Thursday, August 11, 2011

The JOY Theatre


Finally! It has been far too long since I've been in some damp, old, soggy, foul smelling place. As I write this I can feel the toxic mold spreading in my lungs. Oh well. Got some cool photos to show for it.

I've been wanting to get into one of these old theaters for quite some time now. The Orpheum or Loews State Theatre would have been ideal, but I'll take the JOY for now. It was a bit disappointing- upon seeing the interior you can immediately tell that it looked like crap for far before any storm came through. Anything cool or ornate (if there ever was such an interior) had been covered up long ago. It had been split into 3 different screens. One large one as you will see below and two smaller ones that were too dark to take pictures in. Oh well, it was still cool to be inside an old decrepit theater.


The JOY on opening night, February 8, 1947.

The JOY opened it's doors in 1947 and closed in 2003. It is currently undergoing a $5 million dollar renovation to turn it into a live music venue, which it will be absolutely perfect for. I'm excited. You can read a Times Picayune article about it here.

It's great to see the comeback of Canal Street. Hopefully with the new life given to both the Saenger and the JOY, it won't be long before the Orpheum and Loews State Theatre follow, but who knows in this economy.


As it appears today.





I'm assuming this is the famous "Crying Room"- a sound proof room where you could take you crying kid and still watch the movie. Why don't they still have these?













Looks like it still had about 4 feet of water in the basement.



Old film trailers. Each roll is approx. 2 minutes. Imagine how big an entire movie must be.


From the projection room.




Making a comeback!

15 comments:

  1. I remember going to movies there.

    Wild....

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    1. Yes, such a beautiful theatre. I remember going to a lot of movies there. It's sad how they have let Canal Street go down with all of those T-shirt and camera stores. Oh yea THE CRYING ROOM. Sure hope they put one. I felt like I was walking into a Palace.

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  2. Heartbreaking to see such disrepair and decay--what wonderful memories must have been made there! Thank yo for sharing!

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  3. Any pictures after the restoration?

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    1. Not yet! Soon! I have yet to see a show at the new place...

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  4. I remember going to this theatre in the 50's ......great memories..thanks

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  5. Memories. I remember the crying room. It wasn't really sound-proof, if the kid had strong lungs you could hear it from the back 2 or 3 rows.

    Those films were probably trailers, or theater announcements. I would love to have seen what was on those spools.

    Great shots and thanks for posting

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  6. Thanks for sharing these wonderful photographs of New Orleans. What a treat....

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  7. I remember seeing Speilberg's Jaws there in 196?. I wonder what the insdie looks like now.

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  8. Lots of fantastic memories of the Joy Theater as a child. It was the place where you would get dressed up to go downtown and see an appropriate child movie like Snow White or something along those lines. Wonderful photography - as usual.
    Judie Kiker Kopfman

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  9. Enjoyed. Thanks for that bit of history.

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  10. I remember going to the Joy during the late 40's and early 50's with my dad. My mom and sister would go shopping. I was born and reared in Napoleonville, LA. My grandfather, Alphonse Blanchard, owed the Joy Theatre in Napoleonville. It was located on Congress St. In 1941, when my grandfather died, my dad inhertied the Joy.

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