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About Lyric Theatre

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Lyric Theatre Is Part of Loudon History

The smell of wintergreen permeates the air. Movie fans seated close to the stage are taking off their coats. The pot bellied stove heats up while the people in the back huddle together to stay warm. A young kid climbs the ladder to the projection booth, and the player piano begins its music. The screen lights up with the first scene of Angel o’ er Hells Valley. Movie fans silently read the caption on the screen.The Lyric Theatre, built in Loudon around 1911 – 1912, was an important part of the community. Western with serial “cliffhangers” and other movies were only a part of the activities that took place at the theatre.According to Lloyd Black, his father King Black told the story about a hypnotist who came to town and put a man to sleep on the stage at the Lyric Theatre. The man was placed on a cot and moved to Ed Watkins Dry Goods Store front window for display. When night came, he was taken by to the theatre where the hypnotist proceeded to wake him up!Black said his father began working in the Lyric around 1915 when he was 10 – 12 years old. His career as a projectionist began one afternoon when he happened to be walking through town, and Arthur “Piggy” Watt asked him if he wanted to come up into the projection booth. He showed King how to keep the film running and warned him that if it stopped, it could catch on fire. As Watt began to climb down the ladder, leaving the unsuspecting King behind, he explained that he had a date with Elsie Kyper! After that unplanned beginning, King Black continued to show films at the Lyric Theatre for about eight years.The original Lyric Theatre burned down in 1934 and was rebuilt. Ed Marrs moved to Loudon in October 1935 to run the theatre. The first movie shown when the theatre re-opened was The Last Outpost with Cary Grant.Plagued with fire, the theatre burned again around 1941. Lloyd Black recalls helping to rebuild the theatre. He remembers carrying five-gallon buckets of concrete up into the projection room to pour the roof so that the booth would be fireproof. The crew worked all night to re-open the theatre. That Saturday the lines of movies fans backed up all the way across the railroad tracks.The new theatre was a busy place on Saturdays. The double feature would usually be a “B” western, a feature film, and a news serial. Some of the serials included Zorro and Flash Gordon. Gene Autry movies were also popular. Geneva Robinson said that she sent her two sons to town every Saturday, where they could watch westerns all day long for a dime!The last family who owned and operated the theatre, the Morgan’s, bought it in the mid-1950’s and the final movie was shown in 1961. Jimmie N. Morgan donated the theatre to the City of Loudon in the 1980’s.Since the 1980’s the Loudon Merchants and Property Owners Association (LMPOA) has worked to restore the theatre. When they took over, there was nothing but four brick walls. The first project was to construct a roof. The roof was donated by Metal Resources, a local industry. The building has served as the office of the LMPOA for more than ten years. Various events have been held in the theatre under primitive conditions.For more than a decade, the LMPOA and local volunteers have chipped away at restoring the charming old theatre to its former glory. The additions include the heating and cooling system, curtains for the stage, a sound system, lighting system, and carpet have been installed. The bathrooms have been renovated along with the stage. The marquee was built and installed. The first concert series was held in 2003. The Loudon Merchants & Property Owners Association is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization.