Malco Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Malco Theatre
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 Location in Arkansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | 817 Central Ave., Hot Springs, Arkansas |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1935 |
| Architect | Bruggeman & Swaim |
| Architectural style | Early Commercial, Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 09001246 |
| Added to NRHP | January 21, 2010 |
The Malco Theatre is a historic building located at 817 Central Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas. This special place has been home to many kinds of shows over the years. It has hosted vaudeville acts, silent movies, modern films, and even magic shows.
The Malco Theatre was a favorite spot for Bill Clinton when he was a boy. It has also hosted the important Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute. The building itself is a beautiful example of Art Deco style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 2010. Today, the Malco Theatre is home to the Maxwell Blade Theatre of Magic & Comedy.
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Hot Springs: A Place for Fun
Hot Springs, Arkansas, was a popular tourist destination in the late 1800s. People came from all over to "take the waters," which meant bathing in the city's natural hot springs for health. After their baths, visitors wanted fun things to do.
At first, they enjoyed activities like hunting and fishing. But soon, there was a demand for more entertainment, including gambling and live shows. In 1882, the Opera House opened on Central Avenue. It presented plays and hosted traveling theater groups from New York City.
Movies Become Popular
In the early 1900s, movies became a huge hit across the country. Frank Head, who managed the Opera House, decided to build a new theater just for them. He opened the Princess Theatre in 1910. It showed silent movies and also hosted vaudeville shows, which were live performances with different acts.
The Princess Theatre was built where Bridge Street meets Central Avenue, the main street in Hot Springs. In 1927, Sidney Nutt Sr., a local resident, bought the Princess Theatre. He updated it in 1929 to show "talking pictures" as sound films became popular.
From Princess to Malco Theatre
Hot Springs' downtown area had several big fires in the early 1900s. The Princess Theatre survived until Christmas Eve in 1935. A fire then destroyed most of it, leaving only its foundation and a brick entrance on Broadway Street. These parts would become the start of the new Malco Theatre.
Rebuilding and New Style
Sidney Nutt worked with architects Brueggeman and Swaim to rebuild the theater. They used the remaining parts of the Princess Theatre. When it was finished, the new building had a large auditorium, a balcony, a lobby, and offices. The front of the theater featured striking Art Deco designs, which were very popular at that time.
In 1936, Nutt sold his share of the Princess to M. A. Lightman. Lightman was a successful theater owner from Memphis, Tennessee. He founded the Malco Theatre group. The Princess was then renamed the Malco Theatre, using Lightman's initials. The building had a bright, fancy marquee to attract people.
A Grand Showplace
The Malco Theatre was updated again in 1946. With its orchestra and balcony sections, it could hold over 1,000 people. It was known as a grand "showplace of the South." It had the best equipment for showing movies and playing sound.
A Time of Change
Between 1929 and 1964, the theater had separate entrances for different groups of people. The "Colored" entrance was on the Broadway side, and the "White" entrance was on Central Avenue. African Americans used the Broadway entrance to go directly to their seating area in the balcony.
As the Civil Rights Movement grew in the 1960s, these separate entrances and seating rules ended. The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program has said that the Broadway entrance might be one of only two such entrances still existing in the United States. News reports from that time said the theater's management wanted to keep it as a reminder of how civil rights improved.
During the Cold War, the Malco Theatre was even declared a bomb shelter. This was because of its strong steel beams and thick concrete walls.
The Malco Today
The Malco Theatre was remodeled in 1962. It remained the top movie theater in Hot Springs through the 1980s. However, many new theaters with multiple screens started opening. So, the Malco's single large auditorium was divided into two smaller theaters.
The Malco continued to show movies until 1995. Then, it was renovated and got new management. Magician Maxwell Blade and his Theatre of Magic moved in. In 1996, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute (HSDFI) also joined, hosting the oldest all-documentary film festival in North America.
Maxwell Blade Returns
In 2008, the HSDFI became the only owner of the Malco after Maxwell Blade moved to another place in Hot Springs. In 2013, a private owner named Rick Williams bought the Malco. He kept its connection with the HSDFI.
In 2016, the Hot Springs newspaper, Sentinel-Record, reported that Maxwell Blade was "going home" to the Malco Theatre. Blade invested in fixing up and renovating the old theater. Its grand re-opening was on December 8, 2017.
After the renovation, old tiles inside the building were restored. The theater now has design elements like ceiling tiles, decorations, and lighting that remind people of the 1920s Art Deco style. This was when Sidney Nutt bought the Princess Theatre and started showing "talking pictures." Maxwell Blade's magic show also uses modern technology, like digital sound and video. Blade has said that the inside was restored to look like it did in the 1940s. It now has one large auditorium again, instead of two smaller ones. The Malco can seat 320 people in its comfortable seats, plus another 75 in the balcony.
See also
