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The Alabama Theatre
Théâtre à l'italienne
The
Alabama Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama, is a movie palace built by the Paramount-Publix
Corporation in 1927. The grand opening was held on December 26, 1927. Construction of the
concrete and steel building took only eight and a half months and cost approximately $1.5
million.
With seats for about 2,500 people, the Alabama was one of the larger movie theatres
built in Birmingham and is the only one of its size remaining from that era and the first
public building in Alabama to have air conditioning. One of the things the Alabama was
known for in its early days was its Mickey Mouse Club which was formed in 1933. Meetings
were held every Saturday. Children would perform for each other, watch Mickey Mouse
cartoons, and participate in other activities. The Club also sponsored food and toy drives
for the underprivileged. By 1935, the Club had over 7000 members, making it the biggest
Mickey Mouse Club in the world. Membership eventually peaked at over 18,000 before the Club
closed almost ten years after it was formed. Another regular event at the Alabama was the
Miss Alabama Pageant. The Alabama became host to the Miss Alabama Pageant from 1938 through
1966. In 1993, the Alabama Theater was designated the official state historic theatre of
Alabama in recognition of its place in Alabama history, culture and society.
style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
8px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(58, 52, 49); ">Originally
constructed to show silent films, the Alabama features an ornate Mighty Wurlitzer organ.
Strangely enough, the Crawford Special- Publix One -Mighty Wurlitzer organ was the reason
the building was salvaged. The Alabama Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society
approached the property owners who were planning a parking lot where the Alabama stood and
asked them if they could buy this iconic instrument, one of only 25 organs of its type ever
built. The realtor was smart enough to recognize the Wurlitzer’s value and refused to
sell it separately. Undeterred, the group continued to find support and ultimately raised
enough funds to purchase not just the organ but the entire facility. In 1987, the
non-profit organization, Birmingham Landmarks, Inc, was formed to purchase the building,
saving the Mighty Wurlitzer.
In 1998, the Alabama underwent a complete restoration.
Gold leaf and other paint was cleaned or replaced, seats were replaced or recovered, and
some carpet and drapes were replaced. A handful of very dedicated volunteers led by Cecil
Whitmire and his wife, Linda, resurrected the Alabama and began operating it to pay the
$680,000 mortgage the Birmingham Landmarks had agreed to take on.
style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
8px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(58, 52, 49); ">Today, in
addition to screening classic films, the Alabama Theatre hosts the style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102); background-color: inherit; "
href="http://www.alabamasymphony.org/">Alabama Symphony, style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102); background-color: inherit; "
href="http://www.alabamaballet.org/">Alabama Ballet, theatrical productions of all
kinds. Artists such as BB King,
