Conway's "Memphis Afternoons" novel gives a good description
of the area and the era....
Submitted by: KW : 06 Apr 2010, 16:57
what was the name of the theatre on elvis presley in that shopping center
not the southbrook , i think it was a malco . I saw halloween there. the
sign is still there if you look. it was right after graceland going to the
souhtland mall on the east side of the road a jb hunter was across the
street.
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