1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,998 (female announer) This is a production of WKNO-Memphis. 2 00:00:01,998 --> 00:00:05,898 Production funding for this program is made possible in part 3 00:00:05,898 --> 00:00:14,464 by.. 4 00:00:14,464 --> 00:00:21,531 ♪♪♪ 5 00:00:21,531 --> 00:00:25,598 Vincent Astor has been a friend of W-K-N-O for many years. 6 00:00:25,598 --> 00:00:29,231 He's well-known around Memphis not only for his generosity but 7 00:00:29,231 --> 00:00:30,831 also his knowledge of history. 8 00:00:30,831 --> 00:00:34,164 Recently he wrote a book about some of that history entitled 9 00:00:34,164 --> 00:00:39,364 Memphis Movie Theatres, part of the Images of America series. 10 00:00:39,364 --> 00:00:41,031 Vincent Astor, welcome to the program. 11 00:00:41,031 --> 00:00:42,431 Thank you, thank you. 12 00:00:42,431 --> 00:00:45,798 I have to tell you this was really a lot of fun. 13 00:00:45,798 --> 00:00:46,931 I mean I picked up. 14 00:00:46,931 --> 00:00:48,564 Listen, I thought to myself.. 15 00:00:48,564 --> 00:00:52,098 We had had a meeting a few weeks ago. 16 00:00:52,098 --> 00:00:54,698 And I thought to myself well, you know I'll read a little bit 17 00:00:54,698 --> 00:00:55,098 at a time. 18 00:00:55,098 --> 00:00:59,898 I picked up this and I could not put it down. 19 00:00:59,898 --> 00:01:02,231 I mean I read it all in one sitting. 20 00:01:02,231 --> 00:01:05,131 And it was just, just fascinating. 21 00:01:05,131 --> 00:01:08,264 When did the movies come to Memphis? 22 00:01:08,264 --> 00:01:09,664 When was that? 23 00:01:09,664 --> 00:01:13,664 Now actually the very first demonstration of one of the many 24 00:01:13,664 --> 00:01:18,931 kinds of projection that was invented in the 19th century was 25 00:01:18,931 --> 00:01:21,198 the cinematograph. 26 00:01:21,198 --> 00:01:24,998 And it was shown as a novelty in a theatre that's long gone 27 00:01:24,998 --> 00:01:29,098 called first the Auditorum and then the Bijou. 28 00:01:29,098 --> 00:01:33,331 It stood on the same plot where the Chisca Hotel stands now. 29 00:01:33,331 --> 00:01:34,964 It burned in 1911. 30 00:01:34,964 --> 00:01:35,964 I see. 31 00:01:35,964 --> 00:01:39,498 It started out life as a street car barn. 32 00:01:39,498 --> 00:01:42,231 And when street cars changed, they made it in to a theater. 33 00:01:42,231 --> 00:01:47,064 And these were just anything that moved. 34 00:01:47,064 --> 00:01:50,731 One of the oldest moving pictures that was shown 35 00:01:50,731 --> 00:01:53,164 commercially is just waves breaking on a shore. 36 00:01:53,164 --> 00:01:54,498 Oh, I see. 37 00:01:54,498 --> 00:01:58,531 So this would have been the place back when.. 38 00:01:58,531 --> 00:02:03,798 Back when Thomas Edison was shooting the initial films at 39 00:02:03,798 --> 00:02:06,498 the Black Mariah somewhere in New Jersey. 40 00:02:06,498 --> 00:02:07,498 Right. 41 00:02:07,498 --> 00:02:11,398 I think the very first film was Fred Ott's Sneeze, 42 00:02:11,398 --> 00:02:12,398 it was called. 43 00:02:12,398 --> 00:02:15,498 So what they would do is they would show it and the guy would 44 00:02:15,498 --> 00:02:16,498 sneeze. 45 00:02:16,498 --> 00:02:18,498 And that was the big deal, you know, 46 00:02:18,498 --> 00:02:19,498 at that point. 47 00:02:19,498 --> 00:02:21,998 Or two guys fighting and things like that. 48 00:02:21,998 --> 00:02:25,998 It was like one of the films that they showed in the movie 49 00:02:25,998 --> 00:02:28,064 about Georges Melies. 50 00:02:28,064 --> 00:02:31,731 A locomotive would approach the audience. 51 00:02:31,731 --> 00:02:35,064 And they'd all jump up thinking it was real when it was not. 52 00:02:35,064 --> 00:02:37,064 And it was such a novelty. 53 00:02:37,064 --> 00:02:40,798 It was so magical that people would get scared and people in 54 00:02:40,798 --> 00:02:44,531 the audience would yell at the villain as if it were a stage 55 00:02:44,531 --> 00:02:45,531 play. 56 00:02:45,531 --> 00:02:46,531 Uh-huh. 57 00:02:46,531 --> 00:02:47,531 What was.. 58 00:02:47,531 --> 00:02:51,798 Now you gave us a preview of the reaction, 59 00:02:51,798 --> 00:02:54,164 you know, to it. 60 00:02:54,164 --> 00:02:57,864 Did it catch on pretty quick here in Memphis? 61 00:02:57,864 --> 00:03:00,498 I mean was there any kind of people who were saying no, 62 00:03:00,498 --> 00:03:02,531 we shouldn't have this in this town. 63 00:03:02,531 --> 00:03:07,464 It's an instrument of the devil like some people used to say 64 00:03:07,464 --> 00:03:09,064 about the telephone. 