Memphis THEATRE SHOWMEN

Their son, Charles F. Crisp, born in England, settled in Georgia with his parents.   Acting was not a career choice for him.  He became a prominent politician ... Congressman from Georgia and Speaker of the House.  The letter (below) was written by William to his son, Charles in 1854.  It is in the collection of Francis J. Crown, Jr., who has shared it with this website.

Ellis and Louis Leubrie were brothers from St. Louis who purchased the building at 82 Jefferson and renamed it Leubrie's Theatre.  Oscar Wilde lectured at Leubrie's in 1882.  Sarah Bernhardt's first American tour played there in 1880-81.  Opera was the biggest draw:  Abbott's Opera Co appeared in 1880, 1882 and 1887.  Weber's Opera in 1883.  Ford's Opera Co appeared in 1884.  The Leubrie brothers had a major business reversal around 1887 and were compelled to sell the theatre.  After it was sold, the theater was renamed "The New Memphis".  Ellis then became manager of The New Memphis.  Several other managers associated with Leubries and the New Memphis are Frank Gray , Joseph Brooks,  and T. W. Davey.   In 1876-77, the Leubrie brothers were involved with other businesses in Memphis - "Fancy Goods" at 222 Main, Cigars and Tobacco at 235 and 277 Main.

Along with "real theatre", another type of theater was developing  - "Variety Theatre".  It flourished in Memphis and catered to large stag audiences.  The programs were similar to Vaudeville (song, dances, dumb acts, specialty numbers, sketches), but the Variety Halls added a liberal supply of song and dance girls, and pretty waitresses serving drinks.  The Memphis Halls soon acquired the name "low varieties".  With these halls opening and closing on a regular basis, managerial careers were often short and unprofitable.  A successful manager had to be forceful and wear at least  three hats - host-talent booker, bouncer, and saloon keeper.    Many very successful managers of the period learned their  trade or served their apprentice-ship  in the Variety Halls.

Frank Gray was a Memphis newspaperman, who was interested in Theatre.  He began his work in the Theatre as an usher at Leubries, becoming a Business Manager, and then Acting Manager, and Manager.  He was manager at all of the leading theaters of Memphis.  Gray was considered a clever and capable manager who booked only the best attractions, and he was known as the "Dean of Southern Theatre Managers".  Check the impressive list of bookings (below) he made for the Lyceum's 1907 season.

The Grand Opera House was built in 1890 and John D. Hopkins purchased it in 1899 - renaming it Hopkins Grand Opera House.  Hopkins' background was in Vaudeville and Minstrel Shows.  He had vaudeville theaters in Chicago and in St. Louis, and his own Vaudeville troupe name "Hopkins Transoceanic Star Specialty Co."  Once he took control of the Grand Opera,  he immediately hired his own resident Stock Company, and went about changing the house into a Vaudeville Theatre.  He replaced the gas lighting with 586 sparkling lights and changed the color of the foyer from a drab olive to a brighter gray and gold.  He completely renovated the house in 1903 and the color scheme was changed again to rose and gold, with the boxes accented with green and yellow.  Of course the primary fare was Vaudeville, but in 1906, the most popular act was the great Sarah Bernhardt.  When the Grand Opera opened in1890 there were a series of managers (including T. J. Boyle and Frank Gray) during the first 10 years.  When Hopkins took over, he installed Anderson B. Morrison, who was the manager for the next 6 years.  Morrison was considered one of the most popular managers in Memphis.  Hopkins was a wheeler-dealer.  Around 1906 he was involved in a lawsuit because he planned to sub-lease the Opera House to a Burlesque Circuit.  This suit may have led to the Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit being able to take over the house in 1907.   

A. B. Morrison   
              ...and the East End  ...Hopkins Opera  ...Orpheum ...Jefferson ...Lyceum ...Pantages Theatres

The Auditorium was probably the first real Cinema in Memphis and where, in 1897, the new Cinematograph was first demonstrated in the city.  Edison's Concert Phonograph also had its Memphis debut at The Auditorium.  The Auditorium opened in 1894 and lasted until 1903. It was located at S. Main and Linden in a huge barn which had been used as a garage for horse-drawn carriages.  When electric trolleys replaced the carriages, the building was converted to a theatre.  The Auditorium building was extensively remodeled in 1903 and renamed  the Bijou.  The building burned down in 1911.  Sometime after 1918 it was supposed to have been rebuilt.  We can find no record of that in the City Directories. Benjamin M. Stainback started out managing the Auditorium and continued a very successful operation when the name was changed to the Bijou Theatre.  A particularly important booking was the United Confederate Veterans Reunion of 1909.  The Bijou was located near the Orpheum, approximately on the site of the Chisca Hotel.  After the Bijou, Stainback is listed as manager of LOEW'S Lyceum in 1920.

