Plaza Theatre
Glasgow, KY Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Here's another great old downtown theater that still has plenty of its original look. The Plaza Theatre in Glasgow opened in 1934, and its big marquee and vertical neon sign still reach out over East Main Street just like a classic Main Street theater should.
The Plaza was built as an atmospheric theater, with the auditorium designed to give moviegoers the feeling of sitting beneath an outdoor night sky. It wasn't just movies either. Over the years the stage welcomed country music names including Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Minnie Pearl.
The movies eventually stopped and the Plaza closed in the early 1990s. The City of Glasgow purchased the old theater in 2001 and began the renovation that was apparently underway when this shot was taken. It reopened in 2005 as a performing arts center.
UPDATE: The Plaza has been saved, and is now doing business. Many thanks to Larry Dowell for info. 04-06
UPDATE: The Plaza remains open for concerts, shows and community events, with its vintage marquee and neon still lighting up Main Street. 08-26
Capitol Theatre
Lebanon, TN Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Here's another old downtown movie house that looked like it was waiting for better days. The Capitol Theatre in Lebanon still had its classic marquee hanging over Main Street, even though the movies had stopped and the building was sitting vacant.
The Capitol opened in 1949 as a 1,000-seat theater, with Betty Grable in The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend on the screen for opening night. It remained a downtown movie stop until around 1980, then went through a few other uses before eventually sitting empty for years.
Fortunately, the Capitol's story didn't end with this shot. Bob and Pam Black purchased the old theater in 2009 and spent several years bringing it back. The restored Capitol reopened in 2013, with the marquee and much of its vintage theater look intact.
UPDATE: The Capitol Theatre remains open as an event venue, hosting concerts, movies and other gatherings beneath its restored marquee. 08-26
Trustees Theatre (formerly Weis Theatre)
Savannah, GA Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Check out the vertical marquee on the Trustees Theatre along Broughton Street in Savannah. With its towering sign, curved lines and neon, this old theater still has plenty of the look that must have caught people's attention downtown back in the 1940s.
The theater opened on Valentine's Day 1946 as the Weis Theatre, showing The Enchanted Forest on opening day. It was quite a modern place for Savannah at the time, complete with air conditioning and an elaborate marquee said to contain nearly three-quarters of a mile of neon tubing.
The Weis closed in 1980 as movie crowds increasingly headed away from downtown. SCAD purchased the vacant theater in 1989 and eventually restored it, reopening the place in 1998 with Tony Bennett performing on opening night.
Today the marquee reads Trustees Theatre, but underneath is still that great old Weis Theatre showplace.
UPDATE: The Trustees Theatre remains open as a SCAD performing arts and film venue, with its restored vertical marquee still lighting up Broughton Street. 08-26
Lucas Theatre
Savannah, GA Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Here's another grand old theater that managed to make it back from the brink. The Lucas Theatre sits just off Reynolds Square in Savannah, with its classic marquee reaching out over Abercorn Street and a facade that still looks ready for a night at the movies.
The Lucas opened on December 26, 1921, with the silent film Camille starring Alla Nazimova and Rudolph Valentino. For more than half a century it was one of Savannah's downtown movie houses, surviving the silent era, talkies and plenty of changes along the way.
By the 1970s, audiences were heading elsewhere and the Lucas closed in 1976. The old theater sat empty for years and faced demolition more than once before preservation efforts finally took hold. After a long restoration, the Lucas reopened in 2000.
Lucas Theatre
Savannah, GA Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Today the lights are back on, the marquee still hangs over the sidewalk, and the Lucas once again welcomes crowds for movies, concerts and live performances.
UPDATE: The Lucas Theatre remains open as a performing arts venue, with its restored marquee still marking this corner of downtown Savannah. 08-26
Leeds Theatre
Winchester, KY Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Here's another great old Main Street theater that looks like it has been treated pretty well over the years. The Leeds Theatre in Winchester still has its classic facade and marquee reaching out over the sidewalk. 04-05
The Leeds opened in 1925 as a single-screen movie house, with its unusual name coming from a contest that rearranged the letters in owner S.D. Lee's name. For decades it was the place to catch a movie in downtown Winchester before finally closing in 1986.
Fortunately, the darkened theater didn't stay that way for long. The building was restored and reopened in 1990 as the Leeds Center for the Arts. Judging by the marquee and facade, they did a pretty nice job keeping the old theater look around.
UPDATE: The Leeds Center for the Arts remains open, hosting live theater, concerts and other events beneath its restored marquee. 08-26
Plaza Theatre
Capitol Theatre
Leeds Theatre