65 00:03:09,064 --> 00:03:12,031 What was it you found in your research? 66 00:03:12,031 --> 00:03:16,431 Well actually when films were first being made, 67 00:03:16,431 --> 00:03:19,064 film makers would film anything. 68 00:03:19,064 --> 00:03:23,664 And in order to attract people in to see them, 69 00:03:23,664 --> 00:03:25,531 they got sometimes quite blue. 70 00:03:25,531 --> 00:03:30,298 And there were a lot of those early, 71 00:03:30,298 --> 00:03:32,964 very early pieces that were blue. 72 00:03:32,964 --> 00:03:35,931 [laughter] And even if it was artistic, 73 00:03:35,931 --> 00:03:39,564 there was female nudity and so forth. 74 00:03:39,564 --> 00:03:44,231 So later on, there became kind of a divide. 75 00:03:44,231 --> 00:03:49,431 But I have found online a slide which I've used in some of my 76 00:03:49,431 --> 00:03:54,331 visual presentations that is ladies and children, 77 00:03:54,331 --> 00:03:58,998 welcome at this theater So people would put ads on the 78 00:03:58,998 --> 00:04:01,264 screen to say this was family entertainment. 79 00:04:01,264 --> 00:04:02,298 Bring everybody. 80 00:04:02,298 --> 00:04:03,131 So it wasn't seedy. 81 00:04:03,131 --> 00:04:04,931 I see. 82 00:04:04,931 --> 00:04:07,098 But and so it was a novelty here, 83 00:04:07,098 --> 00:04:08,098 there and yonder. 84 00:04:08,098 --> 00:04:14,564 But the very first full-time movie theater opened in 1905. 85 00:04:14,564 --> 00:04:16,031 I see, I see. 86 00:04:16,031 --> 00:04:19,331 And that's when it was becoming the first person who was going 87 00:04:19,331 --> 00:04:23,398 to take a chance on it as a commercial venture. 88 00:04:23,398 --> 00:04:24,398 Huh! 89 00:04:24,398 --> 00:04:28,898 Well you know I shouldn't be so shocked that they would have 90 00:04:28,898 --> 00:04:33,964 what you call blue films and some nudity because at the time, 91 00:04:33,964 --> 00:04:37,498 there was no censor board as per say. 92 00:04:37,498 --> 00:04:39,498 There was no central studio system. 93 00:04:39,498 --> 00:04:41,564 The studio heads couldn't get together and say, 94 00:04:41,564 --> 00:04:43,664 you know, they should stop this, you know, 95 00:04:43,664 --> 00:04:44,931 or anything else. 96 00:04:44,931 --> 00:04:49,431 But there was some very neferaious gings on in Memphis 97 00:04:49,431 --> 00:04:50,431 itself. 98 00:04:50,431 --> 00:04:51,498 It was illegal liquor. 99 00:04:51,498 --> 00:04:55,998 In doing research at the time, there were opium dens behind, 100 00:04:55,998 --> 00:04:57,631 what was it? 101 00:04:57,631 --> 00:04:58,831 -- Cleaners cleaning stores. 102 00:04:58,831 --> 00:05:02,531 And the police was trying to go after that. 103 00:05:02,531 --> 00:05:07,431 So I guess in a sense, we shouldn't be surprised by that. 104 00:05:07,431 --> 00:05:11,498 What was one of the biggest theater to open up? 105 00:05:11,498 --> 00:05:15,598 What was the first big movie theater that opened up? 106 00:05:15,598 --> 00:05:20,064 Well let me digress and I'll answer something that you just 107 00:05:20,064 --> 00:05:21,064 said. 108 00:05:21,064 --> 00:05:26,598 I forget what the first name of the man is but his last name was 109 00:05:26,598 --> 00:05:27,598 Persica. 110 00:05:27,598 --> 00:05:29,464 And he was a gangster. 111 00:05:29,464 --> 00:05:34,798 In fact, he has turf and Memphis was divided up among several 112 00:05:34,798 --> 00:05:37,031 people, particularly downtown. 113 00:05:37,031 --> 00:05:42,498 And his bar, Persica's Garden, actually was listed as a movie 114 00:05:42,498 --> 00:05:43,498 theater. 115 00:05:43,498 --> 00:05:46,231 And that's part of what they showed as entertainment. 116 00:05:46,231 --> 00:05:48,231 And of course in the back room there was gambling. 117 00:05:48,231 --> 00:05:49,398 Huh! 118 00:05:49,398 --> 00:05:52,664 So they did actually go hand-in-hand for a while in 119 00:05:52,664 --> 00:05:53,664 Memphis. 120 00:05:53,664 --> 00:05:54,664 Oh my gosh! 121 00:05:54,664 --> 00:06:00,464 But really the biggest theater built ever which had movies as 122 00:06:00,464 --> 00:06:04,664 one of it's primary forms of entertainment was the Orpheum, 123 00:06:04,664 --> 00:06:06,398 which is still standing. 124 00:06:06,398 --> 00:06:07,398 Oh yeah, yeah. 125 00:06:07,398 --> 00:06:08,898 Well you know that reminds me. 126 00:06:08,898 --> 00:06:12,298 One of the things and one of the great things about this 127 00:06:12,298 --> 00:06:17,031 particular book is the fact that there are so many great pictures 128 00:06:17,031 --> 00:06:18,031 in here. 129 00:06:18,031 --> 00:06:20,264 And I think what we're gonna do is we're gonna take a look at 130 00:06:20,264 --> 00:06:21,264 some. 131 00:06:21,264 --> 00:06:23,964 Now tell us what we're looking at. 132 00:06:23,964 --> 00:06:28,198 Well that actually is the Grand Opera House that was built in 133 00:06:28,198 --> 00:06:29,631 1890. 134 00:06:29,631 --> 00:06:33,231 It was built on the corner of Main and Beale. 135 00:06:33,231 --> 00:06:38,064 And in 1907, it became the First Orpheum Theater. 136 00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:42,098 And it stood until 1923. 137 00:06:42,098 --> 00:06:45,064 There are some people who may still remember it. 138 00:06:45,064 --> 00:06:49,764 But a lot of people remember or would remember the fire that 139 00:06:49,764 --> 00:06:52,264 destroyed it in October of that year. 140 00:06:52,264 --> 00:06:55,398 The biggest audience in the theater's history gathered to 141 00:06:55,398 --> 00:06:57,098 watch it burn. 142 00:06:57,098 --> 00:07:00,998 And the headliners was Blossom Seeley who was a singer with an 143 00:07:00,998 --> 00:07:01,998 act of her own. 144 00:07:01,998 --> 00:07:06,364 But not many people realized that one of the people on the 145 00:07:06,364 --> 00:07:07,598 Vaudeville Bill was Bert Lahr. 146 00:07:07,598 --> 00:07:08,598 Oh my gosh! 147 00:07:08,598 --> 00:07:13,998 The cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz. 148 00:07:13,998 --> 00:07:17,764 Yes, playing Vaudeville in the early '20s. 149 00:07:17,764 --> 00:07:20,764 What's this next picture that we're looking at? 150 00:07:20,764 --> 00:07:22,764 Now that's the theater I just mentioned. 151 00:07:22,764 --> 00:07:24,331 That's the Bijou. 152 00:07:24,331 --> 00:07:25,331 Uh-huh. 153 00:07:25,331 --> 00:07:27,331 Which no one would remember at all. 154 00:07:27,331 --> 00:07:30,898 But that is where the cinematograph was first shown as 155 00:07:30,898 --> 00:07:34,031 a novelty in 1896. 156 00:07:34,031 --> 00:07:37,331 People think of movies as a 20th century invention. 157 00:07:37,331 --> 00:07:39,231 But it really wasn't. 158 00:07:39,231 --> 00:07:42,264 Movies were invented in the late 19th century. 159 00:07:42,264 --> 00:07:46,298 They were just perfected in the early 20th century and then 160 00:07:46,298 --> 00:07:47,298 became popular. 161 00:07:47,298 --> 00:07:49,298 I see. 162 00:07:49,298 --> 00:07:50,631 And this would be? 163 00:07:50,631 --> 00:07:53,498 That is the Lyceum Theater. 164 00:07:53,498 --> 00:08:01,431 It was built in 1894 on the corner of Second and Jefferson. 165 00:08:01,431 --> 00:08:05,998 And you can see it bragged about how it was all electrically lit. 166 00:08:05,998 --> 00:08:07,864 No gas lights at all. 167 00:08:07,864 --> 00:08:10,731 And you can see around the edge it was lit with those exposed 168 00:08:10,731 --> 00:08:12,431 light bulbs. 169 00:08:12,431 --> 00:08:15,564 And what's on the left is really one of the best things about 170 00:08:15,564 --> 00:08:16,864 this picture. 171 00:08:16,864 --> 00:08:19,398 It's a ceiling fan upside-down on a pole. 172 00:08:19,398 --> 00:08:21,264 Oh, okay! 173 00:08:21,264 --> 00:08:24,264 You can see it's over one of those side boxs. 174 00:08:24,264 --> 00:08:27,798 The place was filled with ceiling fans and even had 175 00:08:27,798 --> 00:08:31,664 windows on either side of one of the balconies because it was 176 00:08:31,664 --> 00:08:35,298 Memphis and the weather in Memphis hasn't changed that 177 00:08:35,298 --> 00:08:36,031 much. 178 00:08:36,031 --> 00:08:37,898 Oh my gosh! 179 00:08:37,898 --> 00:08:41,131 Now this one, which theater was this? 180 00:08:41,131 --> 00:08:44,298 This is probably one of the least remembered of the 181 00:08:44,298 --> 00:08:45,898 theaters. 182 00:08:45,898 --> 00:08:51,498 It was called first the Jefferson and then the Lyric. 183 00:08:51,498 --> 00:08:53,698 It was on Madison avenue. 184 00:08:53,698 --> 00:08:58,598 The palce where it stood is right over the Danny Thomas 185 00:08:58,598 --> 00:08:59,598 street overpass. 186 00:08:59,598 --> 00:09:03,498 In fact, it's a little gap between two buildings where 187 00:09:03,498 --> 00:09:05,531 there's a parking lot now. 188 00:09:05,531 --> 00:09:08,364 And that's about where the Lyric stood. 189 00:09:08,364 --> 00:09:09,598 But it was.. 190 00:09:09,598 --> 00:09:11,631 We'll talk about this again. 191 00:09:11,631 --> 00:09:16,531 It was the three most important things about where to put a 192 00:09:16,531 --> 00:09:17,531 theater. 193 00:09:17,531 --> 00:09:19,531 Location, location and location. 