Airways Theatre
2366 Lamar Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38114
2366 Lamar Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38114
2 people
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the “s” in Airways was added in 1965.
It became the Airways on October 22nd, 1965, showing adult movies. Grand opening ad posted.
This opened as Airway on January 22nd, 1942. Grand opening ad posted.
The Airway ended its days as a regular theater around September of 1965. It reopened shortly thereafter as an adult/porn venue. It was still in operation as such as late as 1987, though it may have closed that year. A Burger King now sits on part of the basic grounds.
Kemmons Wilson built this theatre in 1941. Ads from the period call it the “Airway” though locals always knew it by the name of the nearby street, which is “Airways” because it was laid out to go to the airport. In its later years as an adult theatre the ads show the name “Airways.” When this happened is still being researched. Though demolished now, it lasted longer because of the adult trade.
Don’t tell me you drove there to watch a skin flick!
Yes it was Mike.
yes, it was showing X-rated films.and they went 24 hours Friday til Subday. Boxoffice opened at 10:00 am and it was Couples Six dollars!1977 prices.Nice looking theatre to have to play adult films.
The Airways was showing adult films in the early 1970s:
http://tinyurl.com/8dryjc
The Airways is gone, torn down in a highway realignment. It had been closed for some time. The name, ironic in view of the fact that TV put neighborhood theatres out of business, is from its location on Airways Boulevard, the road to the Memphis airport.
The Airways was one of the larger “neighborhood” theaters. It had a spacious auditorium with a balcony. In size I would compare it to the Rosemary (q.v.) but with less ornate decoration. When I first saw it in the 60s it was already a porn house, showing mostly Euro-trash but occasionally some home-grown material such as “Surftide 77” and “The Bare Hunt.” The balcony was “reserved for couples only.” The area was a little frightening even then and I only went there a few times. When I returned to Memphis in 1973 it was still running, and I went there once to check it out. Once was enough. The neighborhood, the theater, and the show had all deteriorated even further. In later years I drove by occasionally and it was still operating for a while, but eventually closed. Sorry I can’t provide any more recent information.