Malco Theatres, Inc. is a
movie theatre
A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall (Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...
chain that has remained family owned and operated for over one hundred years. It has been led by four generations of the Lightman family. The company has 36 theatre locations with over 371 screens in six states (
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
,
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
,
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
,
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
and
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
). Malco also operates three
bowling
Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), thou ...
centers and a family entertainment center in southern
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
and a family entertainment center in
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city and college town in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Oxford lies 75 miles (121 km) south-southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, and is the county seat of Lafayette County. Founded in 1837, it was named after the British city of Ox ...
.
Beginnings
Malco Theatres' history began during World War I when Morris A. "M. A." Lightman, Sr., (known as M.A.) the son of
Hungarian immigrant Joseph Lightman, left his hometown of
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
, and went to
Colbert County, Alabama
Colbert County () is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the county's population was 57,227. The county seat is Tuscumbia. The largest city is Muscle Shoals.
The county is named ...
, to work on the
Wilson Dam
Wilson Dam is a dam spanning the Tennessee River between Lauderdale County and Colbert County in the U.S. state of Alabama. Completed in 1924 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, it impounds Wilson Lake, and is one of nine Tennessee Va ...
project as an engineer. Although he held a degree in engineering from
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
, he thought of himself more as a showman and entertainer. Lightman decided it was time to try something new one day while in Northwest Alabama, when he came upon a long line of people waiting to get into a local theatre. He decided he wanted to operate a movie theatre. Lightman traveled to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
where he had made a contact in the theatre business and sought to learn the art of movie exhibition.
Upon his return two months later to Northwest Alabama, in February 1915, Lightman formed The Sterling Amusement Company and opened his first theatre in a storefront he had rented in
Sheffield, Alabama
Sheffield is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Shoals metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 9,039. Sheffield is the birthplace of "country-soul pioneer" and songwriter Arth ...
. Lightman named this storefront theatre "The Liberty Theater", and later opened a 400-seat theatre, "The Majestic" across the river in
Florence, Alabama at 204 North Court Street, in August 1919. Lightman opened a third theatre in the area before accepting an offer from another local theatre owner to buy out his theatres in the area. In return, Lightman received a 50 per cent stake in a theatre in
North Little Rock, Arkansas
North Little Rock is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, across the Arkansas from Little Rock in the central part of the state. The population was 64,591 at the 2020 census. In 2019 the estimated population was 65,903, making it the seventh-mo ...
.
After leaving Northwest Alabama, M.A. partnered with his father, a stone construction contractor, to build the Hillsboro Theater in Nashville, Tennessee. They opened the Hillsboro on May 18, 1925, with the
D.W. Griffith
David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...
film ''America''. Three months later, Tony Sudekum, founder of Crescent Amusement Co., opened a competing theater at the opposite end of the same block. The competition with Sudekum forced M.A. and his father to close the Hillsboro Theater. The theater was used as a live production venue, including as a temporary home for
The Grand Ole Opry
The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM (AM), WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment ...
, for many years until being converted back into a cinema and renamed the
Belcourt Theatre
The Belcourt Theatre is a nonprofit film center located in Nashville's Hillsboro Village district.
History
The theater was opened in 1925 as the Hillsboro Theatre by M.A. Lightman Sr. of Malco Theatres and his father Joseph Lightman. It was a ...
in 1966 by a new group of owners.
The former Hillsboro Theater is still standing today and is operated by a non-profit organization as an independent art house. M.A. Lightman, Sr. left Nashville in 1926 after the Hillsboro failed and went to North Little Rock. Joseph Lightman died in 1928, in Nashville. His passing was covered on the front page of the Tennessean.
It was in North Little Rock that Lightman partnered with M.S. McCord and M.J. Pruniski forming the Malco Amusement Company. They began building a theatre chain by buying and building single screen cinemas throughout Arkansas.
In September 1926, Malco Amusement Company took on two more partners, W.F. McWilliams and L.B. Clark, in
El Dorado, Arkansas. This led to the formation of Arkansas Amusement Enterprises, Inc. with a total of 32 theatres in Arkansas with locations including
Little Rock
( The "Little Rock")
, government_type = Council-manager
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_party = D
, leader_title2 = Council
, leader_name2 ...