Charles Dinstuhl was a "candy man" - and a clever one.  He realized a connection between "snacks" and theatres, so in 1905 he opened The Theatorium at 156 N. Main,  next door to his confection Shop.  This is generally considered Memphis' first Nickelodeon movie theatre and the first theatre where films were the main attraction.  Between films, singers sang as slides were projected on screen.  It was a huge success and in a short time no less than twenty of these theatres were scattered around Memphis.  The city recognized a good thing and imposed a license of $400 per year on these theaters,  payable in advance.  This put several out of business but The Theatorium was successful.   Films shown at The Theatorium included "The Great Train Robbery" and the theater became part of the "Crystal Circuit.  There may have been 3 different Theatoriums in the city.  Sol Dan and W. H. Wassman are other managers associated with The Theatorium.  In 1908 The Theatorium at 156 N. Main was purchased by Frank Montgomery and was renamed "Majestic #1" - the first in a chain of Majestics.  Charles was born in 1898 and died in 1981.  The Theatorium is long gone, but the fifth generation of Dinstuhl's is still making fine candies in Memphis.

Does a photo exist of the THEATORIUM Theatre???

Jack Amick was perhaps the first real "showman-manager" of Memphis.  He owned the Palace Theatre at 135 N. Main, which premiered in 1907.  It opened as a moving picture house, but later Jack added vaudeville acts with seven performances daily - 30 minutes each - three in the afternoon and four in the evening.  This innovation met with immediate success and the Palace drew crowds each day.  Jack had been an actor and after forming the Amick Vaudeville Exchange, he created a circuit of theaters in the South and operated theaters in Meridian, Hattiesburg, Biloxi, Mobile, Pensacola, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport.  The performers he hired spoke of him as being one of the best managers in the business.  In 1908 Jack Amick also became the first manager of The Lyric Theater in Memphis.  He never completely gave up performing and later moved to Chicago and New York where he continued managing theaters as well as performing.  As an actor-manager, Jack Amick was one of the first to take advantage of major advertising - not only for his theaters, but for himself.  A true showman!

Frank Montgomery, 'the Moving Pictures Man of Memphis" was the ultimate "showman".  In 1908 he purchased The Theatorium from Charles Dinstuhl and renamed it the Majestic #1.  It became the first of many Memphis theaters owned by Frank Montgomery.  According to numerous references in vintage periodicals of the time, he owned 4 to 8 Majestic Theaters and The Columbia (Princess).  He also owned theaters in Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Chicago.  Montgomery was considered a master of advertising.  It was said of Frank that "Here was the beginning of class and quality which made the Montgomery name famous throughout the South".  He first announced that his theaters would feature nothing but pictures - no vaudeville.  Frank reasoned that the public had never really seen first class films - that they were accustomed to seeing old films, painfully blurred and with frequent breaks of the film.  He organized "The Majestic Amusement Company" and proceeded to order new films. purchase the best of equipment, develop better lighting and give the patrons better ventilation.   And it pleased the ladies when Frank decorated the exterior and interior of the house with plants.  Frank also demanded the best service from his operators, doormen, cashiers, and all other employees.  In effect, he put real snap into his shows by engaging an orchestra instead of the usual lone piano player.  If the Majestics weren't enough, the Majestic Amusement Company also managed all the Empire Theaters in Memphis.  In 1919 the Majestic Amusement Co became "Memphis Enterprises" and in 1921 "Consolidated Enterprises", taking on partners R. C. Tarlton and C. T. Bridges.  Frank Montgomery spent money and made money.    He was a class act!

* Frank T. Montgomery has comprehensive coverage on another page of this website >  Click Here.

