Tivoli Theater

Mortimer & Kingsberry launched the Gem Theatre on October 26, 1926 with Julanne Johnston in “Dame Chance”. It was a quickly converted retail space that had been offered for lease at $125 per month. They played continuous run second and third run films from 2pm to 11pm under the moniker, “The popular price picture show”. The Gem Theatre closed at ownership change on December 3, 1927.

Joseph A. Barcelona Enterprises took on the venue effective on January 1, 1928. At its relaunch, it was renamed the Tivoli Theatre with Betty Compson in “Cheating Cheaters” as its first film. The venue had a new screen, new projectors and lenses and a new interior design. And in January of 1930, it also had sound to remain commercially viable.

Joseph Barcelona Enterprises added the Peoples Theatre - which he closed in favor of the new-build Istrouma Theatre - the new-build Avenue Theatre and the new-build Regina Theatre in 1942. But he would sublease the Tivoli Theatre along with the Avenue Theatre and Istrouma Theatre effective on January 3, 1943 to Jefferson J. Rebstock and Roy E. Pfeiffer of Rebstock-Pfeiffer Theaters. The Tivoli Theatre would not make it to the end of the fledgling circuit’s 10-year subleasing agreement.

RKO, Loew’s, Paramount and 20th-Fox filed separate box office percentage fraud suits in Federal Court against Rebstock-Pfeiffer which were likely settled out of court. But (or, perhaps, because of that) Rebstock-Pfeiffer would soon split. They ended their subleasing agreement with Barcelona effective February 4, 1951 and the Tivoli and Avenue were returned to Barcelona Enterprises. Pfeiffer bought out the Istrouma Theatre for $85k.

Barcelona now had to figure out how to deal with the Tivoli, Avenue, and Regina in the age of television. The Avenue Theatre was closed almost instantly in early-1951. Barcelona then steered the Tivoli Theatre to closure on April 23, 1955 with Judy Canova in “Carolina Cannonball” supported by the shorts “Motor Maniacs,” an episode of the serial, “Battling with Buffalo Bill”, and a cartoon short.

Two teen club concepts moved in to the former Tivoli Theatre location. The first was called The Hangout: A Teenage Canteen rebranded as Club Teen in 1957. Barcelona continued in the movie industry with the Regina Theatre until 1963. Meanwhile, the former Tivoli Theatre and everything around it was demolished in 1970’s era urban renewal.

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