The Lourie Theatre in downtown St. George, SC has a long and rich history. It was built by David Gavin in the 1920's. The silent movie, "One Minute to Play" starring Red Grange gave the cinema its illustrious beginning. Soon, "talkies" came to the theatre with the voices played on records while the film ran. Although the voices and lips were often out of sync, it was a thrill to have sound.
The cinema closed a the beginning of the Great Depression for a short time. Within a few years of reopening it was updated and then in the mid-1950's restrooms were finally added. The cinema flourished. Patrons enjoyed a matinee performance of "Gone With the Wind" for only 75 cents, and a dollar afforded an evening performance with the luxury of a reserved seat. After many years of entertaining families, the cinema saw its darkest time in the early 1980's. The surge of multiplex theaters and nearby malls left the cinema playing low budget films and it closed soon after.
Although the building had deteriorated, a group of dedicated people did not lose sight of this landmark's potential. In 1988, the St. George Development Corp. formed and they met with research team from the SC Downtown Development Association. The team noted that although the cinema was St. George's greatest eyesore, it was also its greatest asset. The committee put a plan into action to restore the theatre into a performing arts center. Through a gracious endowment by Senator Isadore Lourie and his family, the building was restored and the Lourie Theatre was born. Many more renovations have occurred since then and a myriad of people have put their hearts into its revitalization. Others have now caught the vision and join those who have gone before to make the Lourie Theatre a growing and thriving performing arts center.
The Lourie strives to bring a variety of entertainment opportunities to the area at a reasonable cost, and offers a nice venue for smaller events and parties as well. The theatre seats over 300 and includes a balcony. It boasts an attached kitchen and event space that is wonderful for pre and post show receptions. With enough interest and support, the theatre board hopes to re-introduce movies and possibly the Saturday Matinee back to our community at a later time.
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