194 00:09:19,531 --> 00:09:24,098 The Lyric was just far enough out Madison off the beaten path 195 00:09:24,098 --> 00:09:27,931 that it had a very troubled life and it took all sorts of 196 00:09:27,931 --> 00:09:31,998 machinations to get people to come all the way down Madison to 197 00:09:31,998 --> 00:09:35,031 a theater when all the rest of them were down on Third street, 198 00:09:35,031 --> 00:09:38,431 Second street, Main street, here, there and yonder. 199 00:09:38,431 --> 00:09:42,964 In fact, the sign for the Lyric stretched across Madison from 200 00:09:42,964 --> 00:09:46,898 one side to the other so you could look down Madison and see 201 00:09:46,898 --> 00:09:48,498 the big word Lyric. 202 00:09:48,498 --> 00:09:49,831 Ah, okay. 203 00:09:49,831 --> 00:09:53,431 And it burned in the '40s, 1945 I believe. 204 00:09:53,431 --> 00:09:55,398 I see. 205 00:09:55,398 --> 00:10:01,064 Now we see on the lefthand side of the screen a famous Memphis 206 00:10:01,064 --> 00:10:02,598 name. 207 00:10:02,598 --> 00:10:05,831 And it's a very famous for two reasons. 208 00:10:05,831 --> 00:10:10,464 Charles Dinstuhls senior had his candy store on the corner of 209 00:10:10,464 --> 00:10:15,064 Washington and Main, which is the view you see here. 210 00:10:15,064 --> 00:10:19,231 You see on the left there's a little row of light bulbs which 211 00:10:19,231 --> 00:10:20,464 would be in the windows. 212 00:10:20,464 --> 00:10:22,931 See just past the sign is another building with the 213 00:10:22,931 --> 00:10:26,664 windows surrounded by light bulbs which is sort of come back 214 00:10:26,664 --> 00:10:28,764 in to vogue these days. 215 00:10:28,764 --> 00:10:34,831 Those lights are the Theatorium, the very first full-time movie 216 00:10:34,831 --> 00:10:36,498 theater in Memphis. 217 00:10:36,498 --> 00:10:41,164 On the right of the image is a little sign that says Palace - 218 00:10:41,164 --> 00:10:43,164 five cents. 219 00:10:43,164 --> 00:10:47,764 On behind that is a little sign that says Ruby. 220 00:10:47,764 --> 00:10:52,064 And where you are looking at the Dinstuhl's sign was a sign that 221 00:10:52,064 --> 00:10:55,531 says Amuse - five cents. 222 00:10:55,531 --> 00:10:56,531 Hm. 223 00:10:56,531 --> 00:10:58,764 Those are all nickelodeon theaters. 224 00:10:58,764 --> 00:10:59,731 I see. 225 00:10:59,731 --> 00:11:02,664 And the word nickelodeon is nickel in front of the Greek 226 00:11:02,664 --> 00:11:04,164 word for theater. 227 00:11:04,164 --> 00:11:08,898 They were theaters and they were actually also live entertainment 228 00:11:08,898 --> 00:11:10,564 theaters. 229 00:11:10,564 --> 00:11:14,198 Because in the early days, sometimes it was always only one 230 00:11:14,198 --> 00:11:15,198 projector. 231 00:11:15,198 --> 00:11:16,098 Right. 232 00:11:16,098 --> 00:11:18,998 And so the film had to be rewound. 233 00:11:18,998 --> 00:11:22,198 And in the very early days, there was no take up reel where 234 00:11:22,198 --> 00:11:24,998 the film came off of one reel and on to another. 235 00:11:24,998 --> 00:11:27,998 It may have been running through the projector and go in to a 236 00:11:27,998 --> 00:11:29,131 bucket. 237 00:11:29,131 --> 00:11:31,264 So it all had to be rewound to start over again. 238 00:11:31,264 --> 00:11:36,298 So there was always a singer or a musician or sometimes a small 239 00:11:36,298 --> 00:11:40,431 time Vaudeville act during these presentations, 240 00:11:40,431 --> 00:11:42,764 you know, between pictures. 241 00:11:42,764 --> 00:11:46,698 This looks to be roughly about the same time. 242 00:11:46,698 --> 00:11:49,964 Yes, this is 1907. 243 00:11:49,964 --> 00:11:51,398 And there's the Optic. 244 00:11:51,398 --> 00:11:54,831 I think you can barely read moving pictures or motion 245 00:11:54,831 --> 00:11:55,831 pictures. 246 00:11:55,831 --> 00:11:59,331 And it's got the five cents on it on either side. 247 00:11:59,331 --> 00:12:03,098 And across the street from it, there are several buildings that 248 00:12:03,098 --> 00:12:04,098 are still there. 249 00:12:04,098 --> 00:12:08,464 There's Goldsmiths and the Main street entrance to the Gayoso 250 00:12:08,464 --> 00:12:09,464 Hotel. 251 00:12:09,464 --> 00:12:13,864 The interesting thing about this picture is Leslo State than the 252 00:12:13,864 --> 00:12:16,831 little theater on it's left, which is the Bijou. 253 00:12:16,831 --> 00:12:22,898 That is roughly the same address as the Optic. 254 00:12:22,898 --> 00:12:23,931 Go ahead and do that. 255 00:12:23,931 --> 00:12:28,031 See the Optic is there on the right of that picture. 