Charles A. McElravy (1878 - 1961) was General Manager of Ellis Auditorium from its opening in 1924 until his retirement in 1951. His many responsibilities included booking the talent, drafting the contacts, insuring each shows success, etc. Ellis was profitable the last 22 of his 27 year career. In his honor, 'The Charles A. McElravy Award' was created in 1963, honoring this International Association of Auditorium Managers pioneer and citing current members "for contributions to the IAAM and the profession of auditorium management."  It is a very prestigious International Award.  But McElravy's career hadn't begun with Ellis.  He came to Memphis in 1904 to manage several amusements at the old East End Park.  In 1906 he was general manager of the distributing branch of the American Film Corporation.  In 1908 he became the general manager of Frank Montgomery's Majestic Amusement Company, where he managed 4 theaters until 1919.   By 1921 he had 16 theaters under his direction, including several in Jackson, Chattanooga, Johnson City, and Knoxville.  For 4 of these years he was also president of the Motion Picture Exhibitions League of Tennessee - where he became affectionately known as "Mac of the movies".  In spite of these early successes he was never satisfied to let conditions remain as they were.  He constantly strived for improvement and it was said that "Memphis had the finest run motion picture theaters in the entire south". 

Robert Church was a business leader, philanthropist, and a millionaire.  He was also African-American.  Born in 1839 to a white father and a black mother, Robert learned business from his father.  Real estate was his main interest but he was involved in other enterprises, including a hotel, a restaurant, a billiard hall, and a saloon.  His first-class Memphis hotel at Second and Gayoso was the first hotel exclusively for blacks in the U. S.  It was furnished with the best equipment of that day.  In 1899, Memphis didn't provide recreational facilities for African-American citizens.  So Church opened "Church's Park and Auditorium on Beale Street.  The Auditorium was well equipped and had one of the largest stages in the South, completely furnished with all modern equipment, including a fire-proof curtain, and could seat 2,000.  Beneath the stage was a large banquet hall.  All popular African-American  theatrical troupes performed at Church Auditorium, including Black Patti Troubadours and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.  W. C. Handy was employed as orchestra leader.  President Theodore Roosevelt was a guest at a reception attended by over 10,000 citizens in 1902.  The Auditorium was hugely successful.  Robert Church went on serve as a Republican delegate for Memphis and founded the Solvent Bank and Trust Company, which became the largest African American bank in the country.  During a later period of political squabbling, the city took control of the Auditorium and demolished the building and built a replacement called Beale Auditorium.  It is no longer there but Church Park remains. 

Italian immigrant Sam Zerilla, a clarinetist in the John Philip Sousa band, opened The Pastime Theater  in 1909.  It was the first African-American movie house in Memphis.  And then he opened the OLD Daisy Theatre in the 1920s.  His relative, Paul Zerilla, along with partner Joe Maceri opened the NEW Daisy Theatre across the street in 1941.  It replaced two older theaters and was originally a move house, but occasionally had live music.  This group was the first to organize the Black theaters into regional chains in 1909 when Sam Zerilla and the Barrasso brothers combined their Memphis theaters to form the hub of the Theatre Owners Booking Association (TOBA). In 1921 they merged with Consolidated Circuit and the next year with the Managers-Performers Circuit.  This gave the organization 100 theaters.  To their credit, TOBA provided experience and exposure for innumerable black entertainers and musicians who might not have had an opportunity to break into show business otherwise.  And almost all black entertainers remained with TOBA even though the wages and working conditions inspired the well-known definition of TOBA:  "Tough on Black Asses!".  

Lorenzo Pacini was born in Valdottavo, Italy in 1865 and immigrated to the U.S.   He died in Memphis  in 1939.  Joseph A. Pacini was born in Memphis in 1898 and died in 1952. The Barrasso brothers (F.A. Barrasso) were instrumental, with Sam Zerilla in organizing a circuit for Black performers (TOBA).  Although TOBA did nothing about the low wages and poor working conditions, it did offer work for black artists when there otherwise might have been none.

Michael Cianciola built the theaters and his son Augustine managed them.  The Rosemary is named after Michael's sister Rosemary.  The Luciann is named after Michael's sisters Lucy and Ann Cianciola.  The Rosewood is named after ?  Dates of opening:  Rosemary 1930...Luciann 1939...Rosewood 1950. 

