Georgia Theatre
663 Mississippi Boulevard,
Memphis,
TN
38126
663 Mississippi Boulevard,
Memphis,
TN
38126
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Dave Lebovitz and his brother owned and operated several ‘colored’ movie theatres: Ace Theatre, Harlem Theatre and Georgia Theatre. He and his brother also owned and operated three drive-in theatres: Sky-Vue Drive-In, Lamar Drive-In and the Sunset Drive-In (in West Memphis).
The Georgia Theatre (at the point of Georgia Street and Mississippi Boulevard) opened in 1939. It closed in the aftermath of Dr. King’s assassination in 1968 and has been a motor cycle bar since the mid-1970’s. The exterior has changed very little and there is still a pie-shaped canopy. For several years it has been a restaurant, but the building was vacant in 2022.
Contributed by
Jack Coursey, Vincent Astor
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
The Georgia Theatre must be the project mentioned in the August 17, 1940, issue of Boxoffice. Headed “625-Seat Negro Theatre Planned in Memphis,” the item gave the location as the corner of Georgia and Mississippi avenues. Designed by architect Raymond B. Spencer, the new house was slated to cost $35,000.
My dad and his brother owned and operated this theater from the time it opened until it closed, probably in the wake of the MLK assassination. It plus the Ace and the Harlem were all part of the orginal group which they owned and all were in black neighborhoods that could be pretty rough on weekends.
A very nice gentleman from the Royal Knights, headquartered in the building, let me look inside. It is a bar with a low ceiling supported by posts. It can be seen where the lobby wall was, otherwise no trace of the interior. He said that it had been a bar since the mid-1970s but also said he would look up more information. Dave Lebovitz owned and operated several “Colored” movie theaters: Ace, Harlem, and Georgia. He and his brother also owned and operated three Drive-In movies: Sky-Vue, Lamar, and Sunset (West Memphis).
Latterly Miss Shirley’s Kitchen, now KO’s Kitchen serving soul food.
As of 2022, vacant with a For Rent sign.