256 00:12:28,031 --> 00:12:30,864 That's roughly the same street address as the Bijou. 257 00:12:30,864 --> 00:12:33,998 Three different theaters under three different names occupied 258 00:12:33,998 --> 00:12:36,031 that address. 259 00:12:36,031 --> 00:12:39,098 Location, location and location. 260 00:12:39,098 --> 00:12:40,198 Yeah. 261 00:12:40,198 --> 00:12:42,064 And right next to this wonderful location, 262 00:12:42,064 --> 00:12:44,264 Leow's State was opened in 1920. 263 00:12:44,264 --> 00:12:49,298 I see. 264 00:12:49,298 --> 00:12:50,298 And this one. 265 00:12:50,298 --> 00:12:51,331 This was the Princess, right? 266 00:12:51,331 --> 00:12:52,331 Yes. 267 00:12:52,331 --> 00:12:57,598 The Princess was in the block which is between Peabody Place 268 00:12:57,598 --> 00:12:58,998 and Beale Street. 269 00:12:58,998 --> 00:13:03,098 There was an alley that ran through the center of the block. 270 00:13:03,098 --> 00:13:08,198 And this was the first and most elaborate stand alone theater 271 00:13:08,198 --> 00:13:10,698 that was built in Memphis. 272 00:13:10,698 --> 00:13:14,764 It's also the only one that has in the terracotta, 273 00:13:14,764 --> 00:13:18,898 you see it's theater. 274 00:13:18,898 --> 00:13:24,331 All of the rest of them from great to small were theatres 275 00:13:24,331 --> 00:13:26,564 with the r-e reversed. 276 00:13:26,564 --> 00:13:27,564 I see. 277 00:13:27,564 --> 00:13:32,298 And this beautiful terracotta fasade was hidden from most of 278 00:13:32,298 --> 00:13:33,531 the theaters life. 279 00:13:33,531 --> 00:13:35,398 This was 1913. 280 00:13:35,398 --> 00:13:39,631 And you can see between those pilasters on either side is a 281 00:13:39,631 --> 00:13:41,198 row of light bulbs. 282 00:13:41,198 --> 00:13:45,664 And the archway was studded with light bulbs. 283 00:13:45,664 --> 00:13:46,664 I see. 284 00:13:46,664 --> 00:13:49,531 And it's a very deep archway with a big fan light. 285 00:13:49,531 --> 00:13:52,164 At night, it was beautiful. 286 00:13:52,164 --> 00:13:53,564 I love these night shots. 287 00:13:53,564 --> 00:13:55,664 With the Majestic on the side. 288 00:13:55,664 --> 00:13:59,698 Which is the same address as the Optic and the Bijou. 289 00:13:59,698 --> 00:14:01,098 I see. 290 00:14:01,098 --> 00:14:03,431 I love these old-fashioned signs. 291 00:14:03,431 --> 00:14:07,331 You can see in this night picture how the star at the top 292 00:14:07,331 --> 00:14:09,064 revolved. 293 00:14:09,064 --> 00:14:11,098 You see it's a five pointed star. 294 00:14:11,098 --> 00:14:12,764 But it turned. 295 00:14:12,764 --> 00:14:13,764 I see. 296 00:14:13,764 --> 00:14:15,631 And this was what year? 297 00:14:15,631 --> 00:14:17,031 This was 1911. 298 00:14:17,031 --> 00:14:18,031 1911. 299 00:14:18,031 --> 00:14:19,031 Or 1910. 300 00:14:19,031 --> 00:14:25,264 This comes from a book of night pictures from 1911 called Night 301 00:14:25,264 --> 00:14:26,631 in Memphis. 302 00:14:26,631 --> 00:14:31,631 And it was many pictures of Main street and a couple of the side 303 00:14:31,631 --> 00:14:35,698 streets that were lit and then augmented. 304 00:14:35,698 --> 00:14:37,698 So all the windows would be lit. 305 00:14:37,698 --> 00:14:40,431 I mean you very seldom see a building with that many windows 306 00:14:40,431 --> 00:14:41,431 lit. 307 00:14:41,431 --> 00:14:43,698 And it's got another interesting point. 308 00:14:43,698 --> 00:14:45,731 You pull back just a.. 309 00:14:45,731 --> 00:14:46,731 Pull back some. 310 00:14:46,731 --> 00:14:55,098 See right above the caption are the two huge globe lights that 311 00:14:55,098 --> 00:14:58,298 showed that the majestic theater was open at night. 312 00:14:58,298 --> 00:15:02,164 You see across the street the same two kinds of lights under 313 00:15:02,164 --> 00:15:03,798 the canopy of the Gayoso. 314 00:15:03,798 --> 00:15:07,198 You see practically no street lights. 315 00:15:07,198 --> 00:15:11,164 So those were in front of all the nickelodeons and many of the 316 00:15:11,164 --> 00:15:14,298 other theaters to show that they were open at night. 317 00:15:14,298 --> 00:15:17,898 And they were some of the very earliest street lights. 318 00:15:17,898 --> 00:15:18,898 I see. 319 00:15:18,898 --> 00:15:20,898 And see this is from the same book. 320 00:15:20,898 --> 00:15:23,998 It's the corner of Main and Beale. 321 00:15:23,998 --> 00:15:25,598 You see two theaters here. 322 00:15:25,598 --> 00:15:29,164 One is the old Orpheum in 1911. 