Jackson Jambalaya

Playing at Cinema West - Our Time, starring Pamela Sue Martin and Parker Stevenson.

I always had a hunch that Nancy Drew had gotten together with one of the Hardy Boys!

The movie ads bring back memories. I worked at Ellis Isle Cinema, Jackson's first multi screen cinema. It had 2 screens a far cry from the multiplexes of today. Kind of sad that south and west Jackson has deteriorated so much since then. Zero movie theaters today compared to so many back then.

Wow! Throwback indeed. Not only the previously mentioned Exchange (was that Monday?), but Ireland's. I'd forgotten all about that place. Not someplace I patronized as a poor college student at the time, but I remember it. Lakeland, just east of The Quarter, in the building that soon after this became Zoli's, then Danny's, now Bonsai to mention probably only a few. And look at all the other "happenings" at The Barn, Main Harbor, Coliseum Ramada, etc. Oh, and all the movie theaters!

Where was Cinema West? I don't remember that one.

Interesting that all of the following theaters inside the Jackson city limits have closed and now there are no theaters within the city limits:

DeVille
Capri
Jackson Mall
Ellis Isle
Cinema 6
Paramount Downtown
Jackson Square
Cinema West

Drive ins:

Showtown West
Town & Country

We need a Jackson movie theater post like Christopher Walken needs more cowbell.

49 Drive-In
51 Drive-In
Alamo Theatre
Amite Theatre
Booker-T Theatre
Buck Theatre
Century Theatre
Cotton Bowl Twin Cinema
DeVille Cinema
Hippodrome Theatre
Istrione Theatre
Jackson Mall Cinema
Jackson Square Theatre
Lamar Theatre
Majestic Theatre
Meadowbrook Cinema 6
Metro Center Cinemas 4
Paramount Theatre
Pix Capri Theatre
Ray Theatre
Renaissance Cinemas/ Ellis Isle
Royal Music Hall
Showtown Drive-In
Skyvue Drive-In
State Theatre
Varia Drive-In

There used to be one behind the old Sack & Save on Ellis, but I can’t remember the name.

Cinema West was, I think, originally known as Cotton Bowl Cinema and was on a little street off Lynch Street, west of Ellis. It closed in the early 90's. The only movie I ever recall seeing there was Purple Rain, so that would have to have been in '84 or '85, and I think we were the only white people there. Not sure if that was the normal audience for that theater or a function of the film showing.

You forgot the Lamar Theater downtown and the Metrocenter theater which was (I think) a 4-plex.

Weren't they going to build a theater at the District? That development seems to be doing quite well, probably because it has been planned and managed by sensible people, and those people seem to have decided that a movie theater in Jackson is a loser.

Anon. 10:23, 10:01's list includes the Lamar and Metrocenter theaters, but that list is not without its own problems. First the poster says he can't remember the name of the one "behind the old Sack & Save on Ellis", but that is the Renaissance Cinemas/Ellis Isle that is, in fact, on that list. Secondly, I don't think it really makes sense in this context to back in time before about the 60's or 70's. There are several on that list that go back way before then and were long since closed by "modern" times. Still, it's not complete (e.g. there was a drive-in on Hwy. 80 near Terry Road that I don't see there). That's was not the 51 Drive-In because that one was in north Jackson in the same location that later included the Meadowbrook Cinema 6, though there were many years between closing the drive-in and adding a cinema to the shopping center that replaced it.

P.S. Anon. 10:23, the theater has been dropped from plans for The District.

Louis LeFleur,

While I appreciate your need to comment on everything (and I do mean everything), understand that when I posted those missing theaters, the exhaustive list was not posted yet. I wouldn't have posted it otherwise.

Sometimes it seems that KF approves comments out of order but they post based upon their submission time.

Signed,

The Poster at 10:23

I recall a Rebel Drive-in and a Bulldog Drive-In on Hwy. 80 between State and Terry Road. Maybe the names changed.

Saw some great movies all over the place:

"Apocalypse Now" Jackson Mall
"The Terminator" Jackson Square
"Julius Caesar" Royal (Brando as Mark Anthony)
"La Dolce Vita" Capri
"Star Wars" Deville
"East of Eden" 51 Drive-In (Actually watched the movie)

10:23/12:01

Sorry I’m not clairvoyant and thus couldn’t tell that your post was before the more complete list, which otherwise shows as being 22 minutes later. As to my need to “comment on everything (and I do mean everything)”, please take note of all the JJ posts on which I make no comment at all, even though I can be a bit verbose when I do. If you are that insecure about appearing to be “wrong”, would it make you feel better if I did, in fact, comment on everything?

Murph and the Magic Tones

Nah. I'd be happy with you exercising some restraint. That would make my day.

Marvin Barnes in his rookie ABA season putting up 54 for the St Louis Spirits!

Connors and Nicklaus both won that week. Nothing strange in that. What is strange is that people actually cared about tennis then.

"Bone In Sirloin" starring John Holmes and Honey Delight. I was too young to get in but remember my older cousins talking about it.

Connors was the first tennis superstar to bring it to the masses. Huge money was paid out then in challenge matches as well.