On October 15, 1926, the Tampa Theatre opened as one of America’s most elaborate movie palaces, and 100 years later, it transitioned into a nonprofit cultural institution that has remained successful through a century of change.
Jill Witecki, the Vice President and Director of Marketing & Community Relations at Tampa Theatre, takes us on a tour through its history.
<div id="c3be0912bb716eee4ca644c1dfc4ecde4"></div>The Tampa Theatre’s Origin
To set the scene, the high point of moviegoing in America was early 1929, so when the Tampa Theatre was opened in 1926, the graph was heading straight up. This led to movie palaces becoming common and emerging across the country.
“Movie palaces were built to promote studios’ films,” said Witecki. “We were opened as a Paramount Theatre. Most of the content we showed on our screen was Paramount movies.”
Tampa Theatre isn’t simply an old theater that happened to survive this long; it was part of a completely different movie-seeing ecosystem.
For decades, the Theatre was a staple for Tampa residents until it wasn’t.
The Challenges of a Changing Era
“In 1948, there was a Supreme Court case, actually against Paramount, our parent company,” said Witecki.
Essentially, in United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., the court ruled that studios could no longer own movie theatres. Forcing them to get rid of a third of their business: making movies, distributing movies, or showing them.
“They chose to get rid of the exhibition,” said Witecki. “Suddenly, you had all these beautiful Theatres that were about 20, 30, 40 years old all losing money.”
Across the country, these Theatres, located in downtown areas, weren’t seeing the audiences they were just 20 years prior.
“Kind of overnight in the late 40s, early 50s, you saw buildings like this all over the country bulldozed.”
Apparently, the land underneath the buildings was more valuable than the theaters sitting on it.
“Tampa Theatre was incredibly lucky that we survived that initial demolition, even as some of the other Theatres around us in downtown Tampa were torn down.”
Between the Great Depression, World War II, suburbanization, television, the 1948 Supreme Court decision, segregation, and changes to downtown Tampa, the theatre was on its final legs.
“So you put all of that together, and that’s what kind of led us to 1973,” said Witecki.
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The Rescue
“When the owners of this building went to the city of Tampa and said, ‘We can’t do this anymore … City of Tampa, you should step in and rescue it,” said Witecki. “Ultimately, the city did step in and purchase the building in order to preserve it, but it was not a slam dunk.”
The city council vote didn’t happen for multiple years because the support wasn’t there. During this time, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts was under development, causing questions in the community about whether it made sense to save another theatre 3 blocks away.
“When the vote finally happened in 1976, among the city council, the vote came down 4 to 3,” said Witecki. “They really only rescued the building by one vote.”
The Endurance of Tampa Theatre
In the 50 years that followed, the Tampa Theatre has had to meet the world where it’s at.
Film distribution has changed drastically since the 1920s, when theaters would only play films from one of the five studios they belonged to. Then came the bidding wars, where nearby theaters competed to secure a film before the others could, as theaters within a certain radius were not allowed to play the same films. Compared to after the pandemic, when all theaters could show the same films, Tampa Theatre had to find other ways to distinguish itself.
“Depending on market conditions, we have the flexibility to kind of shift our programming mix to maximize whatever is going on at the time,” said Witecki.
For example, after the pandemic, when production was halted and few new movies were coming out, live shows started touring again immediately. Tampa Theatre was able to lean into that change.
“The heart of Tampa Theatre will always be the Duncan Auditorium, but the legs of Tampa Theatre can start to kind of move a little bit,” said Witecki.
Engaging a New Generation
“This younger generation, and the generation coming up, is rediscovering cinema,” said Witecki.
For those shaped by constant digital access and the experiences of the pandemic, “we’re seeing this isolated generation of people, all of a sudden realizing, being in a giant room with 1,000 other people sharing an experience is really cool,” said Witecki.
Not to mention it’s an affordable experience, easily repeatable.
The Tampa Theatre isn’t simply competing with streaming; it’s evolved into a broader cultural venue.
Currently, Tampa Theatre’s repertoire includes new first-run movies, classic films, live shows, educational experiences, and rental events.
“The first century’s legacy has been that room [Duncan Auditorium],” said Witecki. “The second century’s legacy is going to be where we take it from there.”
Celebrate 100 Years of the Tampa Theatre
Annual Member Party: Clue (1985)
- Date: October 10, starting at 1:30 p.m.
Free member-exclusive event.
Public Open House
- Date: October 11, from 1 to 5 p.m.
This free community event is the first chance to tour the newly renovated Duncan Auditorium.
Casablanca (1942)
- Date: October 12, starting at 7 p.m.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Date: October 13, starting at 7 p.m.
A Night at the Opera (1935)
- Date: October 14, starting at 7 p.m.
Centennial Celebration
- Date: October 15, starting at 6 p.m.
The Tampa Theatre is throwing its 100th birthday party featuring live music, a souvenir program similar to the one given on opening night, comments from the Tampa mayor, a showing of the silent comedy Sherlock Jr. (1924), and more.