323 00:15:29,164 --> 00:15:32,931 See it's deep entry way is brilliantly lit. 324 00:15:32,931 --> 00:15:35,464 And there are the two globe lights again. 325 00:15:35,464 --> 00:15:36,464 Right. 326 00:15:36,464 --> 00:15:40,198 And a little further down is a crescent shaped sign right over 327 00:15:40,198 --> 00:15:43,664 that trolley car that says theater. 328 00:15:43,664 --> 00:15:46,964 That is the Columbia. 329 00:15:46,964 --> 00:15:51,998 And you see the top of it's front is also edged with lights. 330 00:15:51,998 --> 00:15:54,231 I see. 331 00:15:54,231 --> 00:15:57,364 Man, this was a hoppin' town back in those days. 332 00:15:57,364 --> 00:16:03,498 At any one time, there were probably during the hay days in 333 00:16:03,498 --> 00:16:07,264 the early '20s and even in the '40s, 334 00:16:07,264 --> 00:16:12,298 there were about 50 movie theaters in operation at once. 335 00:16:12,298 --> 00:16:13,298 Wow! 336 00:16:13,298 --> 00:16:14,298 In Shelby County. 337 00:16:14,298 --> 00:16:15,298 That's amazing. 338 00:16:15,298 --> 00:16:17,331 Now this is, if I remember correctly, 339 00:16:17,331 --> 00:16:19,098 this is over on Beale. 340 00:16:19,098 --> 00:16:20,098 It is. 341 00:16:20,098 --> 00:16:23,898 This is the original entrance complete with the globe lights 342 00:16:23,898 --> 00:16:25,464 of the Beale Street Palace. 343 00:16:25,464 --> 00:16:26,464 That.. 344 00:16:26,464 --> 00:16:34,064 The Beale Street Palace would have been right next to the New 345 00:16:34,064 --> 00:16:37,731 Daisy and the yellow brick building that's next to it. 346 00:16:37,731 --> 00:16:40,798 Right next to that was a three-story building which 347 00:16:40,798 --> 00:16:45,831 hosued first the Pastime, which was a nickelodeon and later a 348 00:16:45,831 --> 00:16:51,431 big auditorium was added to the back which became the Beale 349 00:16:51,431 --> 00:16:52,598 Street Palace. 350 00:16:52,598 --> 00:16:57,131 Much more famous for its live entertainment than it was its 351 00:16:57,131 --> 00:16:58,298 movies. 352 00:16:58,298 --> 00:17:02,164 In fact, there were sometimes after the show was over, 353 00:17:02,164 --> 00:17:06,031 everybody went home and the projections would put on the 354 00:17:06,031 --> 00:17:09,231 last film starting with the first reel and ending with the 355 00:17:09,231 --> 00:17:11,864 last reel with nothing in between because there was no 356 00:17:11,864 --> 00:17:13,131 body there to watch it. 357 00:17:13,131 --> 00:17:17,664 And this is 1939. 358 00:17:17,664 --> 00:17:18,764 1939! 359 00:17:18,764 --> 00:17:22,198 Well we jumped ahead just a little bit because we were 360 00:17:22,198 --> 00:17:23,864 before in the silent era. 361 00:17:23,864 --> 00:17:25,598 That's right. 362 00:17:25,598 --> 00:17:28,964 And the theater looked like this in the silent era. 363 00:17:28,964 --> 00:17:30,764 So it didn't change very much. 364 00:17:30,764 --> 00:17:37,564 But then we come in to this theater which was the old Ellis 365 00:17:37,564 --> 00:17:38,564 auditorium. 366 00:17:38,564 --> 00:17:41,564 And you told me something that was really interesting about the 367 00:17:41,564 --> 00:17:42,564 first talking. 368 00:17:42,564 --> 00:17:44,298 Yes. 369 00:17:44,298 --> 00:17:46,164 This.. 370 00:17:46,164 --> 00:17:52,331 The auditorium was wired for sound actually. 371 00:17:52,331 --> 00:17:55,631 The south hall, the smaller hall, 372 00:17:55,631 --> 00:17:58,131 had provisions for movies. 373 00:17:58,131 --> 00:18:05,931 Because in the end of the '20s when sound pictures were first 374 00:18:05,931 --> 00:18:10,531 becoming popular, it was very elaborate and expensive to 375 00:18:10,531 --> 00:18:14,031 convert a theater to sound, particularly temporarily. 376 00:18:14,031 --> 00:18:17,798 Well since the auditorium was accustomed to shows coming in 377 00:18:17,798 --> 00:18:21,898 and out all the time, they would truck sound equipment on to the 378 00:18:21,898 --> 00:18:26,264 stage of the auditorium and show a movie in the south hall. 379 00:18:26,264 --> 00:18:30,731 The Jazz Singer was one of those that we didn't get until '29. 380 00:18:30,731 --> 00:18:34,531 But it has a long run and there were several sound pictures that 381 00:18:34,531 --> 00:18:37,964 came to the auditorium first before the rest of the theaters 382 00:18:37,964 --> 00:18:38,964 were converted. 383 00:18:38,964 --> 00:18:41,831 The auditorium was originally built as an arena. 384 00:18:41,831 --> 00:18:42,831 Hm! 385 00:18:42,831 --> 00:18:44,831 Some people remember the north hall being an ampitheater and 386 00:18:44,831 --> 00:18:49,231 the ice show in the circus being in there. 