The Lyric Sign

The famous Lyric Theatre sign dates from about 1912-1913.  It was placed at the Main-Madison location because the theatre was actually a bit "out of the Main loop" several blocks east of Main Street, down Madison.    Since electricity was still in its infancy, this large sign must have been an impressive sight.

The sign was included in so many photographs ,that it literally became a monument to actress Beulah Poynter.

Above are several of the many vintage postcards which show the sign, as well as an 1895 photo which does not. 

It's surprising to find that the old Pantaze Drugstore building is still standing on the SE corner of  Main and Madison.  It's not known when the old Lyric sign was removed - probably in the early 1920's when the Lyric began showing movies.

Beulah Poynter was an American author, playwright, business woman, and star of stage and silent movies.  Her career stretched from Broadway to Hollywood, but she was better known for her roles in stock and touring companies, as well as a prolific author of mystery and romance novels.

The Lyric Theatre

The Lyric Theatre was located at 293-295 Madison.  It opened in 1906 as the Jefferson Theatre, named after Joseph Jefferson of the theatre world.  The Jefferson booked primarily drama, opera, and music.   In 1911 the theatre was renamed the Lyric Theatre and continued with that name until 1931 when a fraternal organization took over and renamed the theatre the Mazda Theatre.

The Lyric competed with the Orpheum and the Lyceum theatres but it was never as elegant as the Main Street theatres.  In addition to the bookings of drama, opera, and music, there was a period of vaudeville in the teens.  Sarah Bernhardt did appear there in the teens and in the 1920's there was a period of showing movies.  But it's location out on Madison ultimately worked against it and it closed.   An additional claim to fame:  WMC Radio aired the first opera broadcasts in Memphis from the Lyric.

The Jefferson is listed in the Memphis Directories from 1909-1911.  The Lyric is listed from 1911-1930.  In 1931 the name changed to Mazda and it's listed for two years.  1933 is the last listing and a 4th name is added to the list:  Order United American Mechanics Theatre. 

Lyric 1916

One source says the Lyric could seat 800, but the 1913-14 Julius Cahn-Gus Hill Theatrical Guide lists the Lyric with 1530 seats.   

The Lyric was located where the Madison overpass crosses Danny Thomas Blvd.   The building was destroyed by fire in 1941. 

Beulah Marguerite Poynter was born July 1883, in Eagleville, Missouri.  Her father was a hotel manager.  At 16 years of age, Beulah joined the chorus of a local opera company and by 1904 she was a leading actress with various tour companies in the Eastern part of the country.  In 1906 Poynter adapted the novel "Lena Rivers" into a stage drama.  The play was a hit with theatergoers and provided many future tours for her  in the leading role.  She later starred in a movie version of "Lena Rivers" ... and this is the role that made her famous.

In 1910 Beulah formed her own company and began a tour of "The Little Girl He Forgot", an original drama that she wrote.  After a year she followed that with "The Hoosier Schoolmaster", a play she had adapted, and then continued touring her own play "Mother's Girl".

Poynter wrote two plays that appeared on Broadway - "The Unborn" in 1915 and "One Way Street" in 1928.  "One Way Street " achieved a modest success. 

One Way Street