Grand Theatre (Closed)
Douglas, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Grand Theatre still makes quite an impression along G Avenue in downtown Douglas. Its ornate facade and projecting blade sign rise above the sidewalk, recalling the days when a theatre was one of the biggest attractions in town. The old lettering remains, although the neon is gone. Imagine this entrance on a busy evening, with the marquee glowing and a crowd waiting for the doors to open. 06-23

Designed by architect M. Eugene Durfee, the Grand opened on January 25, 1919. Its neoclassical styling and terra-cotta detailing gave Douglas a movie palace worthy of its ambitious name. At the time, it was promoted as the largest and most beautiful theatre between Los Angeles and San Antonio. That was quite a stretch of territory to claim.

Grand Theatre (Marquee Close-up)
Douglas, AZ
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The Diamos family developed the theatre through their Lyric Amusement Company, spending about $250,000 on its construction. Movies shared the bill with vaudeville and live performances, and famous visitors included Ginger Rogers, Anna Pavlova and John Philip Sousa. There was also a tea room, confectionery shop and barbershop within the building. Apparently, an evening at the Grand could involve considerably more than buying a ticket.

The theatre closed in 1958, and the following decades were not kind to the old place. Water found its way inside, drainage problems worsened and the roof eventually collapsed during the 1980s. Parts of the auditorium became open to the sky, with vegetation growing where audiences had once settled in for the show. Behind that handsome street facade was a much rougher story.

Grand Theatre
Douglas, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Fortunately, local residents were not ready to let the Grand disappear. The Douglas Arts and Humanities Association purchased the property for one dollar to save it from demolition. The purchase price was the easy part. Stabilizing the building and dealing with decades of damage required a much longer effort. Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 had recognized its importance, but keeping the walls standing took plenty of local determination.

UPDATE: Border Arts Corridor assumed stewardship of the Grand in 2018 and continues phased preservation work. The property has also been used for gallery exhibitions and community arts programming, although it has not returned to regular movie-theatre operations. The historic facade and blade sign survive, with the sign’s neon still awaiting restoration. 09-26

Grand Theatre (Marquee Close-up) Douglas, AZ Photo courtesy Devil Doll	Grand Theatre Douglas, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com