Evangeline Theatre (Rem.)
New Liberia, LA
Photo courtesy KingRob

The Evangeline Theatre in New Liberia, LA is still open for business and features a very distinct marquee on its front deco facade. It also appears that the sign lights up at night. The marquee is original as is most of the facade of the building. This theatre was completely refurbished. Many thanks to KingRob for info.

That big old marquee is hard to miss, hanging out over the sidewalk and announcing the Perry Theatre to anyone passing through downtown Perry. With PERRY spelled across the front and the old theater entrance tucked underneath, this is one of those places that probably caused more than a few roadside photographers to hit the brakes.

Evangeline Theatre (Rem.)
New Liberia, LA
Photo courtesy KingRob

The theater goes back to 1950, when it opened as the Muse Theatre with 725 seats and Nancy Goes to Rio on the screen for opening night. Like quite a few neighborhood movie houses, the name changed with the times. It became the Simco Cinema in 1973, then took on the Perry Theatre name in 1979. By the early 1980s, the movies were over and the box office had closed.

Fortunately, the building didn't disappear. It spent the years afterward serving a few decidedly less glamorous purposes, including storage and later an antique mall. The old Perry marquee seen here eventually came down, taking away the part of the building that really caught your eye from the street.

Evangeline Theatre another view
New Liberia, LA
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Still, it's easy to look at this shot and picture Commerce Street on movie night, with the marquee lit and people heading through those doors. Sometimes the sign tells you just about everything you need to know.

UPDATE: The old theater was renovated in 2021 and reopened under its original Muse Theatre name, this time as a venue for weddings, concerts and other events. The Perry Theatre marquee is gone, but the old movie house is still standing and in use. 08-26

Pitman Theatre
Gadsden, AL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

Here's a nice old theater that still knows how to get your attention. The Pitman Theatre sits along Broad Street in downtown Gadsden, with its tall vertical sign and marquee reaching out over the sidewalk. Add the White Palace Cafe right across the street and you've got a pretty good little stretch of vintage roadside scenery. This is right across the street from a good looking roadside cafe.

The Pitman opened on September 26, 1947, with Yvonne De Carlo in Slave Girl. It was quite the place in its day, complete with air conditioning, pushback seats and what was advertised as the largest movie screen in Gadsden. The theater even became the first in town to show a 3-D movie.

Pitman Theatre
Gadsden, AL
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

There's also a neat local Hollywood connection here. In 1963, the Pitman hosted a special showing of To Kill a Mockingbird. Mary Badham and Phillip Alford, who played Scout and Jem in the movie, both had ties to the Gadsden area. Not a bad bit of movie history for an old theater on Broad Street.

The Pitman continued showing movies until October 2, 1983. After sitting quiet for years, restoration work began in the late 1990s and the building eventually found a new life as an event and community space.

Best of all, the big Pitman sign survived. It was taken down for repairs and later returned to the front of the building with its neon glowing again. If you're passing through Gadsden, take a look across the street too. An old theater and a roadside cafe facing each other is a combination that's getting pretty hard to find.

UPDATE: The Pitman Theatre remains open as an event venue, and its restored vertical neon sign still marks the old theater along Broad Street. 08-26