, North Little Rock,
Camden,
Hope, and
Smackover. Not long after the formation of Arkansas Amusement Enterprises, McWilliams and Clark left the partnership and bought the five El Dorado locations from the company.
In 1929, Arkansas Amusement Enterprises became Malco Theatres, Inc. This is also the year that the company took advantage of the
rise of "talking pictures" by installing
Vitaphone
Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one ...
and
Movietone equipment to add sound for the first time in their theatres.
Malco Theatres began acquiring cinemas not only in Arkansas but also in West Tennessee, Louisiana, Northern Mississippi, Western Kentucky, and Southeastern Missouri. It was in 1929 that Malco Theatres purchased its first location in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, the Linden Circle Theatre.
Movie palaces
The Memphian - Memphis, Tennessee
Malco Theatres opened The Memphian in 1935 on Cooper Avenue in Memphis. It continued operations for 50 years until being closed in 1985.
The Malco - Memphis, Tennessee
In 1940, Malco Theatres purchased the
Orpheum Theatre, a former
vaudevillian
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
theatre in downtown Memphis, and renamed it The Malco. This opulent movie palace at 89
Beale Street
Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of blues music. Today, t ...
also became the base of operations for Malco Theatres until 1976.
The Malco began operations on April 20, 1940, with its first film ''It's a Date''. The premiere gala was sponsored by the Nineteenth Century Club.
The Crosstown - Memphis
In 1951, Malco Theatres opened The Crosstown located on Watkins in Memphis. The Crosstown cost $400,000 to build and had a seating capacity of 1,400. An overview of The Crosstown published in the 1952 Theatre Catalog describes the theatre:
A towering signature sign, measuring from marquee to top, and a marquee that is long and seven and a half feet high, strikingly distinguish the front of this neighborhood shopping district theatre. An under-the-marquee driveway for patrons to use in bad weather is provided, with a circular roadway cutting through the sidewalk under the marquee and back to the street.
The Crosstown is said to have the only contour curtain in the territory. Measuring across and high, the curtain rises from the floor into eight festoons, and is made of of plush.
Auditorium walls are in aqua, with rose-tan wainscoting and a trim of silver, gold, and red-tan. On each side wall are 45-by-22-foot murals depicting river scenes.
Malco Theatres continued to operate The Crosstown until the mid-1970s.
Image:CrosstownFront.jpg, The Crosstown as it appeared in 1952.
Image:CrosstownLobby.jpg, The lobby and concession stand.
Image:CrosstownAuditorium.jpg, The auditorium with the original murals and drapes.
Image:CrosstownLayout.jpg, The floor plan of The Crosstown.
The Rialto - Morrilton, Arkansas
The Rialto was built in 1911 by Mr. Guy Vail who operated the theater until it was purchased by Malco Theaters Inc. in 1953. Mr. Vail had been not only the owner, but also the pianist of the Rialto during its silent picture days. Today the Rialto is known as Rialto Community Arts Center which was purchased by the City of Morrilton in 1995.
Image:Morial01.jpg, The Rialto as it appeared in 1953
Image:Morial02.jpg, The lobby and concession stand
Image:Morial04.jpg, The auditorium and balcony
Image:Morial05.jpg, The auditorium with the original murals and drapes
Image:Morial03.jpg, The floor plan of the Rialto
The Temple Theater - Fort Smith, Arkansas
The Temple Theater was undoubtedly one of the nicest yet different theaters to be operated by Malco Theaters Inc. The Temple Theater was built in 1929 at the intersection of North tenth and North B Streets, but not as a movie theater, rather the building was the local Masonic Temple hence the name Temple Theater. The theater was included in the original building design as an 800-seat auditorium with a balcony, and was originally to be used for Masonic rituals. The theater first opened as a movie theater and closed in 1941. Paramount Pictures reopened the auditorium as a movie theater in 1943 through an agreement with Malco Theaters Inc, and at that time, Malco erected a large freestanding sign at the curb along North B Street. The theater was accessed via a set of three doorways along North B Street, and with the lease agreement, the temple areas of the building were secured from the theater. Also included in the lease was an agreement for the Masons to continue using the facility during specific hours. Malco closed the Temple Theater around 1973 when the new Malco Quartet was opened a few miles away. The Masons sold the building in 2013, and the building is currently being renovated as a community events center by FSM Redevelopment Partners LLC.