Morris A. Lightman was the son of Hungarian immigrants.  Although he held a degree in engineering he thought of himself more as a showman and entertainer.  When he saw a long line of people waiting to get into a local theatre, he decided that he wanted to operate a movie theatre.  In Atlanta he made a contact in the theatre business and learned the art of movie exhibition.  By 1915 Lightman had opened his first theatre in Alabama, and within 6 months had opened 2 more - immediately selling them and receiving a 50% share of a theatre in Little Rock.  Then he partnered with his father, Joseph, a stone construction contractor, to build a Theater in Nashville.  But in Little Rock , Lightman partnered with M. S. McCord and M. J. Pruniski and formed the Malco Amusement Company.  They began building a theatre chain by buying and building single screen cinemas throughout Arkansas.  In 1926 they took on two more partners, W. F. McWilliams and L. B. Clark, which gave them 32 theatres.  1926 marks the year the company began installing sound equipment in all their theatres.    In 1929 Malco Theatres purchased their first location in Memphis and opened the Memphian Theatre.   By 1940, after the heyday of vaudeville, the Orpheum Theater at Main and Beale was purchased by the Malco chain and switched to a movies-only format. This opulent movie palace became the base of operation for Malco Theatres. The renamed MALCO Theater continued to run first-run films until it closed in 1977.   In 1951, Malco Theatres opened The Crosstown.   The Malco company always displayed a passion for the movie business and was on the cutting edge of technology in presentation, seating and sound.  M. A. Lightman was highly respected throughout the industry.

Of course the name MALCO comes from M. A. Lightman Co.  The legacy of the company, now in its fourth generation, has been passed to Stephen Lightman, Jimmy Tashie, and Bobby Levy.  The three share ownership responsibilities and insist their ability to work together throughout the years has saved the family from separation.   The Lightman family is known for owning Malco Theatres, but the Lightman Bridge Club was named in honor of M.A. Lightman, who was an excellent player and played in many national tournaments.  u

Born in 1892, Chalmers Cullins was a member of a theatrical/movie family.  While working as a stage hand at the first Orpheum Theatre he helped save the costumes of the headliner, Blossom Seeley, from the fire which destroyed the building in 1923.   Nate Evans was an orchestra leader and conducted the pit orchestra for all shows and acts at the old Orpheum from the 1920s up to the early 1940s.  He co-managed the Orpheum from 1936-1941.  He became partners with Chalmers to build the Savoy in 1937, and Edward Cullins joined them later (and others), as partners in building the Idlewild and the W. C. Handy..     

Long time Loew's State manager Arthur Groom stepped into the history books in 1950 when he fired usher Elvis Presley for either "being late" or "fighting with another employee" - depending on the legend you read.  Years later, both of them were good sports about it and posed for the above photo with Elvis' old uniform.  Indeed, most of Elvis' movies premiered at Loew's State.  Business was always good.

Micki Groom Creamer:  "My Dad was the manager of the Loew's State from 1949 till the mid 1960's, not too sure. As many may know, my Dad did fire Elvis Presley when he was an usher scuffling with another usher in the early 50's, but eventually hired him back. Truly amazing....a kid is an usher and about 5 years later, he is coming back to see himself up on the screen. That was quite a night. My Dad held a private screening for Elvis, his parents, and friend visiting from Hollywood, Nick Adams, and of course the Groom family was there in full force!   I was a candy girl at the Loew's State during my high school years and met my future husband who was an usher at Loew's Palace".

Credits

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The "Historic-Memphis" website would like to acknowledge and thank the following for their contributions which helped make this website possible:  Memphis Public Library, Memphis University Library, Memphis Law Library, Memphis Commercial Appeal, Memphis Press Scimitar, Shelby County Register of Deeds, Memphis City Schools, Memphis Business Men's Club, Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Memphis City Park Commission, Memphis Film Commission, Carnival Memphis, Memphis Historical Railroad Page, Memphis Heritage Inc, Beale Street Historic District, Cobblestone Historic District, Memphis Historic Districts, Vance Lauderdale Family Archives, Tennessee State Archives, Library of Congress, Kemmons Wilson Family, Richard S. Brashier, Lee Askew, George Whitworth, Woody Savage and many individuals whose assistance is acknowledged on the pages of their contributions.  Special thanks to Memphis Realtor, Joe Spake, for giving us carte blanche access to his outstanding collection of contemporary Memphis photos.

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