The following
information is credited to the book
“Reverend H.
T. Blythe and the Downtown He Founded”
by Jonathan
Abbott & Marcy Thompson
Blytheville
Centennial Edition, May 1991
Published by Main
Street Blytheville
Made possible by
Blytheville Unlimited
According to the Ritz Civic Center brochure,
the exact date of the theater was unknown but the building has been traced back
to 1902. Known as one of the finest vaudeville theaters on the circuit, it was
popular for vaudevillians because of its location between St. Louis and
Memphis. The current building, however, comprises the west half of the historic
building constructed as 300/302 W. Main, dated circa 1910, plus the building at
304/306 W. Main, constructed circa 1915. It is possible that the 302 W. Main
section was constructed as early as 1902, but the main part of the theater on
the 1913 Sanborn Map is shown as a vacant lot with absolutely nothing on
it. The theater appears on the 1921 Sanborn Map as the Gem Theater, the
name under which it was originally constructed. Thus the exact date of the main
theater building is assumably somewhere between 1914 and 1920. This does not
preclude the fact that a vaudeville theater on the site could have been gone by
the time the 1913 map was produced, leaving the vacant lot.
In 1925, Mr. and Mrs. O. W. McCutchen came to
Blytheville from Sikeston, Missouri, to assume operation of the Ritz Theater.
The Ritz succeeded the Gem Theater that had burned a year before. A few months
later, they acquired the lease on the Gem Theater, located at 125 W. Main, which
had been started by Timmy Boyd for a short time after the old Gem burned.
Opportunity soon came to take over the Home Theater, later known as the Roxy
Theater at 106/108 W. Main, then operated for Clyde Robinson. The McCutchens
added it to their group, giving them full control of all Blytheville theaters.
In August 1931, The Ritz was practically razed by a
fire resulting in damage estimated between $12,000 and $15,000. Heaviest damage
resulted from burning of the theater pipe organ, installed a number of years ago
at a cost of $8,500. The cooling system and sound system were totally
destroyed. All of the seats needed replacing. Damage of the building proper
was estimated at $4,000. In October 1931 the Ritz reopened. It was nearly
doubled in capacity and equipment with the most modern fixtures, furniture, and
picture and sound devices. The owners invested $30,000 to make it the finest
talking picture theater in any small city of the Mid-south. The Ritz was one of
the few theaters in the state actually constructed for talking pictures. The
seating capacity of 700 was nearly 300 greater than in the old theater and was
to show the best and first-run pictures available. U.S. Branson planned and
supervised the reconstruction.
A remodeling project began in March 1950 and was
completed in February 1951. Designed by U.S. Branson and constructed by Ben
White and Sons, the Ritz Theater was completely remodeled at a cost of a
quarter-million dollars. Improvements included all new furnishings and
equipment. The new theater seated about 1,100 persons, while the old theater
seated only 700 people. The new theater took in space formerly occupied by
Piggly Wiggly grocery store and Floyd A. White’s Shoes. Steel underpinnings
were put in the floor to reinforce the building. Everything was fireproofed –
from the drapes and carpeting to the roof and firewalls that adjoined the
theater to the buildings on either side. New fire exits from the building were
installed. The front of the building was of Minnesota marble. A special
smoking lounge was provided and cry rooms were available on both sides of the
main floor seats. The office section was new. The building also contained a
television lounge so patrons could be entertained while waiting for pictures to
begin. Indirect lighting and year round air conditioning were added.
Building history for 302 W. Main: 1915, Robinson Drug
Store; 1931 – 1950, Piggly Wiggly Grocery. Building history for 304/306 W. Main: 1921 – 1924,
Gem Theater; 1924 – 1980, Ritz Theater; 1935, Floyd A. White, shoes; 1981 to
date, Ritz Civic Center.
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