387 00:18:49,231 --> 00:18:52,264 But originally, you see there's no proscenium. 388 00:18:52,264 --> 00:18:53,364 There's no stage. 389 00:18:53,364 --> 00:18:56,998 That floor in the middle that all the chairs on it was the 390 00:18:56,998 --> 00:18:58,064 stage floor. 391 00:18:58,064 --> 00:19:00,164 And it was on a lift. 392 00:19:00,164 --> 00:19:04,698 So the whole huge building could be one great arena. 393 00:19:04,698 --> 00:19:06,898 And then they wanted to divide it. 394 00:19:06,898 --> 00:19:11,164 The proscenium on either side was heavy canvas. 395 00:19:11,164 --> 00:19:13,798 And it flew in and out just like a back drop. 396 00:19:13,798 --> 00:19:19,531 Now we're looking at an artist's concept from -- when was this? 397 00:19:19,531 --> 00:19:23,798 This would have been 1927 because the new Orpheum theatre 398 00:19:23,798 --> 00:19:31,631 was opened on November 19, 1928 -- 85 years ago last November. 399 00:19:31,631 --> 00:19:36,798 This is the rendering of the brand new Orpheum, 400 00:19:36,798 --> 00:19:40,864 which was to replace in the late '20s, 401 00:19:40,864 --> 00:19:45,931 the old Orpheum that had burned in the early '20s. 402 00:19:45,931 --> 00:19:47,464 And the Warner. 403 00:19:47,464 --> 00:19:53,064 And this actually was part of an earlier chain named for 404 00:19:53,064 --> 00:19:54,064 Alexander Pantages. 405 00:19:54,064 --> 00:20:00,164 The real oldsters like my mother remember is was opened as the 406 00:20:00,164 --> 00:20:01,698 Pantages in 1921. 407 00:20:01,698 --> 00:20:04,998 Warner Brothers bought it in 1929. 408 00:20:04,998 --> 00:20:09,031 People wondered why the Warner had such a gigantic marquee. 409 00:20:09,031 --> 00:20:12,464 Well it orginally had a plain canopy, 410 00:20:12,464 --> 00:20:15,764 one of those like we've seen in previous pictures with the glass 411 00:20:15,764 --> 00:20:18,098 plates around the edge. 412 00:20:18,098 --> 00:20:19,898 And so the canopy was big. 413 00:20:19,898 --> 00:20:23,531 And when they put the marquee on top of it, 414 00:20:23,531 --> 00:20:28,198 it became one of the most significant signs Downtown. 415 00:20:28,198 --> 00:20:33,864 It's in hundreds and hundreds of parade videos and photographs. 416 00:20:33,864 --> 00:20:36,298 And this is when it was it's most beautiful. 417 00:20:36,298 --> 00:20:39,698 That's the kind of movie theater that would just get you excited 418 00:20:39,698 --> 00:20:40,698 from a distance. 419 00:20:40,698 --> 00:20:44,598 One of the things that I think is fascinating about this 420 00:20:44,598 --> 00:20:48,964 history is not only how beautiful these theaters were 421 00:20:48,964 --> 00:20:51,498 from the outside but also the interiors. 422 00:20:51,498 --> 00:20:54,898 I'm going to show another one here. 423 00:20:54,898 --> 00:21:00,298 Tell me about the Loew's Palace. 424 00:21:00,298 --> 00:21:04,498 There were three theaters being built at the same time. 425 00:21:04,498 --> 00:21:08,598 The Pantages, and two theaters to be opened by Loew's 426 00:21:08,598 --> 00:21:09,731 Incorporated. 427 00:21:09,731 --> 00:21:11,831 Loew's State, which we saw earlier, 428 00:21:11,831 --> 00:21:16,531 was on Main street and has a story all of its own because it 429 00:21:16,531 --> 00:21:17,531 was. 430 00:21:17,531 --> 00:21:20,264 The auditorium of the theater was an existing building on 431 00:21:20,264 --> 00:21:21,264 second street. 432 00:21:21,264 --> 00:21:22,264 Mhm. 433 00:21:22,264 --> 00:21:24,264 The entrance needed to be on main street. 434 00:21:24,264 --> 00:21:26,664 So it was also in an existing building. 435 00:21:26,664 --> 00:21:29,698 So it was -- had a very long lobby. 436 00:21:29,698 --> 00:21:34,164 The Palace had -- was only a half a block deep and had an 437 00:21:34,164 --> 00:21:38,298 alley in the back which could not be blocked at all. 438 00:21:38,298 --> 00:21:41,531 So it had a wide shallow lobby. 439 00:21:41,531 --> 00:21:45,464 This view is the mezzanine foyer of the theater where the main 440 00:21:45,464 --> 00:21:47,198 lounges were. 441 00:21:47,198 --> 00:21:48,198 Mhm. 442 00:21:48,198 --> 00:21:50,964 And you see how on the left there was a glass wall between 443 00:21:50,964 --> 00:21:55,998 this foyer and the outer lobby. 444 00:21:55,998 --> 00:22:00,431 So you could look through the window and see the chandelier 445 00:22:00,431 --> 00:22:04,264 and it would give the illusion of being in a bigger room. 446 00:22:04,264 --> 00:22:08,498 And if you look down under this chandelier, 447 00:22:08,498 --> 00:22:12,898 you can just see a couple of rows of seats where this was an 448 00:22:12,898 --> 00:22:13,931 open well. 449 00:22:13,931 --> 00:22:14,931 You see them there? 