Crescent Theater facts for kids
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| Address | 208 Dauphin St Mobile, Alabama United States |
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| Coordinates | 30°41′29″N 88°02′36″W / 30.6915°N 88.0433°W |
| Owner | Max Morey |
| Type | Film |
| Capacity | 90 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1885 |
| Renovated | 2008 |
| Reopened | October 31, 2008 |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Website | |
| www.crescenttheater.com | |
The Crescent Theater is a cool, single-screen movie theater in Mobile, Alabama. It's known for showing independent and arthouse cinema movies. These are often films made outside big Hollywood studios. Sometimes, it also shows popular mainstream movies.
Beyond just movies, the Crescent Theater is a hub for local film events. It hosts film competitions and has even been used for music shows and improvisational comedy. The theater first opened way back in 1885. Back then, it was a place for live shows called vaudeville. Over the years, it became a movie theater, then a restaurant. In 2008, Max Morey reopened it as the movie theater we know today.
The Theater's Long History
The Crescent Theater first opened its doors in 1885. It was located at 208 Dauphin Street in Mobile. In its early days, it offered fun vaudeville and burlesque shows. These were popular live entertainment acts.
In 1912, the theater changed. It started showing silent films, which were movies without sound. Later, in the late 1900s, the building was used for different restaurants. By 2006, it was a cafe called Derry's Ole Tyme Cafe. That year, it was damaged when a nearby bar caught fire.
Saving the Crescent Theater
The building was later rented by Max Morey. He reopened it as the Crescent Theater on October 31, 2008. Max had visited Mobile in 1992. He loved the city and decided he wanted to open a movie theater there.
The theater quickly became a success. Many people believe it helped bring new life to downtown Mobile. In 2012, the theater almost had to close. It needed a lot of money to switch to new digital movie projectors. But people helped out! A Kickstarter campaign raised over $84,000 to keep it open.
In 2017, the theater faced another challenge. Its rent went up, and it needed more money to stay open. Again, the community stepped in. They raised $72,000, and the theater was saved. The Crescent Theater Film Society, a nonprofit group, helps support the theater financially.
The Crescent Theater has even been recognized for how cool it is. Cosmopolitan magazine called it the "coolest movie theater" in Alabama!
