Belmont Theatre
The Belmont Theatre was a music venue and eventual movie theater located at 115 East Belmont Street, in the Long Hollow neighborhood. Opening in (date needed) during segregation, the theater was owned by whites (including at one point Clinton Vucovich) but initially catered to an all-black audience.
Jelly Roll Morton played regularly at the Belmont from 1906 to 1908.[1] Other early performers included Bessie Smith, Ida Cox and Pensacola native Billie Pierce.[2]
It was a part of the Southern Consolidated Circuit from 1916 until 1920, and then became an important stop in the Managers' and Performers' Circuit in 1922.[3] The theater "opened [its] doors to white patrons" on August 1 of that year, but in a reversal of normal segregation conventions, they were required to sit in the balcony while black patrons occupied the first floor.[3]
The building was damaged by fire circa 1945.[4] It closed in (date needed).
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References
- ↑ http://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/page10bc.html
- ↑ Paul Oliver. Conversation with the Blues. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The African American Theatre Directory, 1816-1960
- ↑ Boxoffice, July 21, 1945.
