Bonita and Neely Theaters
Marion, Alabama
By Dr. Paul G. Reitzer
Perry County Historical Society
On February 12, 1912, Berlin Moon and H. L. Swain printed an announcement in The Marion Standard that "a first class moving picture show" has been opened in the building "formerly occupied by the Ladies' Exchange on the east side of Court House Square" with admission fees of 10 cents for adults and 5 cents for children. While the notice did not name the theater, an April article mentioned a two story building on the Marion Central Bank property giving it the name of Bonita Theatre.
About the same time, the Canebrake Herald of Uniontown contained an announcement that Mr. Moon was opening a movie theater "in the building of the Fretwell Barber Shop" and that the movie will "begin in the evening when the lights are first turned on and will run until about ten at night." However, on April 26, 1912, the Canebrake Herald reported the theater had been purchased by Messrs. R. P. Greer and Walter Woodruff. This theater was called "Theatorium."
Both the Marion and Uniontown theaters, according to newspaper ads, featured a nightly program of three reels, making the show last one hour, and two shows running two hours, one at seven o'clock and the other at eight. The first film featured in these two theaters were Biblical themes.
The first films were black and white and without sound. In theaters during the silent film days, pianists or other sound machines provided musical background so as to highlight the written narratives portrayed throughout the movies. A noteworthy fact from the Marion Military Archives is that Hal Kemp, born in Marion, and who later became famous as a band leader of the "Big Band Era" played piano at the Bonita Theatre as a teenager.
On August 18 ,1919, the Bonita Theatre ownership changed when a corporation was formed by Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Dennis and W. L. Hogue. While the name remained, the corporation, according to the Perry County Corporation Records, was dissolved on June 10, 1922. The new owner began placing ads in the Marion newspaper on March 23, 1923.
In the December 24, 1931 Marion Times Standard, it was announced that a Western Electric Sound System had been installed in the Bonita Theatre, paving the way for movies with sound. An interesting ad appeared in the January 26, 1933 Marion Times Standard for a children's matinee every Saturday at 4 P. M.: "Children admitted - 1 egg each ( egg must be fresh), children 12-15, 10 cents. "
The Bonita Theatre closed for a short period of time. In the August 14, 1933 Marion Times Standard a notice appeared from the manager, L. M. Neely, stating that the " Bonita Theatre will reopen on September 1." Beginning in late 1935, ads appeared in the Marion Times Standard featuring movies in the same ad for both the Bonita and the Grande Theatre ( in Uniontown). Evidently, Mr. Neely was manager of both theaters.
The ads in the Marion Times Standard stopped appearing under the name Bonita Theatre and the name Neely Theatre began to appear for both the theaters in Marion and Uniontown. Both theaters remained active until the 1960's. The last ad in the Marion Times Standard for the Marion theater was February 4, 1965.
(c) Dr. Paul G. Reitzer