The New Theater - Fort Smith, Arkansas
The New Theater (Sparks Theater) located at Garrison Ave. and North 11th Streets was constructed in 1911 by George Sparks who was then president of First National Bank of Fort Smith. Sparks was so inspired by the architecture of the New Amsterdam Theater that he hired the same architect to build his theater in Fort Smith. The theater officially opened on September 29, 1911, as a performing arts venue charging $10 US per person for admission. It was in 1942 that the theater was acquired by Malco Theaters Inc. and transformed into a movie theater which was located only two blocks from the Temple Theater (above). When Malco Theaters took over the building, the auditorium had a capacity of 1,200 patrons with two full balconies. Entrances were located along Garrison Ave. as well as North 11th St. The North 11th Street (East) entrance served as the entrance for the balconies while the Garrison Ave Entrance served the main auditorium level. The East entrance had two doorways - one for whites and one for colored persons; however, both used the same stairwells to the balconies, and had shared facilities within the building. In 1970 with business declining in the downtown area, and business moving to the newly completed central mall, Malco received the approval to begin showing pornographic movies in the facility. Malco also closed the New Theater in 1973 with the Temple Theater as the new Malco Quartet had opened a few miles away. The new theater was gutted of all furnishings and fixtures when Malco sold the building, and it has remained vacant since although there have been a few investors attempt to remodel the building to its former glory. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Time of change
After three decades of partnership, M.A. Lightman, Sr. announced on July 17, 1952, that Malco Theatres, Inc. and Malco Realty Corp. had acquired the outstanding 33 percent of the stock that was owned by M.S. McCord and M.J. Pruniski. At the time, Malco Theatres operated 63 theatres in Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana including the Crescent Drive-In that had just opened in
. Pruniski and McCord retained the group of theatres in North Little Rock removing them from the Malco chain.
On December 8, 1958, at age 67, M.A. Lightman, Sr. died as a result of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
while in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
. Like his father before him, his death garnered an epitaph on the front page of the local newspaper.
During the highly controversial period of integration in the South, Malco Theatres introduced integrated seating in their five Memphis theatres without any major incident. M.A. Lightman, Sr.'s two sons, M.A. Lightman, Jr. and Richard Lightman were running the company during this time. In the segregated South, movie theatres would only permit black patrons in the balcony, providing them with a separate entrance to the building. In 1962, Richard Lightman met with Vasco Smith of the Memphis Bi-Racial Committee and set up a staggered process over a three-week span where the first week they sold tickets to the "whites only" orchestra level at The Malco (the present day Orpheum) to one African-American couple. The second week it was increased to four couples and the third week it was increased even more. By the fourth week, all
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
patrons were permitted to buy tickets anywhere in the theatre. Richard worked with the local media to keep any news of the integration to a minimum as to avoid any conflict with the outspoken pro-segregation leaders of the time.
This initial period of integration of the Memphis theatres saw only one incident of note. During a showing of ''
Cleopatra'' at The Crosstown, a white patron poured his soda down the neck of an African-American patron. Richard Lightman sought to calm the situation with the patron and keep the incident out of the news. As a result, Malco Theatres purchased the gentleman a new suit.
In the summer of 1969, it was announced that Cinerama, Inc., of New York was purchasing Malco Theatres, Inc., for $10 million. At the time Malco had 50 theatres in five states. The deal was never finalized and Malco Theatres remained in the control of the Lightman family.
Quartets
On June 4, 1970, M. A. Lightman, Jr., announced Malco Theatres' plans for the first two four-screen cinemas for the company. The first, the Highland Quartet, was in Memphis at the corner of Highland and Poplar in what was then called "Dillard Mall". The second quartet was three and a half miles away in the Clark Tower. At the time, four screen theatres were considered huge and were not yet common. M. A. Lightman, Jr. had this to say concerning these two locations:
With this setup, we can bring back films that a neighborhood house couldn't because of the overhead and small return. With our overhead more or less centralized, we could bring in a film that would attract, say, only a hundred or so, but we could do it because we wanted to and without loss.
