The Paramount Bristol, a State Street classic, was opened as a subsidiary of the Paramount Movie Company. In its time, movie houses that shared a similar vintage and art deco feel popped up around the country, all built for showing original Paramount films. The theatre was successful for many years until a downturn in the economy caused them to close their doors. Years later, a group of determined citizens brought the locally beloved theatre back to life. Many Paramount locations around the country share similar stories, but this is the unique tale of the Paramount Bristol.
At 8 p.m. on Feb. 20, 1931, the first-ever showing took place at the Paramount Bristol. “It Pays to Advertise” starring Carole Lombard and Norman Foster lit up the screen for a sold-out crowd. Patrons happily contributed 50 cents per adult and 10 cents per child in exchange for a couple of hours of entertainment in the area’s newest venue. During its first three decades, the Paramount featured live music, Saturday cartoons and Hollywood’s latest and greatest films. This was until a decline in the local economy, largely due to coal mining, left downtown Bristol barren and Paramount seats empty.
As a last resort, the theatre tried accepting ten bottle caps in return for admission to keep the venue alive, but it could not keep them afloat. In 1979, “Beyond the Poseidon Adventure” was the last film to be shown before the lights went out at the once bright locale.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that the push for change in the Paramount area began when the city of Bristol started a movement to demolish the building and replace it with a parking lot. “It was a group of individuals from the Tennessee and Virginia sides who banded together to save the building,” Paramount Business Systems Manager Sarah Beth Carter said. For the cause of the venue, these individuals created the founding board of the Paramount Foundation, a non-profit group that still runs the theatre today.
It was 1981 when the 50-year lease with the Paramount Film Company ended. In result, the owner of the building, Harry Daniel, donated the property to Theatre Bristol, their neighboring community theatre. It was Catherine DeCaterina, founder of Theatre Bristol, who deeded the property to The Paramount Foundation in 1982. This put the building in the hands of the Paramount Foundation, allowing them to join the League of Historic American Theatres and thus jumpstarting the return of a local landmark.
The Paramount Foundation Board consisted of determined Bristolians with different expertise who shared a common love for the arts. Frank Leonard, Founder of Electro-Mechanical Corporation, was named Chairman of the Paramount Foundation. During this time, fundraising had begun, and he worked to appoint eight more board members to the team
Mary Beth Rainero, Arts Advocate and Project Coordinator of the Paramount Restoration, talked of her time spent going door to door, and visiting businesses to raise both awareness and funding. In nearly a year, they raised just over $1 million with the state matching another million. There were over 1,000 contributors including businesses and local individuals with fond memories of the Paramount at its peak.
It was not until 1985 that the theatre was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places and deemed worthy of preservation. The challenge of fundraising and meticulous planning for the future was paying off.
From 1989-1991, construction was in full swing and actively breathing life back into the deteriorated building. Architect Bill Price and Associated Construction Services Inc. led the restoration. Changes included bringing the stage forward which lowered the number of seats in the house from 1200 to 750 but keeping it large enough to accommodate traveling Broadway productions of the 1990s. Conrad Schmitt Studios came from Wisconsin to restore the ornamental portraits that now line the walls.
The lighting and sound equipment as well as their respective booths were upgraded, and a new marquee was placed that is an exact replica of the original. Its bright and glimmering appearance, powered by 1,967 light bulbs, ensures the theatre does not go unseen by the patrons of State Street. The original orange velvet seats were reupholstered, and the original masonry remained intact. There were no concessions available at the time of the reopening, but a concession stand has since been added. A house artist visits every year to touch up the artwork and maintain the gold leaf.
One of the most integral parts of the Paramount Theatre’s history is The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. The original organ was sold when the theatre closed. During restoration, the board was able to begin leasing an organ from the Piedmont Theatre Organ Society, a branch of the American Theatre Organ Society, where the organ itself originated in the Charlottesville, VA Paramount. They installed the organ underneath the stage where it has since called home for 33 years.
The Paramount Bristol welcomed patrons back on Feb. 20, 1991, the same date as the original opening, 60 years later.
For the occasion, they hosted a gala featuring Tennessee Ernie Ford. Since the reopening, the Paramount has hosted live music, theatrical productions, screened documentaries and made local partnerships to help enhance the arts in the region. The most recent film shown was a documentary about the Paramount created for the 33rd anniversary of the reopening. It is titled “Tonight is the Nite: The Paramount Bristol Story.”
Jon Luttrell, Paramount Board Member and Director of Community Relations for the City of Bristol, Tennessee, has been working on the documentary since 2019 before it was put on pause by COVID-19. “As a kid in elementary school, we would go on field trips to plays at the Paramount. It looked like nothing else in the area and made a huge impression on everyone,” Luttrell said. “Since then, it has become a great place to see an artist. I would choose it over an arena every time."
The feature-length film covers the time from the beginning of the Paramount through the closing, restoration and reopening. It emphasizes the deeply rooted history of the theatre and the impact it has had on the area. Vice President of the Board of Directors Matthew Riggins said, “The Paramount Theater is a hidden gem, it doesn't get enough attention.”
The suggested donation for admission into the debut documentary screening was $19.31 as part of the 1931 campaign to celebrate the 93rd anniversary of the Paramount. The 501(c)(3) non-profit asked guests to consider making a tax-deductible donation. Paramountbristol.org mentions on their website, “If you agree that The Paramount makes Bristol and our region a great place to live, please give generously so we can keep it as the shining star of downtown Bristol. After all, it’s your Paramount!” The donations of pleased guests are still what keep the experience ongoing. “Every time I see a show at The Paramount Center for the Arts, from ballet to live theater, I am immediately drawn in and feel a part of the story because the space is so intimate despite its vast house size,” said life-long patron Camille Gray, “There’s just something about walking through those doors.”
"If you have a child who looks around the place and dreams, it might start a thought, and sometimes that thought leads to something big,” said Rainero, “You dream a little and sometimes your dreams come true.”
The Paramount Theatre is a historic landmark with years of memories and future memories to be made. “The story of the Paramount is still being written, and we wanted to tell it that way,” Jon Luttrell said.
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