450 00:22:14,931 --> 00:22:15,931 Yes. 451 00:22:15,931 --> 00:22:19,164 An open well over the back rows of seats. 452 00:22:19,164 --> 00:22:22,431 It had one big balcony which had two levels. 453 00:22:22,431 --> 00:22:24,931 You see on the sides where there's a little cut out. 454 00:22:24,931 --> 00:22:28,898 That's the tunnel that goes to the lower part of the big 455 00:22:28,898 --> 00:22:29,898 balcony. 456 00:22:29,898 --> 00:22:32,264 And a step box is on either side. 457 00:22:32,264 --> 00:22:35,664 And then there was other entrances for the top part of 458 00:22:35,664 --> 00:22:36,664 the balcony. 459 00:22:36,664 --> 00:22:39,531 I know this is one of your great loves right here. 460 00:22:39,531 --> 00:22:40,531 Yeah. 461 00:22:40,531 --> 00:22:41,531 The organ. 462 00:22:41,531 --> 00:22:42,931 And which organ is this? 463 00:22:42,931 --> 00:22:45,131 Which theater is it from? 464 00:22:45,131 --> 00:22:47,864 This is the south hall of the auditorium. 465 00:22:47,864 --> 00:22:54,464 And this is a very lucky instrument. 466 00:22:54,464 --> 00:22:56,464 It is a for manual Kimball concert organ that was used for 467 00:22:56,464 --> 00:22:58,764 many, many things throughout its lifetime. 468 00:22:58,764 --> 00:23:01,864 And when the auditorium was taken down, 469 00:23:01,864 --> 00:23:06,298 it was carefully crated and put away in the basement. 470 00:23:06,298 --> 00:23:10,031 It was purchased by Bartlett Methodist Church, 471 00:23:10,031 --> 00:23:14,264 rebuilt and sounds even better at Bartlett Methodist than it 472 00:23:14,264 --> 00:23:15,864 did at the Ellis Auditorium. 473 00:23:15,864 --> 00:23:18,898 [laughter] I'm gonna jump here a little bit. 474 00:23:18,898 --> 00:23:22,498 We're gonna take a look at this picture here. 475 00:23:22,498 --> 00:23:26,264 What we're looking at is a younger Vincent Astor. 476 00:23:26,264 --> 00:23:28,664 This was taken around the '70s, right? 477 00:23:28,664 --> 00:23:30,931 It was '77 or '78. 478 00:23:30,931 --> 00:23:34,331 It was after the theater had become the Orpheum again. 479 00:23:34,331 --> 00:23:39,598 And I'm wearing a 1940s Malco usher coat, 480 00:23:39,598 --> 00:23:42,064 which is now belongs to the Pink Palace. 481 00:23:42,064 --> 00:23:44,198 And that was taken by the Commercial Appeal. 482 00:23:44,198 --> 00:23:48,098 It's averaged sized guy next to gigantic light fixture. 483 00:23:48,098 --> 00:23:52,498 But every once in a while, they take down the chandelier. 484 00:23:52,498 --> 00:23:55,298 And here you are giving it a nice polish. 485 00:23:55,298 --> 00:23:59,198 Was that something you did on a regular basis back then? 486 00:23:59,198 --> 00:24:03,864 As seldom as I can get away with it. 487 00:24:03,864 --> 00:24:08,198 [laughter] That light fixture is about 12 feet high. 488 00:24:08,198 --> 00:24:12,598 You can get down inside of the bowl and it's big enough to hide 489 00:24:12,598 --> 00:24:13,431 a body. 490 00:24:13,431 --> 00:24:14,098 Oh my gosh! 491 00:24:14,098 --> 00:24:17,064 It wenches down from the ceiling in the same type of wench that's 492 00:24:17,064 --> 00:24:20,431 used to lift other heavy things like car motors. 493 00:24:20,431 --> 00:24:21,664 Right, right. 494 00:24:21,664 --> 00:24:25,031 And it takes 45 minutes to get it down and two and a half hours 495 00:24:25,031 --> 00:24:28,631 of cranking by hand to get it back up again. 496 00:24:28,631 --> 00:24:31,764 You're pulling this long chain and pulling it and pulling it 497 00:24:31,764 --> 00:24:34,831 and pulling it until it finally gets back up there. 498 00:24:34,831 --> 00:24:38,998 It was said in 1928 that it weighed 2000 pounds. 499 00:24:38,998 --> 00:24:40,031 Oh my goodness! 500 00:24:40,031 --> 00:24:43,498 Well Vincent, the time has just flown by. 501 00:24:43,498 --> 00:24:46,564 And you have to promise me that you'll come back and we'll do 502 00:24:46,564 --> 00:24:47,931 this again. 503 00:24:47,931 --> 00:24:48,664 Certainly! 504 00:24:48,664 --> 00:24:49,398 Alright. 505 00:24:49,398 --> 00:24:51,531 And the book is called Memphis Movie Theaters. 506 00:24:51,531 --> 00:24:55,931 And it is written by my friend, Vincent Astor. 507 00:24:55,931 --> 00:24:58,398 Thank you for being on the show. 508 00:24:58,398 --> 00:25:12,731 ♪♪♪ 509 00:25:12,731 --> 00:25:16,731 CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY WKNO-MEMPHIS.