Mazda Theatre
293-295 Madison Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38103
293-295 Madison Avenue,
Memphis,
TN
38103
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The Jefferson theatre opened on November 16th, 1908. Grand opening ad posted.
John Gaisford, architect of the Jefferson Theatre, also designed the Marion (later Paramount) Theatre in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I’ve also found references to a theater project in Little Rock that Gaisford designed for New York theater owner Albert Weis in 1909, but I’ve been unable to discover if the house was built or, if it was, what it was called.
A 1909 Plan View of the Jefferson auditorium has been posted. The plan view includes the orchestra, balcony, gallery, dressing rooms, prop rooms, offices, stairs, toilets, and exits. It’s from a Jefferson Theatre Program dated March 1909.
From Paul Coppock’s book “Memphis Memoirs.” Paraphrased.
As the Jefferson (opened September 1908) it was primarily drama, opera and music. It was named after theatrical personage Joseph Jefferson, not Thomas Jefferson. As the Lyric (from 1911) it had a period of vaudeville in the teens and competed with the Lyceum and the Orpheum. The Lyric did show movies in the 20s. Two titles referenced are “The Big Parade”(1925) and “The Covered Wagon” (1923). The most famous incident happened in 1929 when “King of Kings” (released 1927) ran into trouble with Lloyd T. Binford because of scenes not included in the Gospels. The censors won in a court battle and the movie was banned in Memphis. After the big palaces were all open in 1921 the Lyric fell on hard times partly because of its location far from Main St. It was much plainer and far less luxurious than the new, cooler, movie palaces. It however was the site of the first opera broadcasts in Memphis from WMC in January of 1923. The Mazda name is from the Mazda Grotto, a fraternal organization. Its aim was to organize a recreational center, which failed, and the Junior Order of Mechanics took over in 1932. The city owned the building when it burned January 23, 1941 probably the victim of a lightning bolt. The city hadn’t even insured the building and it had been virtually abandoned.
There’s a photo on this page, where it’s listed under the name Lyric Theatre, but it’s very similar to the photo above.
Joe: what a great article! And I stand corrected. The Jefferson Theatre, stood on Madison, not on Jefferson, a block away. It soon became known as the Lyric and later the Mazda. Thanks for the addition. Now if we can just find some more photos…
Trade publication The Billboard noted in its issue of December 5, 1908, that the Jefferson Theatre in Memphis had opened on the 16th of the previous month. A 1912 book called “Standard History of Memphis, Tennessee: From a Study of the Original Sources,” by John Preston Young and A. R. James, devoted several paragraphs to the Jefferson Theatre ( Google Books scan here.) As it is out of copyright, I’ll quote the entire passage:
Trade journal The Bridgemen’s Magazine reported in its May, 1908, issue that the Jefferson Theatre had been designed by Memphis architect John Gaisford.Vincent, it’s been too long since I did this research and can’t tell you a date anymore. Seems odd that there would be a Jefferson Theatre on Madison Ave when Jefferson Ave is just a block away. It is certainly possible, but you have to hope that the owners weren’t that blind to the possibility for confusion. Since you have access to the city directories maybe this will help: the storefront at the far left, the big sign is cut off but says “…aus and Co. Dyers” and the small sign up under the canopy says “..raus and Co. Cleaners.” The word “Dyers” appears again right next to the entrance. Could be Straus or Kraus.
Immediately to the left of the theatre’s lobby appears to be a barber shop. (What is it about theatres and barber shops?) For all the world I think the name is “Ed’s.”
Can’t make out what’s immediately to the right of the lobby, one word on the window might be “buffet.” Did they have buffet’s in 1910?
The building at far right looks like “Memphis Storage Company.” Can’t make out the first word well, but it’s “something Storage Company.”
What I wouldn’t give to be able to read the poster cases at the theatre entrance and the little A-frame sign on the sidewalk. (And did you notice the horse at the far right?)
Re the Germania Hall, I remember seeing that in a different context entirely. Correct me if I’m not wrong, but wasn’t that where Oscar Wilde spoke in 1882 (1883?). Probably a different venue from this entirely.
293-295 Madison shows a Jefferson Theatre in 1910 and a Lyric Theatre in 1912 in the Polk City Directories for those years. The 1908 directory shows a Germania Hall (the German community auditorium which did have stage presentations) at 190 Jefferson but only a coal company and Patterson Transfer at the 309-311 address. What year was your information?
Have found and retrieved my theatre memorablilia from Schwab’s, now starting a new project concerning same for Memphis Heritage. This explains my return to the discussion after, say, 25 years.
I am going by the 1909 city directory, we will have to seek further in later directories. Try looking for Lyric in the 1912 directory (remember, the canvass in 1911 will appear in 1912) and see what you find as will I. These directories can be found on the local county register website (Tom Leatherwood) up to 1918. All this is recent news to me, thought the Lyric had just been left out because it was not a regular cinema.
Vincent, there’s a seperate listing for the Jefferson Theatre, but the address I found was 309-311 Jefferson Ave not 291 Madison. Ideas about the descrepancy?
JEFFERSON/LYRIC/MAZDA 293-295 Madison Opened 1908 . 1400 seats. Burned 1941.
The Lyric started out life as The Jefferson in 1908. It is listed in the 1909 city directory at 293-295 Madison. Its name was changed to The Lyric when the management changed in 1911. This is presently just west of where the Madison overpass crosses Danny Thomas. New construction and parking at the address currently. Originally presented stage shows and Vaudeville. Sarah Bernhardt performed here. The name was changed again to the Mazda about 10 years before it burned. In later years, prizefights were held at the theatre. The theatre burned on January 23, 1941.
Jack, from Wikipedia, the source of all knowledge: “The name ‘Mazda’ was (a brand name of light bulbs) used from 1909 through 1945 by … General Electric… The company chose the name due to its association with Ahura Mazda, the transcendental and universal God of Zoroastrianism whose name means "Wise Lord” in the Avestan language."
In the longer version of the story, there is an association between Ahura Mazda and the triumph of light – so a movie theatre with the name Mazda is pretty clever.