KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It's time to celebrate because The Bijou Theatre is turning 115! Knoxville's cultural jewel has entertained the city for over a century.
The theater started as The Lamar House. It is believed to be the oldest commercially active property in Knoxville, possibly in Tennessee, according to the theater's website.
In 1801, Thomas Humes purchased "Lot 38" on the corner of Gay Street and Cumberland Avenue. In 1815, Humes worked on the property intending it to be a hotel, tavern and three separate storefronts.
After years of ownership changes for the building, the Auditorium Company purchased the property and started renovations to transform the ballroom of the hotel into a theater, named Jake Well's Bijou Theatre.
The theater opened on March 8, 1909, to a sellout crowd of more than 1,500 people, hosting a production of "Little Johnny Jones." The Knoxville Sentinel declared the Bijou Theatre to be "one of the best constructed and most conveniently arranged houses in the entire south," according to the theater.
The Daily Journal and Tribune called the theatre a "brilliant success from start to finish."
Vaudeville was the backbone of the theater from 1913 to 1926, with the occasional motion picture being shown as well, according to the theater. It was during this time that it was the only theatre in the city to admit both Blacks and whites.
In 1935, a Paramount Pictures distribution subsidiary took a 30-year lease on the Bijou and operated it as a movie house to show second runs of films that had already been shown at the Tennessee Theatre. In 1965 Paramount chose not to renew and the theater became an “adult” movie house. The name was changed to the “Bijou Art Theatre.”
In 1975, the Bijou Theatre was closed due to unpaid rent and amusement taxes after being sold to a Knoxville businessman. The theater was scheduled for demolition. That same year The Bijou Theatre was added to the list of historical places in the National Historic Record and the Knoxville Heritage Group launched a campaign to halt the destruction of this grand building.
When the deadline came, the group was short by $50,000. For two weeks the fate of the Bijou was unsure, until John S. Goodstein, acting trustee for the Bijou, donated the remaining $50,000, according to the theater. The theater, still in dire need of a full-scale restoration, but with little money or direction, reopened in 1977.
Throughout the 1980s and early 90s, The Bijou had continued success in the areas of the arts. In January 1995, a fundraising drive began to restore the theater further, but when completed in 1999 the final cost was more than the amount pledged. The theater had to be mortgaged and, by May 2004, was forced to shut down, according to the theater.
On March 30, 2005, Mayor Bill Haslam announced a strategy to ensure that the historic Bijou Theatre remained a Knoxville treasure for future generations. In 2006, the doors were opened again. In 2009 the Bijou celebrated its 100th birthday ─ a celebration that has since evolved into an annual event called the Bijou Jubilee.
The Bijou continues to serve Knoxville as one of the most outstanding entertainment centers in the world, with some of the most perfect natural acoustics in the nation.
In its era, it has made its mark in the entertainment industry by showcasing operas, musicals, orchestral concerts and comedy shows. Throughout its many name changes and structure changes, it has remained Knoxville's Gem of the South.