Every type of good picture -- with the exception of the nudies, of course -- will be brought in. We haven't figured out all the combinations ourselves.
The Dillard Mall building is already completed and will be turned over to us in several weeks. It will take us only about three months to complete our additions. Plans call for the new Clark Tower to be started this spring. It should be completed in about 18 months.
The Clark Tower Quartet was never built. The Highland opened later that year and operated until the fall of 2005.
Friday, June 16, 1977, saw the opening of the Ridgeway Four theatre in East Memphis. The opening slate of films was ''
A Bridge Too Far'', ''
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
''The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane'' is a 1976 cross-genre film directed by Nicolas Gessner and starring Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Alexis Smith, Mort Shuman, and Scott Jacoby. It was a co-production of Canada and France and written by L ...
'', ''
The Other Side of Midnight
''The Other Side of Midnight'' is a novel by American writer Sidney Sheldon published in 1973. The book reached No. 1 on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list.
It was made into a 1977 film, and followed by a sequel written by Sheldon titl ...
'', and ''Final Chapter - Walking Tall''. The Ridgeway Four also became the location of Malco's corporate headquarters and continues to serve in that capacity.
Planned sale
Malco Theatres, Inc. confirmed to the ''
Commercial Appeal
''The Commercial Appeal'' (also known as the ''Memphis Commercial Appeal'') is a daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by the Gannett Company; its former owner, the E. W. Scripps Company, also ...
'', on July 24, 1986, the sale of the company's 38 locations to Commonwealth Amusements Corp. of
Kansas City, Missouri, was scheduled to be completed by the end of that summer. The deal fell through when Commonwealth decided not to expand at that time. Commonwealth Amusements ended up selling all of their theatre assets, mostly to
United Artists Theaters, by 1990.
It was in December of that same year when company president, Stephen P. Lightman (son of M.A. Lightman, Jr.) announced that Malco Theatres would expand.
Rather than sell our circuit as many small circuits around the country are now doing, we have made a commitment to become more aggressive and find our niche in the new wave of theater exhibition. We will be one of the smaller chains. We used to be a fairly good-sized chain, but it's getting down to six or seven dominant chains. -- Stephen P. Lightman
Multiplexes
July 3, 1987, the Winchester Court cinema opened three of its eight screens as the company's and the area's first
multiplex
Multiplex may refer to:
* Multiplex (automobile), a former American car make
* Multiplex (comics), a DC comic book supervillain
* Multiplex (company), a global contracting and development company
* Multiplex (assay), a biological assay which measu ...
. This opening came only three and a half months after construction began. The estimated price tag for the complex was around half a million dollars. The first film shown was ''
Innerspace
''Innerspace'' is a 1987 American science fiction comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Michael Finnell. Steven Spielberg served as executive producer. It was inspired by the 1966 science fiction film ''Fantastic Voyage''. It sta ...
''.
One of the Winchester Court's two 350 seat auditoriums was
THX-certified. All of the auditoriums featured JBL speakers and Dolby processors. The theatre also had
70mm film
70 mm film (or 65 mm film) is a wide high-resolution film gauge for motion picture photography, with a negative area nearly 3.5 times as large as the standard 35 mm motion picture film format. As used in cameras, the film is wid ...
projection capability in its two 350 seat auditoriums. Four of the auditoriums could seat 210 with the remaining two auditoriums seating 160.
Malco's first and only foray into the
megaplex
A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens within a single complex. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into s ...
scene began with the Majestic theatre, which opened in 1997 with 11 screens and expanded to 20 in 1998. A technological showcase, the Majestic featured THX-certified auditoriums,
Dolby Digital and
DTS audio, large format screens and an auditorium with a custom-designed audio system crafted with
Klipsch speakers.
Theatres of the past (incomplete listing)
Singles, twins, trios & quartets
*The Liberty (Sheffield, Alabama 1915-19??)
*Hillsboro Theater (Nashville, Tennessee 1925–26)
*The Grand (Huntsville, Alabama 1925–1928)
*Linden Circle (Memphis, Tennessee 1929–1961)
*The Ozark (Fayetteville, Arkansas 1930–1980)
*The Memphian (Memphis, Tennessee 1935–1985)
*The Palace (Fayetteville, Arkansas 1935–1969)
*The Capitol (Newport, Arkansas 1935–1964)
*The Seville (Owensboro, Kentucky 1935–1955)
*Paramount Theatre (Jackson, Tennessee ????-1986)
*The Lyric (Tupelo, Mississippi 1935–1985)
*The Strand (Jonesboro, Arkansas 1935–1975)
*The Malco (Helena, Arkansas ????)
*The Malco (Hot Springs, Arkansas ????)
*
The Malco (Memphis, Tennessee 1940–1976)
*The Strand (Newport, Arkansas 1940–1975)
*U-Ark (Fayetteville, Arkansas 1945–1980)
*The Temple (Fort Smith, Arkansas 1943–1973)
*The New Theater (Fort Smith, Arkansas 1942–1973)
*The Fulton (Fulton, Kentucky 1945–1978)
*The Malco (Jackson, Tennessee ????-1987)
*The Malco (Camden, Arkansas 1950-????)
*The Malco (Pine Bluff, Arkansas ????)
*New Malco (Owenseboro, Kentucky 1950–1990)
*The Orpheum (Fulton, Kentucky 1950–1964)
*The Crosstown (Memphis, Tennessee 1951–1974)
*The Rialto (Morrilton, Arkansas 1953-????)
*The Capitol (Union City, Tennessee ????)
*The Princess (
Columbus, Mississippi ????-1969)
*The State (Jonesboro, Arkansas 1961–1975)
*The Avon (West Memphis, Arkansas 1961-????)
*Phoenix 2 (Ft. Smith, Arkansas 1963–1988)
*The Lyric (Aberdeen, Mississippi 1966–1974)
*Malco Twin Cinema (
Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. Located in the Ozarks, it is part of the Northwest Arkansas region, one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country. Rogers was the location of the first Walmart store, whose cor ...
1902–2000)
*Mall Twin Cinema (Owensboro, Kentucky 1970–1997)
*Plaza Twin Cinema (Owensboro, Kentucky 1967-2000)
*Malco Twin Cinema (Fort Smith, Arkansas ????)
*Malco Twin Cinema (Columbus, Mississippi 197?-2004)
*Varsity Twin Cinema (Columbus, Mississippi 1979–2006)
*Malco Twin Cinema (Tupelo, Mississippi 19??-1990)
*Malco Mall Cinema (Tupelo, Mississippi 19??-1990)
*Plaza Twin Cinema (Jonesboro, Arkansas ????-1999)
*Tupelo Quartet (Tupelo, Mississippi 19??-2002)
*Malco Mall Cinema (
Sikeston, Missouri
Sikeston is a city located both in southern Scott County and northern New Madrid County, in the state of Missouri, United States. It is situated just north of the " Missouri Bootheel", although many locals consider Sikeston a part of it. By way ...
19??-1998)
*Highland Quartet (Memphis, Tennessee 1971–2005)
*Malco Quartet (Ft. Smith, Arkansas 1973–1999)
*Mall Cinema (Columbus, Mississippi ????-2005)
*Cinema III (Columbus, Mississippi ????-2005)
*The Paramount (Memphis, Tennessee 1969–1975)
*Cabana Twin (Jackson, Tennessee 19??-1991)
*Old Hickory Mall Cinema (Jackson, Tennessee 1975–1991)
*Springdale Twin (Springdale, Arkansas 1980–1995)
*Mall Twin Cinema (Fayetteville, Arkansas 1972–2009)
*Malco Trio (Blytheville, Arkansas 1945–2010)
*Malco Trio (Sikeston, Missouri 1950–2016)
Multiplexes
*Malco Cinema (Jackson, Tennessee 1976–2001) (originally Malco Quartet)
*Trinity Commons (Memphis, Tennessee 1988–2004)
*The Appletree 12 (Memphis, Tennessee 1991–2001)
*Razorback 6 (Fayetteville, Arkansas 1977–2007)
*Winchester Court (Memphis, Tennessee 1987–2008)
*Raleigh Springs Mall Cinema (2002–2011)
*Malco Quartet (Fort Smith, Arkansas 1973–1999)
Drive-ins
*Stardust Drive-In Theater (Watertown, Tennessee ????-present)
*Bellevue Drive-In (Memphis, Tennessee 1955–1985)
*Crescent Drive-In (New Orleans 1955–1975)
*Frayser Drive-In (Memphis, Tennessee 1955–1985)
*Starlight Drive-In (Owensboro, Kentucky 1961–1975)
*61 Drive-In (Memphis, Tennessee 1961–1965)
*78 Drive-In (Tupelo, Mississippi 19??-1986)
*Starvue (Fayetteville, Arkansas 19??-1985)
*Skyvue (Ft. Smith, Arkansas 19??-1986)
*Fiesta Drive-In (Columbus, Mississippi 197?-1988)
*Jaxon Drive-In (Memphis, Tennessee 1961–1969)
*Cardinal Drive-In (Mayfield, Kentucky 1961–1975)
*Southwest Twin Drive-In (Memphis, Tennessee 1968–2000)
*Summer Drive-In (Memphis, Tennessee 1950–1969, Twin 1969–1985, Quartet 1985–2007, Trio 2007–2009, Quartet 2009–present)
Present day
Digital projection
Malco Theatres is a fully digital circuit, using
Dolby Digital Cinema systems throughout as well as Dolby Digital 3D systems; although, many Malco screens still have film projection capabilities installed.
Current theatre locations
source:
Tennessee
*Bartlett Cinema (Bartlett)
*Stage Cinema Grill (Bartlett)
*Malco Towne Cinema Grill & MXT (Collierville)
*Forest Hill Cinema Grill (Germantown)
*Paradiso Cinema Grill & IMAX (Memphis)
*Studio on the Square (Memphis)
*Majestic Cinema (Memphis)
*Wolfchase Galleria Cinema Grill (Memphis)
*Ridgeway Cinema Grill (Memphis)
*Cordova Cinema (Memphis)
*Summer Drive-in (Memphis)
*Malco Smyrna Cinema (Smyrna)
*Powerhouse Cinema Grill & MXT (Downtown Memphis)
Arkansas
*Pinnacle Hills Cinema (Rogers)
*Malco Towne Cinema Grill (Rogers)
*Sunset Cinema Grill (Springdale)
*Razorback Cinema Grill & IMAX (Fayetteville)
*The Malco 16/ The Malco Mall Trio (Fort Smith)
*Mall Trio (Fort Smith)
*Hollywood Cinema (Jonesboro)
*Studio at Greensborough Village (Jonesboro)
*Hollywood Cinema (Monticello)
*Van Buren Cinema (Van Buren)
Mississippi
*Grandview Cinema & IMAX (Madison)
*Renaissance Cinema Grill (Ridgeland)
*Oxford Studio Cinema (Oxford)
*Oxford Commons Cinema Grill (Oxford)
*Corinth Cinema (Corinth)
*DeSoto Cinema Grill (Southaven)
*Olive Branch Cinema Grill (Olive Branch)
*Tupelo Commons Cinema Grill (Tupelo)
*Columbus Cinema (Columbus)
Kentucky
*Owensboro Cinema Grill & MXT (Owensboro)
*Winchester Cinema (Winchester)
Missouri
*Sikeston Cinema & Grill (Sikeston)
Louisiana
*Gonzales Cinema (Gonzales)
Bowling centers
*Premier Lanes (Oxford, Mississippi)
*Premier Lanes (Gonzales, Louisiana)
*Circle Bowl (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
*Acadiana Lanes (Lafayette, Louisiana)
*Lafayette Lanes (Lafayette, Louisiana)
References
*
*
External links
Malco Theatres, Inc.Circle BowlPremier Lanes GonzalesAcadiana LanesLafayette LanesCinema Treasures
{{Major USA Cinema Chains
Companies based in Memphis, Tennessee
Florence–Muscle Shoals metropolitan area
Economy of the Southeastern United States
Movie theatre chains in the United States